• SONAR
  • Synchronizing Multiple Tracks
2014/10/27 19:49:42
cpkoch
I thought  synchronizing would be a "snap" using AudioSnap.  Maybe it is but I can't seem to get anywhere  using it.  I've resorted to creating a baseline rhythm against which I adjust on the audio timeline every beat on every  track in order to synchronize  multiple tracks.  It's laborious to say the least.  Somehow I can't help but feel that automaton of that process using pattern recognition  ought of be a walk in the park.  Maybe AudioSnap is the thing that does it, but the lexicon used to describe the processes is at best foreign to me.  "Transients ... Markers ... Quantization ... Pool"  ... these are all well known terms but they are not useful for simply describing to me how to  properly align audio transients automatically. From researching the topic, I may not be alone as I wallow in my perplexity.
Is there a good tutorial describing how to Synchronize multiple tracks? 
2014/10/27 23:44:11
quantumeffect
I meticulously exam every single marker before quantizing and then I carefully listen to the result after quantizing before I am satisfied.  At least for me it is a mind numbing process but the results are worth it.
 
It is a very powerful tool if used patently and correctly.
2014/10/27 23:50:58
cpkoch
I have a lot of trouble trying to find out how to use Markers, Transients, The Pool, Quantization,  Gooves, Thresholds, and the rest of the features that are in AudioSnap.  Is there a AudioSnap Tutorial for Dummies out there someplace?  It's not for me of course!! I have a friend who is interested!
2014/10/27 23:57:46
johnnyV
Not sure what your trying to do.. Is this purely audio your dealing with? Of course midi can be quantized, that you probably understand. But Audio needs to be "performed" in the pocket. A DAW can turd polish to a point, but basically with audio it's easier to just play over and over until you get it right. I do a lot more of this than is good for me, But oh well that's just me... 
If a whole track, every note, is that far off the beat, then your out on a limb for sure. Audio snap seems to be voodoo, but I've used it OK on simple stuff like a kick drum or snare. It makes a mess of guitar tracks etc. Might work on bass, never had to try it  I'm a bass player ;)
What it really likes is good strong transients. Like a string section is going to be hopeless for sure. 
 
What I do  with a bit of off time stuff ( not mine) . Is to zoom in to see where it's off the time grid, and use the "split" function. Then I slide the offending note or phrase to where it belongs. Make sure to have a back up of the original.  
Audio snaps voodoo can make weird sounds I don't like. This method preserves the original audio quality. Make sure you set the Zero crossing thing in editing preferences or??
 
2014/10/28 00:05:52
johnnyV
I will add that I hope your not obsessing over a song where the timing is just a tiny little out for some tracks.. That's what makes it real. Perfectly quantized music might not be a good thing! 
And if your tracks are sounding out of sync.. you might have driver issues. There is a thread going yacking about that and all the weird latency issues that we deal with. 
 
http://forum.cakewalk.com/Is-My-Delay-Compensation-Totally-Borked-m3105432.aspx
 
 
 
2014/10/28 00:06:55
quantumeffect
Here is something I posted a couple of years ago that details my experience of crafting a new drum track to a click and then "fitting" it to a drum track that was recorded live using audiosnap.  The opposite of what you would normally want to do.
 
http://forum.cakewalk.com/The-Zen-of-Audiosnap-m2536238.aspx
 
The mix of the song is pretty crappy but if you do listen ... listen for the timing of the drums.  They were recorded while reading a chart and listening to a metronome (not the music) and then fitted to music that was recorded live without a click.
 
 
 
 
2014/10/28 00:28:33
cpkoch
My needs are simple. My tracks are exclusively audio for now.   I download a backing track with just instrumentals.  Then, so I may learn how the words and music go together, I download a vocal track of the song. It may have different instrumental accompaniment and even a different rhythm.  I want to synchronize the two so that I can work on my own rendition. Getting the in the same key is easy.  
 
The other need for synchronization is for multi-track pieces. For any number of reasons (carelessness among them)  the tracks, manage to become un-sync'd.  Rather than to go through and re-do the parts or go through the pain of adjusting all of the audio transients to a baseline track, I'd like to automatically synchronize them.  Surely there must be some algorithm  (or a set of them) that would iteratively  match a given track's audio transients  with those appearing on other (perhaps mulitiple)  tracks until the best match is reached.  That is basically what I do as I attempt to synchronize tracks. Maybe that is what Audio Snap tries to do, but there is nothing I've found (at least nothing that I understand) that would suggest that's the case.  
    
2014/10/28 01:19:25
johnnyV
As I said, Audi snap was made for transient type tracks, a full mix is totally out of the question. 
What your trying to do by mixing two different completed songs together sounds like a job for some sort of DJ software. I think there's a whole world of audio manipulation people out there, I think they use programs like Tracktor and Abilton Live. Acid? 
2014/10/28 03:37:37
FastBikerBoy
cpkoch
I thought  synchronizing would be a "snap" using AudioSnap.  Maybe it is but I can't seem to get anywhere  using it.  I've resorted to creating a baseline rhythm against which I adjust on the audio timeline every beat on every  track in order to synchronize  multiple tracks.  It's laborious to say the least.  Somehow I can't help but feel that automaton of that process using pattern recognition  ought of be a walk in the park.  Maybe AudioSnap is the thing that does it, but the lexicon used to describe the processes is at best foreign to me.  "Transients ... Markers ... Quantization ... Pool"  ... these are all well known terms but they are not useful for simply describing to me how to  properly align audio transients automatically. From researching the topic, I may not be alone as I wallow in my perplexity.
Is there a good tutorial describing how to Synchronize multiple tracks? 




 
I'll leave the "is it any good?" question to others to answer but I covered Audiosnap and how to use it in my SWA Complete Sonar X2 video which I believe is currently available for free viewing on the SWA site.
 
It's a relatively complex part of the program compared to most parts which isn't easy to fully explain in a short forum post. If you take a look at that and have any questions I'll help where I can.
2014/10/28 03:50:17
Loptec
For what you're trying to do, maybe Melodyne in percussive mode could be something worth trying?
If you end up with a note here and there that you're not happy with, it's very easy to correct them manually.
 
...Edit:
Ah.. Sorry.. Read your post too fast... Thought it was the bass line you were trying to sync to the rest of the tracks, but it was the other way around... :/
 
However... If the bass line is recorded in time to the project you could still try Melodyne for the other tracks. Just remember to bounce each clips when you're happy with them, since Melodyne can be somewhat heavy on the CPU, when using lots of instances at once. 
12
© 2026 APG vNext Commercial Version 5.1

Use My Existing Forum Account

Use My Social Media Account