Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 2,722
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 2,722
I have an audio file of a song that I'd like to learn and have dragged into Studio One and at some point may want to mix BiaB content with it. I don't know the exact tempo of it but suspect it's somewhere around 83 BPM. S1 has a time stretching capability that I have used in the past and therefore believed that I understood it; but apparently not. Here is the procedure that I have successfully used in the past.

1. Drag in the audio
2. Display “Bars” in the Time Ruler
3. Drag the beginning (first down beat) of the song to Bar #2
4. Activate the Metronome
5. Play the audio and adjust the tempo to match
6. When happy with the tempo, right-click the audio and double-click value in the File Tempo field (it may say “Not Set”). Type in the tempo value. The Speedup field should be set at 1.0
7. To change the tempo of the audio adjust the Speedup value.

My problem starts at Step 5. I can get the tempo of the song and the tempo of the metronome to match only for the first few bars, then they drift apart.

Note in the screenshot that bar 2 of the waveform is aligned with bar 2 of the ruler and the same for bar 3. Bar 1 is reserved for the 4 beat count-in.
This is from the manual.
Automatic timestretching is based on the relationship between the Song tempo and the audio file’s tempo.
Each Audio Track has a Tempo mode that controls the behavior of the Events on the Track, based on the Song tempo. The Tempo mode can be selected in the Track Inspector. The following modes are available:
•Don’t Follow Events on this Track are independent of the Song tempo. They are never moved or stretched automatically.
•Follow The start positions of Events on this Track are tied to the musical grid. Thus, the Events move when the Song tempo changes but they are not stretched.
•Timestretch Event start positions follow the Song tempo, as in Follow mode. In addition, the Events are stretched to fit the Song tempo.


Any idea what I'm not understanding here?

Attached Files (Click to download or enlarge) (Only available when you are logged in)
Timestretch.jpg (42.27 KB, 150 downloads)

https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677
BiaB 2026 Windows
For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,110
M
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
M
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,110
If the source files has a varying tempo then you'll need to tempo map it, if it's a constant tempo then you can use the Alt key and drag the end of the file to align with the beats.
[Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]

Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 2,722
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 2,722
Originally Posted by musocity
If the source files has a varying tempo then you'll need to tempo map it, if it's a constant tempo then you can use the Alt key and drag the end of the file to align with the beats.
Thanks for informing me about the Tempo Map; never heard of it before.
So I displayed it and it does show it at the top of the screen but it doesn't seem to be analyzing my audio waveform to determine the tempo(s). It displays one tempo value, which after some exploration, is the same value set at the bottom of the screen.
Is there a way for it to determine what the tempo(s) are throughout the song?
If yes, can I then specify a constant tempo which it would then alter my audio to play at?


https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677
BiaB 2026 Windows
For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,110
M
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
M
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,110
See video, if you have Melodyne with Studio One you can get the tempo map, if not you can use the Audio Chord Wizard in RealBand to map out the tempo, then create a midi track in RealBand and open it with Studio One, then drop the source file in and it will align with the beats. You can then drop acidized files from Biab that will fit to the tempo map or you can change the map to a constant tempo.


Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 2,722
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 2,722
Originally Posted by musocity
See video, if you have Melodyne with Studio One you can get the tempo map, if not you can use the Audio Chord Wizard in RealBand to map out the tempo, then create a midi track in RealBand and open it with Studio One, then drop the source file in and it will align with the beats. You can then drop acidized files from Biab that will fit to the tempo map or you can change the map to a constant tempo.
Many thanks for the help.
This video is EXACTLY what I'm trying to do; take a free-tempo audio file, determine it's tempo map and then convert it to a static tempo so I can work with it., and I do have Melodyne installed (see screen shot].

Captain Gregor [in his starship smile ] and I diverge on 2 points.
1. I get no "Monophonic Detection" progress clock happening; 2:40 in the video.
2. "Map" doesn't show up in the "File Tempo" field.

Any idea on why we diverge?

Attached Files (Click to download or enlarge) (Only available when you are logged in)
Timestretch.jpg (104.72 KB, 134 downloads)

https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677
BiaB 2026 Windows
For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,110
M
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
M
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,110
If you can't get it in melodyne try the RealBand ACW method.


Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 2,722
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 2,722
Originally Posted by musocity
If you can't get it in melodyne try the RealBand ACW method.
Success!!
A ton of thanks Musocity. I shut everything down, started from scratch and followed "Captain Gregor's" instructions and it worked like a charm.
A common occurrence (for me) in doing a new set of tasks with unfamiliar software (Melodyne) is not knowing what to expect at each step, clearly I bungled something up.

