[Solved] Need help: match imported mp3 to BPM

[madmacman]

Hi!

I'm running out of ideas, but maybe I overlook the obvious.

This weekend I take the time to re-create a song I made >25 years ago. The only existing data is a stereo mp3, which I first (tried) to run thru a BPM detector (told me: 116BPM) and then imported it into Reason as reference track on top.

When I sliced verse/bridge/etc. with blocks everything looked fine, but now I realize a deviation at the end of the song of roughly 1/16 of the beats being too early.

Conclusion: beat detector was not precise, or the sequencer mixdown back then was not precise.

Long story short: What options do I have to correct this? When dragging the audio file (timestretch), I cannot check at the same time if the boundaries are now matching.

1. Leave it as it is? It's a reference file, anyway and I'll remove it after having the new arrangement. But until then it makes the play & match a little more tedious.

2. Slightly change master tempo and Reason changes the audio clips as well? Didn't find an option how to do so.

3. Anything else I'm missing?

I don't think it turns out to be 115 or 117 BPM. I assume it will be something like 116.444 or so. But in the end I don't care for original BPM, but for correct matching with the sequencer bars - until I have all re-recorded into Midi clips.

Any help and suggestions appreciated!

Cheers
J.

[MrFigg]

Yep:

[madmacman]

Yep:

Fascinating. Seems like I've overlooked this video by Ryan.

Many thanks! I'll give it a try!

[MrFigg]

Had same situation here. Tried it. Works . Good luck.

[madmacman]

DONE!

Not exactly the way as described in the video, but I got the right idea from the video:

Luckily, the song is *very* pattern structured. So all I needed to to was to slice the mp3 on the pattern (block) boundaries, using the transients.

Final step was to nudge each new audio clip to the correct starting position of the bar. The slight timing issues are negligible since with the next starting bar it is in-time again.

Problem solved! Thanks to Mr Figg & Ryan!