beat track ? using songs ?

[ben&bobbi]

i watched the videos of getting started. i have a question about the beat track. i believe in the video, he said to click the control button as it runs through. To me that seems too random (reaction time). I would think, and it sounded like, this is to show you the timing of the song.

second question - if i buy a CD and use a song for seqeuncing, is that legit? i see quite a few utube vids with the audio blocked. without saying the wrong thing, i know everyone on here has the original CD's, but surely everyone isn't getting written permission from the writer.

thank you in advance
Ben

[kychristmas]

i watched the videos of getting started. i have a question about the beat track. i believe in the video, he said to click the control button as it runs through. To me that seems too random (reaction time). I would think, and it sounded like, this is to show you the timing of the song.

second question - if i buy a CD and use a song for seqeuncing, is that legit? i see quite a few utube vids with the audio blocked. without saying the wrong thing, i know everyone on here has the original CD's, but surely everyone isn't getting written permission from the writer.

thank you in advance
Ben

Not sure about the Beat Track stuff, but it considered "Fair Use" for you to use the song in your "NON-COMMERCIAL" show. Unfortunately, YouTube and those that own the music do not see Sharing on YouTube as fair use. This is why many of us have switched to Vimeo for sharing our show video. Although, I predict that the Music Publisher attorneys will eventually make their way to Vimeo. Let's hope that Vimeo puts up a better fight.

What's stupid is I have had 4 or 5 people (and I don't get a lot of visitors) ask me about the songs in my display. So I'm guessing my display sold a few additional songs. I know for a fact I'm responsible for a 3 sales of the "When Christmas Comes To Town" song from Polar Express.

[deplanche]

When you get into Vixen, you can adjust the speed at which the audio plays, which is great for setting a beat track. If you slow it down to 25% or 50%, you can usually hit most of the beats pretty close. If you combine that with the waveform visualizer also in Vixen, you can see the beat and make any minor tweaks needed. If you use a 50ms or 100 ms interval for the song, even if you are off by an interval or two, it really doesn't matter too much. It can take that long for the lights to turn on, depending on the type of lights you use. So yes, just hitting the button at full speed won't get you great results. But with the rest of the tools, you will get a very good show.

[ErnieHorning]

When your just starting to sequence your first time, your reaction time might be slightly behind but you can replay the sequence while watching the visualizer and tweak the timing if needed. You’ll find that you missed or added a beat mark here and there also.

After you have the beat track perfected then you write the sequence. When you’re done, you’ll probably want to tweak the timing again once you see the lights with the music. The lights will also have a reaction time.

BTW, you may find yourself getting too critical on the timing. You’ll know every second of the sequence and will notice missteps but your audience actually won’t notice.


You’re allowed to use the music for your personal use. When used at a home residence, even when played over speakers or transmitted short range, it’s still considered personal use because the audience is small. When placed on the internet, you’re literally sharing it with the world. This is no longer personal use.

[dslynx]

Well, I haven't posted any videos with real songs in them yet.. but from what I understand, you can submit a fair use disclaimer to youtube to have the audio re-enabled. Per copyright.gov:

http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html

[ErnieHorning]

From what I understand, the problem with Youtube is this part:

"The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes"

Though your not profiting from this, Youtube is through their own advertising.

[g2ktcf]

Just one note on beat Tracks.....I use at 8-10 different beat tracks. I break the music down into "useable" components based on instrument, timing and such. This why I am able to get a really goo idea of how to match my sequence to the song without knowing how my actual setup will be.

I have thought about posting these beat tracks to see if they would help anyone else. It was noted the last time that we discussed it that the audio, even if the same song, same album, same publisher....you get the picture..will be different based on bit rates and hardware used to rip it. Now I would think that it should work even if you had to take Audacity and bump the timing forward or backwards a touch.

Just my $0.05 (not longer $0.02 due to inflation)

[ben&bobbi]

thank you all for the information. now i guess it is time to pick a couple songs and start diving into sequencing!

more questions will follow i am sure, i am already impressed with the people on here!

