Am I missing something or is this the only way to do a ritardando, say at the end of a song? I would like the tempo to gradually fade over the last 4 or 8 bars. Do I have to set each bar manually? Is this a Wish List item? Help! Thanks! LLOYD S
In the audio edit view you would use volume automation to produce a ritardando like you want. Press F1 and search for volume then click on volume automation for details. Note I do not use BiaB for this function so I can not give you exact details on how to do it. Others use volume automation so maybe someone will join in and give you those details.
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In the audio edit view you would use volume automation to produce a ritardando like you want. Press F1 and search for volume then click on volume automation for details. Note I do not use BiaB for this function so I can not give you exact details on how to do it. Others use volume automation so maybe someone will join in and give you those details.
I don't think that volume automation can be used for ritardando purposes(?) Gradual ritardando has been requested many times, but currently, I believe that the only way to achieve this is bar-by-bar, which is often way less than ideal.
I certainly requested it (again) in 2021.
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In the audio edit view you would use volume automation to produce a ritardando like you want. Press F1 and search for volume then click on volume automation for details. Note I do not use BiaB for this function so I can not give you exact details on how to do it. Others use volume automation so maybe someone will join in and give you those details.
I don't think that volume automation can be used for ritardando purposes(?) Gradual ritardando has been requested many times, but currently, I believe that the only way to achieve this is bar-by-bar, which is often way less than ideal.
I certainly requested it (again) in 2021.
You are right AT. I miss read his initial message. Sorry for any confusion I may have caused.
Actually I do this in my DAW and if the OP has a Window OS he has Realband. Realband should be able to achieve this.
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As Audiotrack indicates, BIAB can only be slowed down bar-by-bar. I often slow down the ending of my songs over two bars, and the bar-by-bar approach works fine for my needs. For example, if I want a song at a tempo of 110 beats per minute (bpm) to end at 100 bpm,I set the first bar of the 4-bar ending to 100 and then set the tempo of two bars (or sometimes one bar) before this ending to 105. While this is more of a ritenuto approach than a ritardando, but it still suits my needs and sounds comfortable to listen to.
If you want to hear how this approach works, go to my song below and have a listen to the last 20 seconds or so.
I set bar 96 to a tempo of 95 bpm so that the ending played at this tempo.
Then, in bar 94 (2 bars before the 4-bar ending), I set the tempo to 105
Note: If Soundcloud asks you to join before you can listen, simply press ESC and that window will close.
Also... As MarioD has indicated, it's possible to gradually slow down the tempo in a DAW. In Reaper, for example, the Master Track has a tempo envelope and this can be used to gradually go from one tempo to another. I've used this approach a few times, but I keep on coming back to BIAB for slowing the tempo.
Good advice above. I do this in another program, my stereo editor. A DAW can do it as well, where I would also do fades and trimming of the file.
And yes, this is a long-requested item. I think the problem here is that BIAB uses integer tempos, so there is at present no way to do a gradual ritard until non-integer tempos are supported. I could be wrong.
Some folks here have done other clever workarounds, like making measures at the end using one or two beats per measure, so many small changes in integer tempos in each measure can simulate a ritard somewhat better.
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Do you want to fade the volume at the end or do you want to slow it down to a stop/hold at the end?
Those are two entirely different things.
Volume fades are best done by automating the master volume control. I rarely ever, in fact, I can't think of any songs I've done that fade out. All come to a finished ending. HOWEVER..... I still use volume automation in my DAW in all of the individual tracks so I can bring things in and out of the mix as needed but also to control the fade speed at the end. When I hold a chord, I still want everything to end together or at least in a coordinated manner. Volume envelopes make that easy.
Slowing down to a hold, or "rit"........ I've used this multiple times. Those tempo changes often occur over a very limited section of the song at the very end. In my experience, it happens over a 2 measure (not 6 to 8) range. To go from lets say 120 bpm to a natural sounding rit/hold.... I do the following. I change the last 2 measures to TWO beats per measure and add 2 new measures also at 2 beats per measure. Then I will slow the 4 measures by a certain amount with each one slower then the preceding one. for example from 120 to 103 to 94 to 81 to 72/hold. I listen to the result and adjust the numbers as needed. The reason for adding the 2 measures is so that the slow down doesn't happen in noticeable steps but is more gradual and natural feeling. This is a song where I used this very technique at the end. Dust on the Floor
Hope this is helpful
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
ri·tar·dan·do /ˌrētärˈdändō,ˌritäːˈdandəo͝o/ Music adverb (especially as a direction) with a gradual decrease of speed.)
I disagree about "In my experience, it happens over a 2 measure (not 6 to 8) range". In the song I'm doing, I need the "slow down" (not fade out), over 4 bars, but I have used mored bars in other songs. What I'm after is a function similar to the one in the F5 Bar Settings window, where you click on the down arrow by the All Instruments setting, and instead of selecting "Fade per bar", have a selection that does "Ritard per bar".
Of course the heading under "Instrument Changes at This Bar" may need to be changed from "Volume Changes" to just "Changes".
It would indeed be nice if both volume and tempo were able to be controlled, separately, and within a measure instead of from one measure to the next. I repeat, I believe that the use of integers is at the heart of it.
It may be that a small numeric change in tempo is more perceptible than an equal small percentage in volume.
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If you open your BIAB SGU/MGU file in Realband and then do the following...
1) Select the range of bars over which you want the tempo to slow down. (#1 on the image below) Having "snap to grid" on makes selecting easier.
2) Click on the Tempo Map icon (#2).
3) Click on "Fill" (#3)
4) Set your start and end tempos (#4).
5) The range of bars (#5, #6) can be changed to whatever you want. If you selected a range of bars in step 1, though, these values will be automatically populated.
When the tempo map is created, it will look similar to the below image.
Noel, this is great advice. Very clear and concise. Perhaps you would consider adding it to the 'Post your own Tips and Tricks here' forum section? Trev
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This is another approach to what I was saying. RealBand allows tempo changes within a measure; BIAB does not. But notice that the tempos in RealBand are still integers. It works better than BIAB because the frequency is greater than one change per measure. For either program to get truly smooth ritards, I think it would have to use real numbers, not integers.
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Hot off the presses in Reaper. I may not be exactly sure what this new feature is, but if it is what I think it is - Both MIDI and Audio tracks following the same tempo map with just a few clicks!! .... it will be a game changer. Will be working with this as soon as possible.
It would indeed be nice if both volume and tempo were able to be controlled, separately, and within a measure instead of from one measure to the next. I repeat, I believe that the use of integers is at the heart of it.
It may be that a small numeric change in tempo is more perceptible than an equal small percentage in volume.
Volume can be controlled gradually and at multiple points in each bar using Volume Automation.
ri·tar·dan·do /ˌrētärˈdändō,ˌritäːˈdandəo͝o/ Music adverb (especially as a direction) with a gradual decrease of speed.)
I disagree about "In my experience, it happens over a 2 measure (not 6 to 8) range". In the song I'm doing, I need the "slow down" (not fade out), over 4 bars, but I have used mored bars in other songs. What I'm after is a function similar to the one in the F5 Bar Settings window, where you click on the down arrow by the All Instruments setting, and instead of selecting "Fade per bar", have a selection that does "Ritard per bar".
Of course the heading under "Instrument Changes at This Bar" may need to be changed from "Volume Changes" to just "Changes".
Thanks! LLOYD S
In country music it's generally at the end and isn;t dragged out like it might be in classical or something else. Two measures is typical.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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