Standard Conform

This is similar to using the Clip > Quantize to Grid command, but with one important difference: With a single operation, Beat Detective can adjust the position of all clips, whether they have a straight or swing feel.

To conform clips using Standard Conform:

1 In the Beat Detective window, select Clip Conform.

2 Make sure Standard is selected.

3 In the Edit window, if not already selected, select the separated clips you want to conform. Make sure the selection’s start and end points fall cleanly on the beat.

4 In the Beat Detective window, define or recapture the selection as described in Defining a Beat Detective Selection.

5 To affect how strongly the clips are conformed to the Grid (tempo map), select the Strength option and specify a percentage value with either the slider or by typing in a value:

Lower percentage values preserve the original feel of the clips.

Higher percentage values align the clips more tightly to the tempo map, with 100% aligning precisely to the tempo map.

To “tighten up” the original feel while retaining it, set the Strength option to 85–88%.

6 To affect which clips are conformed, select the Exclude Within option and specify a percentage value with the slider or by typing in a value:

Lower percentage values ensure that clips further away from the Grid are conformed, while those closer to the Grid are not.

Higher percentage values ensure that clips closer to the Grid, as well as those further away, are conformed.

To “tighten up” the original feel while retaining it, set the Exclude Within option to 10–15%.

7 To achieve a swing feel for the conformed clips, select the Swing option and whether the swing is based on eighth-notes or sixteenth-notes, then specify a percentage value with the slider or by typing in a value:

Smaller percentage values yield less swing, with 0% yielding none.

Larger percentage values yield more swing, with 100% yielding a triplet, swing feel.

Percentage values between 100–150 move the clips beyond a triplet, swing feel, toward the next sixteenth-note boundary (provided the Swing note value is set to eighth-notes).

If Beat Detective has successfully captured enough of the sub-beats from a selection before separating, you can successfully conform with the Swing option to change the groove from a “straight” feel to one that is swung. You can also import a groove template containing a swing feel (see Groove Conform).

8 Click Conform to automatically conform all clips in the selection.

9 Audition the new conformed clips by clicking Play in the Transport.

10 Do one of the following:

If necessary, select Edit > Undo, and repeat steps 4–8 trying a different set of Conform settings.

– or – 

If necessary, apply Edit Smoothing (see Edit Smoothing).