What these 2 tools did was analyze an arbitrary audio waveform to determine what the tempo in BPM is at each point in time; to no less than 4 decimal places! This "tempo map" can vary wildly throughout the song especially if the band is playing live. [I happen to know something about this from experience when playing in a church band and listening to a recording of us. Almost without exception, we would all speed up during the high-energy chorus and then slow down when the softer parts came. Playing to a clicktrack is not easy and our drummers couldn't do it.]

Back to S1: With the software having a knowledge of what the map is, the user can then alter it at will and the audio will then follow your new map. For me, I just want a static BPM for the whole song.

I don't know what you think, but I'm blown away by the sophistication of the algorithms that have been programmed to accomplish this. Very impressive from a computer science perspective.
I wonder if at least a high-level description of how they pulled this off is available to the public. I don't think AI is involved in any way and I'm guessing that somewhere there is a public domain paper written by a grad student or musicologist/researcher on the subject.

Thanks again for the videos . . . this is good stuff!


https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677
BiaB 2026 Windows
For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,971
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,971
Nearly all current DAWs have this ability nowadays, with or without Melodyne but Melodyne can make it easier. For those DAWs without Melodyne Essential, there are ways to obtain it inexpensively bundled with other plug-ins from iZotope and others. There's generally no reason to pay $99 just to get it directly from Celemony.

Dirty little (not so) secret—ok, worst kept secret in the music industry: iZotope has no way of verifying old licenses if you buy upgrades through a reseller. $99 for Nectar 4 Standard Upgrade or $119 for Nectar 4 Advanced Upgrade not only gets you the app but includes a license for Melodyne Essential that you redeem at Celemony. Even better is that, should you want to upgrade to a higher version of Melodyne, you now have that upgrade path, too.

Now that iZotope is part of Native Instruments, I expect this upgrade loophole to close for good but, as of now, it's still open (as it has been for 20 years).


BIAB 2025 Audiophile Mac
24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia, M1 MBAir, 2012 MBP
Digital Performer11, LogicPro, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScorePro64/Notion6 /Overture5
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,971
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,971
Audacity has now added tempo maps and time stretching.


BIAB 2025 Audiophile Mac
24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia, M1 MBAir, 2012 MBP
Digital Performer11, LogicPro, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScorePro64/Notion6 /Overture5
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 129
Apprentice
Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 129
Using Melodyne is one way of making a tempo map, and great when it works, but doesn't always give you the best results if the audio is very free and not enough transients to mark the beats, or there are lead instruments that are loud that are ahead or behind the beat. If Melodyne doesn't make a good map, it is easy in Studio One to just open the tempo track at the top, and slide the bars (or beats) to the position in the audio track that correspond to that bar or beat. You have to hold Ctrl while you slide the beat position to the left or right. The easiest way is to have the metronome on, and play the track and hear when the metronome gets out. Then take your mouse to the beat or bar in the timeline, and position it just below (inside the tempo track) and hold control and slide it to the right position (using your eyes on the audio track, or just listening.) After that, as you say, you can make a BIAB steady BPM follow your free tempo track.

Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,455
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,455
PG Product's Realband program comes with a feature called Audio Chord Wizard .. which sounds like it is to analyze chords (which it does) but it is even better at adjusting a Tempo Map.
It comes free with your BiaB purchase.

It is much simpler in that you can either:
Play the song and tap the F8 key on the one of each measure to adjust, or
Drag the bar line to align where you want it.

Both of these options are available after Realband has already ran through your song and adjusted the Tempo Map to what it sees .. and it usually gets pretty darn close on its own.
And it gets pretty granular .. down to tempos like 121.344356.


I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 2,722
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 2,722
"Captain Gregor's" solution worked very well for me.
I've detailed it below.

Attached Files (Click to download or enlarge) (Only available when you are logged in)
Screenshot 36.jpg (104.35 KB, 37 downloads)

https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677
BiaB 2026 Windows
For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.

ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.

PG Music News
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!

Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!

We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!

Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.

Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.

There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!

Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!

Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.

If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!

Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!

Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!

We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!

There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.

When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.

Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.

Happy New Year!

Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.

Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!

Season's Greetings!

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!

The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.

Team PG

Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window

In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.

Watch the video.

You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!

Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe

This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.

Watch the video.

You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!

Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®

With your version 2026 for Windows Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!

These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!

This Free Bonus PAK includes:

  • The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK: -For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles. -For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles. -For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
  • MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
  • MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
  • Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
  • Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
  • Playable RealTracks Set 5
  • RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
  • SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
  • Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)

Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:


  • 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
  • FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
  • MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
  • MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
  • Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
  • Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
  • RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
  • SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)

Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!

Forum Statistics
Forums57
Topics85,736
Posts795,470
Members39,942
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
Newest Members
smitoz, Jonnyfartpants, Gengiz, MarcAlanMichael, Kylie jen
39,942 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 200
Noel96 116
DC Ron 109
rsdean 103
DrDan 103
dcuny 93
Today's Birthdays
baz66, joesarahh, prsings
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5