Can someone please help setting tempo?

 

sidbulkhead
Hi - is there an easy way to set tempo for a track? I am new to Sonar but do have a projest going--originally recorded a drum loop from Casio but now want to replace with a loop from Session Drummer (I have Sonar X1). I know how to drag a preferred beat into an audio track in my project but then how do you a) make that into a say, 4 minute loop? and b) how do you change the tempo of the drum sample/loop into the same one you have already set the project to? Thanks in advance

a) Here's the simplest way to stretch a loop to 4 mins:

• Make sure the loop is exactly the right length. In other words, snap it to the start of the first bar and also make sure it snaps to the end of the bar where the loop ends.
• Then make the loop into a "groove clip" by right clicking on it a selecting "Groove-Clip Looping".
• Now, when the clip is a groove-clip you can just grab any end of the clip and drag it to the length you want and it will automaticly loop the clip for you. (The Grove-Clip clips have rounded corners that show you where the loop starts and ends)

b) When making a clip into a Groove-Clip it will automatically change length so it stretches to the length of the nearest whole bar. (In other words it will change tempo for you automatically). This can be a nice feature.. But it can also kind of tricky sometime when it doesn't end up the way you want it to.
 
edit: actually.. check cakewalk's video about groove-clips (the one I posted below) instead of what I write here below.. :)
If you have a clip in a different tempo (different from the project tempo) that you want to make into a groove-clip. Make sure the clip is ready to be looped before you make it into a groove-clip. Do this by just selecting the clip and press the shift+l (lower case L). Now play it back to see how the clip sound like when it's looped. If it works, then just make it into a groove-clip and you should get what you want. If it doesn't sound right trim the ends of the clip, select it again and press shift+l again to make a new loop of the new selection and listen if it sounds better.
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I do have to ask you though: If you want to start and use Session Drummer for drums, why do you want to know how to loop audio clips since Session Drummer is used with MIDI? (Of course you can make MIDI-clips into groove-clips as well though)

thanks man---i'll watch the vid---problem is REALLY getting on my nerves!---just wanting to make a simple drum track/loop for my songs!
 

And I did watch the 2 drum instructional videos but they were a little over my head---as I said, I'm finding my way around the SONAR X1 ok enough otherwise so far---I'm just recording my own music and thought there would be a simpler way I guess to lay down a drum part and then after adding bass just start building up the songs - Thanks again so much to all you guys, I'm paying close attention to your replies and will post when I turn the corner and have some success with this!