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Difference between revisions of "Tempo"

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(Using Sysex commands to set tempo on the Axe-FX)
 
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[[image:metronome.png|link=]]
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__TOC__
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=Tempo button=
  
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=Tempo and Metronome: in the owner's manual=
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When tapping the Tempo button on the device, the Tempo menu appears on the hardware display.
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* Axe-Fx II: 12 Tempo
 
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* Axe-Fx II: 16.9 Tempo Cross Reference
 
  
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=Tempo and Metronome: Tap Tempo=
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=Tap tempo=
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* Axe-Fx II firmware 18.06: Added Tap Tempo mode option to Global menu. “Average” averages up to the last ten taps. “Last Two” uses only the most recent two taps to determine the tempo.
 
  
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=Tempo and Metronome: Tempo menu on FX8=
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The [[Setup menu]] lets you specify how tapping tempo works:
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* When tapping the tempo, the Tempo menu appears. You can specify in the Global menu how long it should stay on-screen.
 
  
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=Tempo and Metronome: tempo LED=
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; '''Average''' : Averages the tempo to the last 10 taps. Average is usually a wise choice if you can't get the first taps right, and is the default setting.
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* Cliff: "The tempo LED is handled by a low-priority thread so it isn't rock solid and the higher the CPU usage the less solid it will be. The metronome, however, is perfectly accurate." [http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-fx-ii-discussion/51049-does-tempo-led-actually-flash-time.html#post658471 source]
 
  
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=Tempo and Metronome: Metronome=
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; '''Last Two''' : Uses only the most recent two taps to determine the tempo. This acts faster but is also less precise.
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* Fractal Audio devices can output a metronome signal via the Tempo menu. The metronome plays through Output 1 only. You can start the metronome using an IA switch.
 
  
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=Tempo and Metronome: auto-activating a delay=
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Tap Tempo needs at least two taps to calculate.
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* If the parameter Auto Delay in the Tempo menu is “ON,” any delay blocks that are bypassed will become active whenever a tempo is tapped in. This allows you to set the tempo and un-bypass your delay block(s) from a single footswitch.
 
  
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=Tempo and Metronome: MIDI CCs=
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See the <q>[https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/tap-tempo-issues.151565 Tap tempo issues]</q> discussion for more information.
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* The MIDI CC for Tempo is CC 14.
 
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* The MIDI CC for the Metronome is CC 122.
 
  
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=Tempo and Metronome: Controlling Axe-FX tempo via Sysex=
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=Tempo per preset or global=
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* In some situations it may be desirable to send tempo information to the Axe-FX when changing presets.  This reduces the need to maintain many similar presets for songs with different tempos. [http://forum.fractalaudio.com/axe-fx-ii-discussion/101437-possible-set-tempo-axe-fx-ii-via-sysex.html This Thread] provides a list of hexadecimal codes that control Axe-FX tempo.  These can be inserted into the MFC-101's Preset Custom MIDI Message field in order to set a desired tempo when a preset is loaded.  They can also be used Sysex editors, or with any MIDI controller that has the capacity to send custom hexadecimal messages.
 
  
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[[category:MIDI]]
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You can specify whether you want to the tempo to apply to all presets (global) or per preset.
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[[category:Effect]]
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[[category:Axe-Fx]]
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=Tempo per channel or scene=
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Tempo is part of the [[Controllers_and_modifiers|Controllers block]]. On the Axe-Fx III, FM3 and FM9, the Controllers block has 4 channels. This means that a preset can have 4 different tempos, which allows setting separate tempos per scene.
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=Sync to tempo=
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You can assign effect parameters such as TIME or RATE to a specific tempo, as 1/4 or 1/8 Dotted, instead of specifying the number of milliseconds. That will make the effect depend on the global or preset tempo. Tapping a different tempo will change the rate of the effect.
 +
 
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Important: After assigning a parameter to a tempo, you can no longer adjust the time in the effect manually!
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=Metronome=
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The Tempo menu contains a metronome. Read this: [[Metronome]].
 +
 
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=Remote control=
 +
 
 +
==Onboard switch==
 +
 
 +
Read the [[Owners_Manuals|Owners manual]] of the product.
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==FC-6 and FC-12 foot controllers==
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 +
The [[FC-6 and FC-12 foot controllers]] have a dedicated Tempo action.
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 +
==External switch==
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 +
Scroll to the Tempo CC in the Setup menu and hit Enter. Click the switch on the footswitch that you want to assign the Tuner to.
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Or configure it manually by assigning the Tuner MIDI CC to a switch on a MIDI controller. The default MIDI CC for the Tuner is 14 on the Axe-Fx II, AX8, and FX8. Keep it like this to avoid issues. The Axe-Fx III, FM9, FM3 and VP4 let you set the Tuner CC manually in the Setup menu.
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Read <q>[[Expression pedals and external switches]]</q> for more information.
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==MIDI Clock==
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Read <q>[[MIDI#MIDI_Clock|MIDI Clock]]</q> for more information.
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==DAW==
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 +
<blockquote>
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'''FRACTAL AUDIO QUOTES'''
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<HR>
 +
 
 +
<blockquote>
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[https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/bug-audible-glitch-when-using-midi-tempo-linked-to-the-delay-time.161248/post-1931097]
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It all depends on the accuracy of your DAW. If I set the BPM to 130 and the accuracy is 5ms it will occasionally go to 131 BPM on my system here. If I lower the accuracy to 2ms then it doesn't do that. And this is as would be expected. 130 BPM is 2.167 beats per second. MIDI Clock is 24 messages per beat. So that's 52 messages per second or a message every 19.2 ms. 129 BPM translates to 19.38 messages per second. So your messages need to be accurate down to fractions of a ms.
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</blockquote>
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</blockquote>
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==MFC-101==
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The MFC-101 MIDI foot controller has a dedicated Tempo command for the Axe-Fx II when it's running in Axe-Fx Mode.
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 +
=Tips, tricks and troubleshooting=
 +
 
