Work in the Logic Pro for Mac Smart Tempo Editor
In the Smart Tempo Editor, you can view and edit Smart Tempo analysis results, including beat markers and other tempo information. After you record an audio or MIDI region or import a file using Smart Tempo, you can refine the tempo analysis and correct any tempo detection errors to define the musical intent more accurately. When working in Adapt mode, tempo and time signature changes are transferred to the project tempo and time signature tracks.
When you open the Smart Tempo Editor, the audio file or MIDI region is displayed along with the tempo analysis results. The main display shows a close-up view of part of the file so that you can make precise edits, while the entire audio file or MIDI region is shown in the overview, with the part of the file shown in the main display outlined by a rectangle.
The Smart Tempo Editor offers two ways of working on the analyzed tempo: you can add and edit hints in Hint mode to improve the tempo analysis, or you can edit beat markers in Beat Marker mode to correct the analysis results.
Hint mode
By default, the Smart Tempo Editor opens in Hint mode. You can view the results of the tempo analysis and add downbeat hints, beat hints, and time signature hints, then apply the changes to improve the analysis results. Downbeat hints are used to determine the precise position of downbeats, and beat hints are used to determine the position of beats that aren’t downbeats. You can also add time signature hints to downbeat hints. Time signature hints can improve the analysis when the time signature is not detected correctly, and are especially important if the file contains time signature changes. You can move hints after they are added, and can delete them so they no longer affect the Smart Tempo analysis.
You can add hints by playing the file or a selection and tapping the D and T keys on your computer keyboard to indicate downbeat hints (D) and beat hints (T), or by adding and editing hints in the main display. Clicking in the upper third of the main display adds a downbeat hint, and clicking in the lower third adds a beat hint. When you tap in a selection, only the downbeat hints or beat hints in the selected area are changed.
Beat Marker mode
When the Smart Tempo Editor is in Beat Marker mode, you can view the tempo analysis results with the detected beats appearing as editable beat markers. Beat markers for downbeats are more prominent than for other beats. In Beat Marker mode, you can make simple edits to single beats, and make more complex edits to the tempo information for a selection, or the entire file or region. You can move, shift, or scale beat markers from the tempo results directly, without requiring a new analysis to take effect.
The tempo analysis, and any edits you make in the Smart Tempo Editor, are stored in the audio file, so you can still access them if you copy the file or use it in another project. For MIDI regions, the analysis and edits are stored with the project.
You can view any of the audio files in a Smart Tempo multitrack set, including the downmix, in the Smart Tempo Editor. Edits to the Smart Tempo analysis results of the downmix are applied to all audio files in the multitrack set.
The Smart Tempo Editor includes the following controls and working areas:
Edit menu: Choose tempo actions including adapting the project tempo to a region, maintaining the relative position of all regions, reanalyzing the file or region, and removing tempo edits made to the file. When an audio file used in a Smart Tempo multitrack set is selected, you can also open the Smart Tempo Multitrack window.
View menu: Choose view options, including scroll in play and showing an overlay of the tempo curve. When an audio file used in a Smart Tempo multitrack set is selected, you can also choose to view the downmix waveform.
Hint Mode button: When selected, the Smart Tempo Editor is in Hint mode, so that you can quickly add and edit downbeat hints, beat hints, and time signature hints in the main display. When deselected, the Smart Tempo Editor is in Beat Marker mode, where you can edit beat markers in the main display.
Catch button: Turn on Catch mode, so that the visible part of the display follows the playhead during playback.
Filename display: Shows the name of the file or region displayed in the Smart Tempo Editor. When an audio file that is part of a Smart Tempo multitrack set is selected, the Filename display becomes a pop-up menu where you can select any file used in the set, including the downmix file.
Apply Changes button: Perform a new tempo analysis of the file or region or of the current selection, incorporating hints and other changes made since the last analysis.
Bar and Beat display: Shows the current playhead position in bars and beats.
Tempo display: Shows the detected file tempo; if multiple tempos are detected, shows as Variable. In Beat Marker mode, you can select the tempo and enter a new file tempo.
Double Tempo and Half Tempo buttons: Doubles or halves the tempo of the audio file or of the current selection. In Hint mode a tempo range will be used that contains downbeat hints and beat hints.
Signature display: Shows the detected time signature at the playhead position. You can click the display and choose a new time signature from the pop-up menu. In Hint mode, this adds a general time signature hint for the file. In Beat Marker mode, this sets the time signature for the complete file, removing any signature changes.
Tempo pop-up menu: Shows whether the file has a constant or variable tempo. By choosing the alternative option, you can trigger a new analysis of the audio file.
Metronome button: Turn the metronome on or off.
Volume slider: Adjust the relative volume between the metronome and the audio file. Dragging the slider to the right decreases the volume of the metronome click. Dragging the slider to the left decreases the volume of the audio file.
Preview button: Start or stop playback of the audio file.
Cycle button: Turn Cycle mode on or off. If a selection exists, the Cycle area matches the selection. If no selection exists, the Cycle area extends to cover the entire length of the audio file.
Horizontal Zoom slider: Drag left or right to show a smaller part of the file or region in more detail or to show a larger part of the file or region in less detail.
Overview: Shows the entire audio file or MIDI region. The visible area of the file appears highlighted in a white rectangle, which you can drag left and right to view different sections in the main display below. Double-click a point in the overview to play from that position.
Main display: Shows the visible area of the audio file or MIDI region, with downbeats and beats detected by the tempo analysis.
Note: Edits you make in the Smart Tempo Editor do not alter the audio data in the source audio file, but only the tempo information Logic Pro for Mac uses to conform (flex) the file to the project tempo.
When you edit beats or other tempo information in the Smart Tempo Editor, the edits are saved when you save the project.