sync older tracks

BeatJacker

hi there, how do you sync old soul and disco tracks (i.e. Harold Melvin, Whispers…)?

The tempo is not constant because they had no MIDI click that time. Traktor fails to get that constantly changing tempo into grid (of course).

Even the new flexible grid function can not help here.

What do you do?

BJQ1972

As Heisenberg says you have to manually set a grid marker at regular intervals throughout the track.

I would say it's a major time investment, so start by correcting the grid at the very beginning and end of the track, as mix in and mix out points, then you could probably do it for sections you might want to set as hotcues and loops.

Take 'The Love I Lost', as an example - you'd probably need to set a grid marker at the start of every bar.

Heisenberg

You have to set the flexible grid function manually, it doesn't happen automatically, have you done this for your tracks?

BeatJacker

thanks, but that’s not it

I think you will only understand if you are experienced with 60/70s soul music

BJQ1972

As Heisenberg says you have to manually set a grid marker at regular intervals throughout the track.

I would say it's a major time investment, so start by correcting the grid at the very beginning and end of the track, as mix in and mix out points, then you could probably do it for sections you might want to set as hotcues and loops.

Take 'The Love I Lost', as an example - you'd probably need to set a grid marker at the start of every bar.

BeatJacker

ok thanks. Every bar, thats what i feared

ilove1981

You can use an external application like Logic Pro, Ableton or Neural Mix Pro. These all have automation to help you. I have regridded hundreds of songs like the ones you suggested using Logic Pro. Traktor and most other DJ software like it do not automatically regrid tracks. You have to do it yourself.

PK The DJ

There are two systems when it comes to gridding:

1. Aligning the grid to the track, as Algoriddim's djay Pro does with Fluid Beatgrid™
2. Aligning the track to the grid, like Ableton Live's warping

The first option keeps the original timing/feel of the track, whereas the second option removes the tempo variations and makes the tempo constant.

My advice - if you want to accurately mix those kind of tracks without spending an eternity editing grids, then djay Pro is what you need.

ilove1981

The automation in Logic Pro, Ableton and Neural Mix Pro is usually excellent. I rarely have to move more than a handful of individual beat markers manually in Logic Pro. Some songs are a complete car-crash but that’s quite rare.