Apple Logic Pro 7 - Manual (Page 337)

Chapter 8 Global Tracks 337
Beat Mapping Track
A note for experienced Logic users: This function replaces the Reclock function of
previous Logic versions. The Beats from Region function corresponds to the previous
Guide Sequence option for mapping bar positions to notes, but it’s easier to handle.
Basic Concept
You will generally play to a metronome click when recording in Logic. There are,
however, instances where you’ll want to record without a click, playing rubato, or at
least not at a strict same tempo throughout. Another situation may be where you have
an existing audio recording that wasn’t recorded to a metronome click (and therefore
contains slight tempo variations) that you want to add additional tracks to. In these
situations, the Beat Mapping track helps to make the display of these types of
recordings rhythmically meaningful—by defining the bar positions of existing musical
events (both MIDI notes and accents in Audio Regions) without changing their
absolute time position, thereby preserving the audible result with its original timing.
This is achieved in two steps: First, you graphically connect musical events (MIDI notes
or Transients in Audio Regions, which correspond to the beginning of strongly accented
notes) to the desired bar positions in the Beat Mapping track, by drawing lines
between them with the mouse (a more detailed description of this procedure follows
below). Logic will automatically insert a tempo change event for each of these bar
position locations, causing the note to be played at its previous absolute time position,
despite its altered bar position. A Logic song processed in this way will contain the
same tempo variations as the original recording.
Presuming accurate Beat Mapping, everything will be “in time” with the metronome
tempo, affording you a number of advantages for further song development:
• The metronome click can be used when recording additional Regions.
• Quantize functions can be applied to newly recorded Regions.
• Loops (both MIDI and Apple Loops) will automatically adjust to the tempo when
used in the arrangement.
• MIDI Regions recorded without a click will be displayed in a musically meaningful
way in the Score Editor.
• Additional MIDI Regions can also be created via the Step Input function, without
sounding too “stiff”. This looser feel is due to the parts being played back with all
tempo changes created by the Beat Mapping process.