 +
==LED accuracy==
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 +
<blockquote>
 +
'''PREVIOUS GENERATIONS'''
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<HR>
 +
 
 +
<blockquote>
 +
[https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/does-the-tempo-led-actually-flash-in-time.51049/#post-658471]
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The tempo LED is handled by a low-priority thread so it isn't rock solid and the higher the CPU usage the less solid it will be.
 +
</blockquote>
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</blockquote>
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 +
==Tempo and Beats Per Minute (BPM)==
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 +
The [http://wiki.fractalaudio.com/axefx2/index.php?title=Owners_Manuals Owner's Manuals] list the tempo values with the BPM equivalents.
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 +
==Show BPM on Performance page==
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If you add Controllers > Tempo as the first control on a Performance Page on the Axe-Fx III, FM9, or FM3, you'll always see the preset's BPM value when switching presets from your foot controller.
 +
 
 +
==Auto-activate delay by tapping tempo==
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 +
Search the [[Delay block]] page for <q>auto delay</q>.
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==MIDI SysEx==
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These are useful:
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* Fractal Audio: <q>[[media:Axe-Fx-II-XL-Delay-Tempos.pdf|List of all SysEx commands for each tempo setting in the Delay block in the Axe-Fx II XL]]</q>
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* Kamilkisiel.net: <q>[http://www.kamilkisiel.net/axefx_tempo.html Fractal Audio Tempo SysEx Generator]</q>
 +
 
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==Bleed-through noise==
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Audible bleed-through of the tempo signal can occur if the MIDI cable is not properly shielded. Use high-quality, properly shielded MIDI cables.
 +
 
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[[category:Axe-Fx2]]
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[[category:FM3]]
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[[category:FM9]]
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[[category:VP4]]
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[[category:Axe-Fx3]]
 
[[category:FX8]]
 
[[category:FX8]]
 
[[category:AX8]]
 
[[category:AX8]]
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[[category:Sounds]]
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[[category:Remote]]
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[[category:All]]

Latest revision as of 11:11, 8 November 2024

Tempo button

When tapping the Tempo button on the device, the Tempo menu appears on the hardware display.

Tap tempo

The Setup menu lets you specify how tapping tempo works:

Average 
Averages the tempo to the last 10 taps. Average is usually a wise choice if you can't get the first taps right, and is the default setting.
Last Two 
Uses only the most recent two taps to determine the tempo. This acts faster but is also less precise.

Tap Tempo needs at least two taps to calculate.

See the Tap tempo issues discussion for more information.

Tempo per preset or global

You can specify whether you want to the tempo to apply to all presets (global) or per preset.

Tempo per channel or scene

Tempo is part of the Controllers block. On the Axe-Fx III, FM3 and FM9, the Controllers block has 4 channels. This means that a preset can have 4 different tempos, which allows setting separate tempos per scene.

Sync to tempo

You can assign effect parameters such as TIME or RATE to a specific tempo, as 1/4 or 1/8 Dotted, instead of specifying the number of milliseconds. That will make the effect depend on the global or preset tempo. Tapping a different tempo will change the rate of the effect.

Important: After assigning a parameter to a tempo, you can no longer adjust the time in the effect manually!

Metronome

The Tempo menu contains a metronome. Read this: Metronome.

Remote control

Onboard switch

Read the Owners manual of the product.

FC-6 and FC-12 foot controllers

The FC-6 and FC-12 foot controllers have a dedicated Tempo action.

External switch

Scroll to the Tempo CC in the Setup menu and hit Enter. Click the switch on the footswitch that you want to assign the Tuner to.

Or configure it manually by assigning the Tuner MIDI CC to a switch on a MIDI controller. The default MIDI CC for the Tuner is 14 on the Axe-Fx II, AX8, and FX8. Keep it like this to avoid issues. The Axe-Fx III, FM9, FM3 and VP4 let you set the Tuner CC manually in the Setup menu.

Read Expression pedals and external switches for more information.

MIDI Clock

Read MIDI Clock for more information.

DAW

FRACTAL AUDIO QUOTES

[1] It all depends on the accuracy of your DAW. If I set the BPM to 130 and the accuracy is 5ms it will occasionally go to 131 BPM on my system here. If I lower the accuracy to 2ms then it doesn't do that. And this is as would be expected. 130 BPM is 2.167 beats per second. MIDI Clock is 24 messages per beat. So that's 52 messages per second or a message every 19.2 ms. 129 BPM translates to 19.38 messages per second. So your messages need to be accurate down to fractions of a ms.

MFC-101

The MFC-101 MIDI foot controller has a dedicated Tempo command for the Axe-Fx II when it's running in Axe-Fx Mode.

Tips, tricks and troubleshooting

LED accuracy

PREVIOUS GENERATIONS

[2] The tempo LED is handled by a low-priority thread so it isn't rock solid and the higher the CPU usage the less solid it will be.

Tempo and Beats Per Minute (BPM)

The Owner's Manuals list the tempo values with the BPM equivalents.

Show BPM on Performance page

If you add Controllers > Tempo as the first control on a Performance Page on the Axe-Fx III, FM9, or FM3, you'll always see the preset's BPM value when switching presets from your foot controller.

Auto-activate delay by tapping tempo

Search the Delay block page for auto delay.

MIDI SysEx

These are useful:

Bleed-through noise

Audible bleed-through of the tempo signal can occur if the MIDI cable is not properly shielded. Use high-quality, properly shielded MIDI cables.

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