I'm going to write the complete guide to variable speed - when to use it, when not to use it, and what to use when you do use it - for the next "Friday's Tip of the Week." Having used variable speed for half a century in all its permutations, from tape, to samplers, to creating Acidized libraries, to REX, to "faux REX," to DSP-based DJ-style stretching, I think I'm qualified   Hopefully you'll find it at least interesting.

SquireBum

brundlefly

SquireBum

brundlefly

danam2
Reaper has the easiest way of doing a tempo slow down and record/rehearsal to it.

 
Easier than enabling Clip Follows Project and changing the tempo?

Wasn't sure if the question was rhetorical or not, but the answer is Yes.  If the default setting for Timebase has not been modified from Beats, you only have to change the tempo and you are done.
 
-- Ron

 
Thanks, Ron. I really did want to know how it could be simpler. I suppose if stretch-enabling all audio is the default, that would eliminate a step. But, just to be difficult (), that seems to contradict this post on the Cockos forum:
 
http://forum.cockos.com/showpost.php?p=324479&postcount=7
 
"Normally Reaper would never time or pitch alter audio when changing BPM. The only way this would happen is if the time base is set to "beats (position, length, rate)". The timebase can be set for each particular item (right click item properties), per track (right click track control panel), or per project (file menu project settings).

Some media (like Acidized wavs) will get imported with time base set this way, so you will need to un-set the time base per item if you don't want them to stretch."

Dave,
  The referenced forum post was from 2009.  I just did a clean portable install of version 5.211 (latest release) to verify that I had not changed the Project defaults in my installation.  The Project Setttings dialog in the new install shows the Timebase for items/envelopes/markers set to Beats(position, length, rate).  [see attached]
 

 
-- Ron

Good enough. Just stirring the pot a little. Forgive me. I do it so rarely.
 
Cheers,
Dave

Noel Borthwick [Cakewalk]
Thanks for the feedback. It make take awhile before you see this but we definitely have plans for improving tempo support in SONAR including stuff like a conductor track. 
Regarding the melodyne tempo mapping support we actually have a pretty deep implementation that surpasses what the other DAW's do. Not sure if you are aware of it but we can extract tempos via simple drag and drop of audio clips to the timeline and it will also handle extracting tempos from multiple clips.
Mass editing tempos is not available yet but we'll consider it.

Thanks for the reply. It is highly appreciated. And a conductor track would be great. Although AFAICT it would be less work and already a great step up to have the ability to mass edit tempo changes in the tempo window and/or tempo list.
May I hijack this thread for a little wish concerning the upcoming comping improvements (now that I got your attention...) : Would love to see an option that automatically deletes incomplete last takes after doing a loop recording. Because without a (shorter) punch loop area I always have a small incomplete take that unfortunately will be used in the comp. I have to delete that one or chose the last complete take to hear it. Would be a great little helper.
 
Back on topic:  I agree about the deep ARA implementation at SONAR. It is awesome.

brundlefly
 
 
Thanks, Ron. I really did want to know how it could be simpler. I suppose if stretch-enabling all audio is the default, that would eliminate a step. But, just to be difficult (), that seems to contradict this post on the Cockos forum:
 
http://forum.cockos.com/showpost.php?p=324479&postcount=7
 

The playrate feature at Reaper is not about bpm or the tempo map. It is a slider in the transport control where you can slow down or speed up the playback of the whole project from 25 % to 400 % . To keep the pitch there is a right click option. It is not only easy, in front of you and works without chosing clips and/or tracks (so no chance to mess it up...). It is also safe, because you don't have to touch the tempo list either. 

The Grim
or just do it in reaper with a couple of mouse clicks

Agreed.  Plus, I seem to recall you can Rewire Reaper into Sonar, but whether the Reaper slider will work for this effect in Rewire mode, I've never tried.

SMcNamara

The Grim
or just do it in reaper with a couple of mouse clicks

Agreed.  Plus, I seem to recall you can Rewire Reaper into Sonar, but whether the Reaper slider will work for this effect in Rewire mode, I've never tried.

 
Well, in a perfect world thay may work ;-) A rewire client is always the timing slave, so reaper follows SONAR. SONAR cannot be used as rewire client.  MTC sync does not work reliable for this either. Then you better do it the SONAR way. Nobody said it ain't possible at all. It is just not as convenient and foolproof.
 
The point is: Craigs tip #99 or loading the mixdown into Reaper is just fine as long as you only want to practice along or do just 1 or 2 overdubs. But when it comes to do a complete bass track at a slower tempo (as I had to do once) and you need a couple of takes per region you may get into trouble. Doing that all in Reaper (Logic also has this feature AFAIK btw.) is not optimal. You want to stay at SONAR for obvious reasons, don't you? ;-)