[51fordf2]

Just as an addition to the suggestions - I haven't seen the videos, so don't know for certain if this will fit in.

I use the space bar, to turn one event on, during the music, when I first start a new song. I highlight the channel I'm going to use for my beat, start the music (usually at 3/4 time), then hit the space bar in time with the beat. When the song is done, you can look at the channel, and it should have one box, or event, filled, on the beat. Then, I highlight the very next channel, and do it exactly the same, again. Then, when it's done, I look at it again. I always find that some of the boxes are lined up exactly between the two rows, and some are off by one square, which means my reaction time was exactly the same where they are the same, and off a little where they are a box off. Now, if the boxes are two, or MORE off, then I know I have a problem there, and work on just that place. You can also take a third channel, the next one down, and do it one more time. Then, you can just average all the boxes in all three channels, in the first channel, and be really darn close! Too close for anyone else to notice, anyway. I know, it takes a long time to do, but I've been very happy with the beat track, doing it that way. But, then, when I find my dimming doesn't come exactly at the precise moment, anyway, it's a little moot, and I realize really close is close enough...

Have fun, that's the important thing!

R

[rjchu]

How do you do this? When I'm creating a new sequence from scratch the wizard doesn't give me the option to slow down playback, just to bang out the beats on the control keys (or numeric keys for multi-channel). I'm using v2.4.1.0

Thanks,

-joni-



When you get into Vixen, you can adjust the speed at which the audio plays, which is great for setting a beat track. If you slow it down to 25% or 50%, you can usually hit most of the beats pretty close. If you combine that with the waveform visualizer also in Vixen, you can see the beat and make any minor tweaks needed. If you use a 50ms or 100 ms interval for the song, even if you are off by an interval or two, it really doesn't matter too much. It can take that long for the lights to turn on, depending on the type of lights you use. So yes, just hitting the button at full speed won't get you great results. But with the rest of the tools, you will get a very good show.

[dirknerkle]

Attach the music to the sequence and save it.

Then when you PLAY it in Vixen, you'll find a menu option on the EDIT menu called AUDIO SPEED. That's where you can change it.

[KFXI]

What track should I use for the beat track, or does it matter. If it doesn't matter what track do most people use?

Ken

[dirknerkle]

Any open track. Some add an extra track and name it "BEAT TRACK". Some other users have multiple beat tracks -- one for the main beat, another for trumpets, another for a snare drum, another for a flute, etc.

[rstehle]

I usually add several copies of the primary beat track (I usually have 10 - 15 unused channels, or you can add extras at the end of the ending controller number), spaced so that I can see them as I scroll up and down the screen while tyring to decide which element I want to enable for a particular portion of a song. Saves having to go all the way back to the top to find the next beat..........

[ctmal]

How do you do this? When I'm creating a new sequence from scratch the wizard doesn't give me the option to slow down playback, just to bang out the beats on the control keys (or numeric keys for multi-channel). I'm using v2.4.1.0

Thanks,

-joni-

Just complete the wizard. Once the sequence is created you'll have the option to slow it down. You can just highlight the channel you want to use as a beat channel and hit play. While it's playing just hit the spacebar, it will fill in the channel you selected.

Well I guess I'm alittle slow today!

[ctmal]

What track should I use for the beat track, or does it matter. If it doesn't matter what track do most people use?

Ken

I just usually select the channel that is above the group of channels I'm sequencing at the time. The when I'm done I just delete the beats I put in. I personally don't designate a specific beat channel.

[james70818]

I was trying to do some planning ahead and what I came up with was just doing a beat show. I have one controller setup in my office. I setup a new show, attach music to it, list out all the beats I want and set them up on a channel. Then for playback I have a set of lights on each channel to match up the light and sound. Save this project as a beat set. When it comes time to do the real sequencing, I can just cut and paste the beat I am working on into the real show. Then if I want to do a new sequence to the same song I can just paste the various beat tracks as I build a new show.