Audio snap.....audio crap

Having ignored audio snap for years, and trying it last night for a few hours on a few live drum projects, I'm immediately out of love with it.

I'm not seeing how dragging sections of multi tracked drums back and forth in time doesn't destroy a groove.  Sure, I can nudge sections of the tracks so that kick drums are exactly on 1, but everything in between starts to feel funny to me.  Maybe I'm doing it wrong....?
 
Watched the tutorial several times...loaded up several old projects where the drummer used a click as a guide, an just couldn't get anything to lay exactly on the downbeats without destroying the underlying feel.
 
PLUS, as it stretches - even just a little - the info after transient is tweaked in time.  It changes the voice of the drums.
 
I'd love to hear/see some example - before and after - of some successful projects done by you guys who use it all the time.  I'm not looking for stuff that's been replaced with midi hits.  I'm talking about live drums and cymbals - with a live drummer - that have been fit to a grid with the use of Audio Snap.
 
I'm also curious as to how much TIME is put into making it right.
 
Anyone successful with this, and are you game to show it off?

The problem with audio snapping drums on old projects is that the rest of the instruments will likely have been recorded with the drums as reference.  So moving the drums around is bound to mess up the groove.

Karyn


The problem with audio snapping drums on old projects is that the rest of the instruments will likely have been recorded with the drums as reference.  So moving the drums around is bound to mess up the groove.

For the record....
 
I'm NOT trying to move the drums after things have been tracked over them.  That would be stupid.
 
I'm talking specifically about the drum tracks, and only the drum tracks.

I hear you.....

But that's still not my question.

Is there anyone out there with before and after examples of songs that you have used Audio Snap on the drums.

I don't use Audio snap... I do use quantize on rare occasions in midi tracks.

What I do use is split/split/nudge to move a beat or note that is slightly off.

I have used the quantize function and it will totally destroy the groove. The slight timing things (syncopation, playing slightly ahead or behind the beat) that make a groove in the song can be totally destroyed in this manner. I hit the UNDO and went on with life.

My thought is: if the beat is off far enough to consider using audio snap to get it on the beat, it probably should be recorded again.

I honestly don't see myself using it.  Like I said, I started with solid tracks to begin with.  I wanted to start with something very close just so I could learn to use the tool.  Then, I thought, maybe I could use it on a sloppy drummer.

But the amount of damage it's doing to the feel, even with the very minor tweaks, I just can't even begin to imagine how bad it would be on a bad drummer.

And my gut feeling is that there won't be anyone who would be able to step up and show me Audio Snap working well on multi-tracked drums.

It's ok...not a deal breaker for me.  But Audio Snap has been out a long time now, so I figure it might be a good time to see how the technology has come along.

Drums are like tattoos.  You gotta earn them.

But again...I'd gladly take a tutorial from someone who knew it inside/out.  I'd love to be wrong about it, and I'd love to learn a new trick.

The "real time" algo isn't for time sensitive stuff ( it's just a "preview")

If you use the off-line ones ( and there is a specific one for rythmic material)


It will take allot longer to chug through it but the results should be more time accurate due to a different FFT windowing/buffering.

YMMV

I use it just to fix my lazy bass playing or to match my acoustic guitar strokes to the high hat or some other key beat.

I never use it on the drums, I would rather make minor adjustments by ear there. But I do extract the groove many times from the drum track and apply it to other tracks. Also, if I want an unusual effect I will extract the groove to midi and create another whole sound but based around the drums.

Tightening up my sloppy playing, is very helpful, makes me feel better and contributes to the listening health of my audience. Both of them.