Tempo Automation Curve

[w1pl0c]

Here is an example and I think it humanizes the track really well. Cant see the curve option in tempo automation in R12. Is that a bug or limitation?

[Mataya]

Amazing. Can't answer, because I don't know.

M

[Benedict]

That is an interesting Q as most Automation in Reason can curve BUT Tempo does not. Maybe that is because tempo is already loggy/explodie - in which case a bendy curve would mess that up???

There is nothing to stop you from making several points that define a curve.

[ShadowMatriks]

Had a dream where you could micro automate tempo for each instrument layer, like off-set LFOs, interweaving sounds, push and pull so to speak!

[Benedict]

Had a dream... off-set LFOs, interweaving sounds, push and pull so to speak!

Just turn off BPM sync and the LFOs will move against each other nicely for a more relaxed feel.

[selig]

Here is an example and I think it humanizes the track really well. Cant see the curve option in tempo automation in R12. Is that a bug or limitation?

This is called “rubato”, it’s how a whole lot of music was played before there were metronomes (starting just over 200 years ago) and click tracks (starting only around 50 years ago or so). Music has thousands of years of history, if not millions, without a strictly enforced tempo being imposed on it. But I digress…

Most of the time this is done the other way around. A human plays, and you automate the tempo to follow the performance and fine tune it from there. That said, there’s no reason to have the tempo follow the music, you can always just play freely over any tempo, just turn off the click and work like it’s a tape machine (which I’ve done on many songs over the years).

One reason to create a tempo map is to generate a written musical score for real players to read to overdub on the original performance. I’ve done this ‘scores’ (!) of times, and you typically put tempo changes every beat with no need for much finer resolution. So if you can accurately follow a live musician playing freely with four automation points per bar and no curves, I’m not sure how useful they would be in creating a more human feel if you had curves in between those points or not.

However, if you wanted to explore more creative and decidedly non-human tempo changes involving tempo curves over lower periods using different curves, there are ways. One that comes to mind would be to use Eurorack ‘clock’ sync signals which are just square wave oscillators, and apply curves to the frequency of the oscillator such as in Complex-1.

My KeyStep Pro has a clock input and can convert to MIDI clock over USB, which Reason SHOULD be able to follow. I’ve not tried it yet, but it should be easy to send automation data to the pitch of a square wave oscillator in Reason, and send that waveform out as audio and into a EuroRack Clock input on something like a KeyStep Pro, which then sends tempo data to Reason via USB.

Should be an interesting experiment no matter the outcome!

[rorystorm]

Have you tried this - https://www.reasonstudios.com/shop/rack ... sequencer/ - the AS-16 sequencer? It has an automatable tempo knob but also an external clock control so it can be driven by a pulse wave LFO - and you can then you can vary the LFO rate and, boom. One thing I learned from tutuing around in modular is that if you don't want a steady bip-bip-bip-bip is that you can use a sample and hold/square random LFO wave instead. Or - and this is a neat little trick that literally just occurred to me and I had to pause to try out - you can drive it off the gate out from Dr Octorex to get a steady groove. Then you can copy loop to track and vary the length of the clips to get changes in timing. I'm totally going to try this on the next track I make. If you're doing songy stuff with various parts you can use multiple instances of the AS-16 or automate each note knob (tho that gets fiddly), and it also accepts midi data from a note lane if you create a track from it, which will transpose the entire sequence, and a bunch of controls to alter the flow of the sequence which you can automate or change on the fly. Annnd it also can send CV for filter cut off or whathaveyou. I dunno, imo it's quite an underrated device. Hope that's useful.