Multi-Track Editing And Tempo Mapping
Within Pro Tools I have tempo mapped a track which we have been given to convert into a radio edit. The track required multi-track editing with the drum stems taking up a total of 10 tracks, the remaining 6 tracks were allocated to other instrumentation. As the drums were needing tightening up in this project, I had to set a tempo map to them as they were not exactly in time and required the mapping to ensure that the tempo slip overtime did not occur, as we found with a fixed tempo throughout the audio the drums still would slip. This could have occurred from the drummer not using a click track, as with this situation it is crucial still to set tempo information so that the correct bars / arrangement can be set in the DAW for use with other tracks and timing monitoring.
To tempo map to the drums, I found the start of a bar and set the playhead to the start of the first kick hit, I then set a sync point here so that no tracks would slip out of time together. Playing through with the Pro Tools conductor off I found the rough tempo of the project and set that using the tap tempo, then turning the conductor track on for the tempo mapping I added in beat markers starting at the sync point and going along at the start of each bar with the tab to transients function to find each initial kick hit.
Once the tempo map was in place, I duplicated all the drum tracks into a new playlist so that I had a saved copy of the original timings of the recordings, I then went in switching back and forth from click monitoring as I listened through the drums and edited any significant timing errors that I felt hindered the rhythm played. To do this I separated clips at the point which needed adjustment, this cut across each of the tracks as they were all also grouped together to allow for multi-channel editing such as this. These edits were then adjusted in the arrangement to hit either sooner or later depending on the edit, then once in place the clips were faded in / out to avoid detection of the edit.
Once I am happy with the tracks, they will be bounced in place and converted to new audio regions so that these can then be played back seamlessly together.
