Changing BPM Within a Song

[industrialist]

I’ve got a song idea that will require a tempo adjustment from 105 during the main phrase with jumps to 120 during the refrain.

I’m wracking my brain and the manual for a way to insert a global event of some sort in order to accomodate this idea. The best I seem to find is a BPM effect , but it appears as if in order to use it I have to apply it individually to each track. As I game this out, that means that if I just want say, 4 tracks to play the same parts only faster, I’ll have to double up with 4 tracks using the BPM effect.

Am I correct in all of this and if so, is this really my only way to change BPMs?

[chrisroland]

i didn’t get this far with Pyramid FX before switching over to Hapax but once an FX is assigned to a single track (I agree that it appears you have to assign the BPM FX to each individual track), can you then just automate the BPM change at the point of the track (ideally a single pattern within the given tracks?) where you want the slowdown/speedup to occur?

Assign an effect parameter

Hold ASSIGN and…

• turn an encoder

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, or

• slide the touchpad

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X or Y axis, or

• plug a jack into the CV or the GATE input.

The display “assign control to…” must popup. Select and press EFFECT PARAM with

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:


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Select the effect you want to assign with

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:


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Using

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, select the parameter you want to assign:


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You can record the effect parameter automation on the current track only if the effect belongs to the current track.

[thus]

@industrialist

The best I seem to find is a BPM effect , but it appears as if in order to use it I have to apply it individually to each track.

I’m pleased to tell you that you don’t have to apply the BPM effect to each track. Just apply it to one track. To experiment with natural tempo like what a live drummer would provide, I made a couple songs in which I set the tempo for each BAR. It was actually super easy once I got the zoom level set right.

[industrialist]

So I’ve noticed that the BPM effect IS global.

I’m missing how to automate it though… in prior sequencers I’d create something akin to a CC event to trigger the tempo change. Right now if I turn on the effect it just sets to the new tempo, and that’s pretty much it.

[vt100]

@thus

I’m pleased to tell you that you don’t have to apply the BPM effect to each track. Just apply it to one track. To experiment with natural tempo like what a live drummer would provide, I made a couple songs in which I set the tempo for each BAR. It was actually super easy once I got the zoom level set right.

so trying this

[industrialist]

I hope you or anyone else can help me with the missing step of how to get that automated. I’ve tried live recording and flipping the effect knob to “enable” or even trying to create a BPM change and I only see note events… no CC or anything reflecting interaction with the BPM effect.

I’ve tried cycling through stepmode types…

Ah yes, I’ve figured it out. They really need to beef up the manual for some of this. Firstly, when holding step and rotating the main data enc, my unit stops at CC Message. I don’t get to the “FX PARAM” section.

After adding an event by recording an automation from the FX page, I still wasn’t able to see that page appear. (PyraOS 4.02) (It’s flipped with CC Message… FX page comes first.)

At any rate, while I currently seem to lack the nuance to be able to find and edit the FX automation (to snap it to the beginning of a track) I have enough to be quick n dirty.

For anyone who has this question in the future:

1. Pick a root track for your beginning BPM
2. Open the FX menu, add a BPM effect and then click into it to bring up the param page (Enable/BPM should be shown) and set the desired BPM. Make sure enable is OFF
3. Start a live recording. (Press play, then hit record)
4. Flip Encoder 1 (enable) to “ON” as close to the beginning as you can get.

I have this set up on two tracks, and I can flip BPMs now automatically JUST by muting/unmuting sequences.

I’m frustrated by not being able to find the events however. They don’t appear on the FX PARAM page, the CC Message Page, or the Note/Chord page.

[industrialist]

Took some experimenting. The manual, unfortunately isn’t particularly clear… it’s like the Yamaha A4000 manual where all of the functions are individually explained, but it misses a narrative by which you can make sense of this.

So thanks to Loopop’s tutorial, I figured out that you need to turn on the BPM effect for your tracks, and then to create an automation its as simple as going to the FX param page (It’s before the CC Message instead of after on the Overlay)

Use the data encoder to cycle through the FX parameters (Quantize is always default #1.)

Once you are on the correct page (BPM with a “delta xxx”) in the upper right. Add a step in the first pad down below (make sure you WANT to place the BPM change right away at the first step otherwise pick your favorite.)

What I wasn’t prepared for… is automating the tempo change. You can draw that out on the touch pad…

Man, talk about real drummer feel!