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Synchronizing audio and the project tempo
AudioSnap
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Synchronizing audio and the project tempo
There are many reasons why you may want to synchronize audio clips with the project tempo. The
following list presents a few common examples.
AudioSnap provides two ways to quickly synchronize audio and the project tempo map:
• Applying an audio clip’s internal tempo map to the project’s global tempo map. Use this
method if you want the project tempo to match an audio clip’s tempo and have audio beats
aligned with the project’s time ruler.
This is useful in the following scenarios:
• If you recorded an audio track without using the metronome, and you want the project’s
measure and beat boundaries to align with the audio. For example, you may have recorded an
audio track that you would like to use as the tempo reference when recording additional tracks.
• If you want both audio and MIDI edits to snap to audio beats.
• If you want to use the Quantize and Groove Quantize commands on audio clips, and have
audio beats quantized correctly.
• If you want to remix an existing song that has been imported into SONAR (from an audio CD or
MP3 file, etc.). In order to add new drum loops and MIDI instruments that play in time with the
original song, you need to create a tempo map from the original song.
For details, see To sync the project tempo to an audio clip.
• Applying the project’s tempo to a clip’s tempo map. Use this method if you want a clip to
follow the project tempo.
This is useful in the following scenarios:
• If you want to synchronize new audio with existing audio.
• If you want to tighten up a new audio track so it fits well with the timing and tempo of an existing
track.
• If you want to globally change the project’s tempo after audio has been recorded.
For details, see To sync an audio clip to the project tempo and To copy the project tempo to an
audio clip’s tempo map.
How does it work?
Each audio clip has an internal tempo map, which makes it possible to synchronize the audio clip
with the project’s global tempo map (see Editing a clip’s tempo map).
SONAR automatically creates a tempo map for each audio clip. In some cases, SONAR can detect
the wrong tempo. For example, SONAR might detect a tempo of 120 BPM when the actual tempo is
240 BPM, or a beat may be mapped to the wrong transient. You can easily remap the tempo map, if
necessary.