The Craft of Contemporary Commercial Music

2nd Edition by Greg McCandless and Daniel McIntyre

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Chapter 6

Manipulating Rhythm in the DAW Environment

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Audio Examples

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Figures

Custom Control Bar from Logic Pro
6.1 Custom Control Bar from Logic Pro
6.2 Logic Pro Custom Control Bar—tempo and meter change
6.3 Badelt, “The Black Pearl”
Badelt, "The Black Pearl"
6.4 Badelt, “The Black Pearl”
Cubase-rhythm resolution change based on the smallest rhythmic unit
6.5 Cubase-rhythm resolution change based on the smallest rhythmic unit
Common note values and MIDI event blocks in 4/4 time
6.6 Common note values and MIDI event blocks in 4/4 time
6.7 Excerpt from “The Black Pearl” in Logic’s Event List and Score Editor Editor
Multiple view options in Cubase
6.8 Multiple view options in Cubase
Logic Pro Track Metronome & Count In On/Off
6.9 Logic Pro Track Metronome & Count In On/Off
6.10 Performance- based sequencing
Cubase Step Record function for the “Black Pearl” theme’s first bar
6.11 Cubase Step Record function for the “Black Pearl” theme’s first bar
Logic Pro quantization value comparison
6.12 Logic Pro quantization value comparison
Comparison between unquantized and quantized performances featuring different quantization strengths in Cubase
6.13 Comparison between unquantized and quantized performances featuring different quantization strengths in Cubase
Changing the pitch of a note using the pointer tool in Logic Pro
6.14 Changing the pitch of a note using the pointer tool in Logic Pro
Extending a MIDI event in Ableton using the hand tool
6.15 Extending a MIDI event in Ableton using the hand tool
Truncating a group of MIDI events in Cubase
6.16 Truncating a group of MIDI events in Cubase
Logic Pro Audio File Editor before and after the activation of Transient Edit mode
6.17 Logic Pro Audio File Editor before and after the activation of Transient Edit mode
Logic Pro Audio File Editor before and after the activation of Transient Edit mode
6.18 Logic Pro Audio File Editor before and after the activation of Transient Edit mode

Flashcards

Click on the word to get the definition

transport control window

a view or toolbar within a DAW that allows the user to view and adjust parameters specifically related to rhythm such as tempo, time signature, and the visualization of rhythmic values on the grid.

grid

the visual demarcation system for duration used within a DAW’s main tracks view window or piano roll editor, which can be calibrated by the user to show specific rhythmic durations as vertical slices for editing purposes.

region

a unit within a track that contains either audio or MIDI information.

event (MIDI)

a unit of information housed within a region (typically experienced as a musical “note”).

ticks

durational segments measured as partitions of a quarter note within a DAW.

pulses per quarter

a measure of durational resolution within a DAW in terms of the number of ticks or segments within a single quarter note.

sequencing

the process of entering and editing MIDI information in a DAW or sequencer.

tracks

editable lanes of information that are displayed horizontally and stacked on top of one another in a digital audio workstation.

step sequencing

also called step entry, a type of asynchronous MIDI sequencing that allows the user to input one note at a time.

velocity

a MIDI CC message parameter that correlates with intensity or dynamic level on a scale from 0 to 127.

pencil tool

an editing function within a DAW that has the ability to “draw in” MIDI events, velocity curves, fades, and other parameters into a region.

quantization

a MIDI editing process that snaps (or pulls) the starting points of selected events to the closest user-defined rhythmic value.

swing quantization

a MIDI editing process that works by quantizing every other instance of a selected rhythmic value ahead or behind its position in a standard duple division by a fixed amount, giving a performance a loose quality that can emulate the swing feel.

snap

to displace a MIDI event to a user-defined temporal location, as in quantization.

pointer tool

a DAW function with the ability to move MIDI events up or down (changing pitch) as well as left or right (altering their rhythmic positions) in the piano roll editor, among other applications.

transient

a sudden, temporary interruption in output level that takes place at the beginning of a waveform.

attack

the point of a waveform’s transient initiation.

transient analysis

a DAW-based examination of an audio file’s attack points, which is needed to inform the computer of the specific moments that are to be adjusted during audio quantization.

Flex mode

the audio quantization mode within Logic Pro.

Elastic Audio

the audio quantization mode within Pro Tools software.

Audio Warp

the audio quantization mode within Cubase software.

tempo matching

a DAW function that alters the tempo of an audio file to match the tempo of a project.

Follow Tempo

the tempo matching functionality within Logic Pro.