Use Smart Tempo with multitrack audio files in Logic Pro for Mac
You can use Smart Tempo analysis with multitrack audio recordings, both with recordings you make in Logic Pro for Mac and when you add a set of multitrack audio files to a project. For multitrack audio recordings, Smart Tempo analyzes the multitrack audio files together and applies the analysis results to all of them. By default, all the multitrack audio files contribute to the analysis, but you can exclude audio files from the analysis while still having the analysis results applied to them.
To work with Smart Tempo, Logic Pro organizes multitrack audio recordings into a Smart Tempo multitrack set. You can create a Smart Tempo multitrack set in any of the following ways:
Create a multitrack audio recording in Logic Pro.
Drag a set of multitrack audio files to the Tracks area.
Create a Smart Tempo multitrack set from existing audio regions.
When you create or edit a Smart Tempo multitrack set, Logic Pro does the following:
Creates a downmix of the audio files in the multitrack set.
Analyzes the downmix using Smart Tempo analysis.
Writes the results of the Smart Tempo analysis to all the audio files in the multitrack set.
In addition, you can use Smart Tempo to create a group including all the tracks in the multitrack set, so they can be edited together.
The downmix is created from the multitrack audio files for which the Contributes to Analysis checkbox is selected in the Smart Tempo Multitrack window. The Smart Tempo analysis results for the downmix are applied to all files in the Smart Tempo multitrack set. The Smart Tempo analysis for the downmix can be viewed and edited in the Smart Tempo Editor, and the edits applied to all files in the multitrack set. For information, see Work in the Smart Tempo Editor.
To combine all the tracks into a multitrack set group for editing, select “Create matching Edit group when creating Smart Tempo Multitrack Set” in File > Project Settings > Smart Tempo.
Before recording in Logic Pro, make sure that at least one of the following conditions is true:
The Project Tempo mode is set to Adapt.
The Flex & Follow region parameter is set to either On + Align Bars or On + Align Beats.
You can add a set of multitrack files to the Tracks area and have them analyzed together as a multitrack set. The multitrack files should be files originally played and recorded together at the same tempo, and have the same start point.
In Logic Pro, drag a set of multitrack audio files to the Tracks area.
In the Add Selected Files to Tracks dialog, ensure that either the “Create new tracks” button or the “Use existing tracks” button is selected.
Select the “All selected files are stems from one project” checkbox, then click OK.
You can select audio regions in the Tracks area to use in a Smart Tempo multitrack set. The regions should be from files originally played and recorded together at the same tempo, and that have the same start point.
In Logic Pro, select the audio regions you want to include in the Smart Tempo multitrack set.
Do one of the following:
Choose Edit > Tempo > Create Smart Tempo Multitrack Set.
Control-click one of the selected regions and choose Tempo > Create Smart Tempo Multitrack Set from the shortcut menu.
In the Smart Tempo Multitrack window, ensure that all the files you want to use in the set are listed in the File list, then click Analyze.
You can view which audio files are included in the multitrack set, remove files from the multitrack set, and make other edits in the Smart Tempo Multitrack window.
You can add and remove audio files from a multitrack set and change which audio files contribute to the Smart Tempo analysis. You can also break up the multitrack set if you want to start over.
Limiting which audio files contribute to the analysis can be useful when you want the Smart Tempo analysis results to apply to some files, but those files might not meaningfully contribute to the analysis. For example, if you have a multitrack band recording with a synth effect track, you may want the track to conform to the analysis results but not be used to create the downmix, because it might confuse the analysis.
In Logic Pro, Control-click one or more audio regions used in the set.
Choose Tempo > Edit Smart Tempo Multitrack Set from the shortcut menu.
The Smart Tempo Multitrack window opens, showing the files currently used in the Smart Tempo multitrack set.
Do any of the following:
To add an audio file to the multitrack set: Close the Smart Tempo Multitrack Set window, select the files you want to include, then open the window again.
To delete an audio file from the multitrack set: Select the row for the audio file and press the Delete or Backspace key.
To set which audio files contribute to the Smart Tempo multitrack analysis: Deselect the checkboxes for any audio files you want to exclude.
To break up the multitrack set: Click Break Up Set.
To start Smart Tempo multitrack analysis with your changes, click Analyze.
