M-AUDIO Pro Tools Recording Studio - Manual (Page 567)

Chapter 28: Beat Detective 549
Chapter 28: Beat Detective
Beat Detective is a powerful tool for analyzing,
editing, and manipulating audio or MIDI data
that has an inherent rhythmic character.
Beat Detective analyzes an audio or MIDI selec-
tion, identifies its peak transients or accented
notes, and generates beat triggers based on the
detected peak transients or MIDI notes. From
these beat triggers, Beat Detective can:
• Extract tempo and beat information to create
Bar|Beat Markers that can be used to define
the session’s tempo map. See “Generating
Bar|Beat Markers with Beat Detective” on
page 560.
• Extract tempo and groove information as
groove templates, called DigiGrooves. These
templates can be applied to audio or MIDI us-
ing Beat Detective or Groove Quantize (see
“DigiGroove Templates” on page 561.
• Separate an audio selection into discrete re-
gions, and then conform (or “quantize”) sep-
arated regions to the session’s tempo map, or
to groove templates. See “Separating Regions
with Beat Detective” on page 563 and “Con-
forming Regions with Beat Detective” on
page 565.
Beat Detective and Source Material
Beat Detective is most effective with audio or
MIDI that has clear attack transients or accent
patterns (including most instruments used in
popular music, such as drums, guitar, or bass).
Beat Detective will be less successful with audio
material with soft attacks, or legato phrasing
(such as strings and vocals).
Uses for Beat Detective
Beat Detective can be useful in many situations,
including:
Extracting Tempo from Audio and MIDI Beat De-
tective can generate Bar|Beat Markers, from
which it can extract the tempo—even if the au-
dio or MIDI contains varying tempos, or mate-
rial with a swing feel. Additionally, once
Bar|Beat Markers have been generated, other au-
dio and MIDI regions and events can be quan-
tized to them.
Creating DigiGrooves Beat Detective can extract
groove templates, called DigiGrooves, from an
audio or MIDI selection. DigiGrooves can be
used to apply the groove, or feel of the captured
passage to other audio selections (using Groove
Conform) or MIDI data (using Groove Quan-
tize).