Metro as a Transcribing Aid

[vicpierce]

Here is a technique I use to transcribe the parts from that favorite track. The basic idea is to read the audio track into Metro, then use Metro's tools to help you extract the parts. For example, you select a section containing a chord you want to decipher, press the 'C' key and loop until you've got it, then enter the chord into a MIDI track, aligning the chord with the audio track. When you are done you hopefully have your MIDI playing in sync with the audio track. This process is much easier if the downbeat of the audio comes on the downbeat of a Metro bar. Getting that audio to maintain alignment was really hard until I worked out this method with Jeremy's help.
1. Get a good initial tempo value.
2. Go thru the piece, working from left to right, using the bar drag tool to move each bar to align it with the audio's downbeat.
3. Commence transcribing.

Getting a good initial tempo value:
Tap tempo gave me too much variability. I'm not sure why, but I now get the tempo by reading the SMPTE value of several beat points in the audio, say, the downbeat of two successive bars, though any clear beats will do.
Then calculate the beats per minute. Here is an example of the math:
4 beats per measure, first downbeat at 00:53:18 and next downbeat at 00:56:03. My Metro's MIDI is set to 30 frames per second (you can find this under Setup/Time Code). Taking the difference we have 2seconds, 15frames or 2.5seconds. Finally, (4beats/2.5seconds)*60sec/min = 96beats/min.

Going thru the piece:
Use the Section Event Editor (under the Windows menu) to enter your good tempo value on the first beat of the piece. Watching the audio waveform display as you play audio, make sure the downbeat of bar two comes at a bar line. If it is not aligned, make it so with the bar drag tool from the Graphic window (the little clock thingy between the keyboard (step entry) icon and the spray paint). Then move to the next bar and move that bar line if necessary.
It can take a while to do the whole piece, but most of the time is spent waiting for the waveform to redisplay after each bar move.

That's basically it. Now if you enter a note on, say, the second beat of a bar you can be sure it will coincide with the second beat in the audio. Be sure to align the piece *before* you enter any midi, otherwise your midi will be "moved" from where you probably want it.
Vic Pierce