How to get Beat Map

[Alex360]

History

 

You all knew that tabs used beats(BPM anchors -vertical white lines in eof) for sync chart with audio.
You know where you can get this BPM values for the song(even EOF can do that, just click BPM - > Estimate BPM -> OK).
 

But when you deal with floatingUn-staticVariable  BPM you better bless god that in this song BPM changes won't be more than 4-5 times, cause you know Tool songs and there very creative drummer so we got this kind of issue.
 

How to Solve it?

 

Use this software with presets that I recommend and you'll get 98% accuracy on generating BPM map(aka Beat Map) 
NOTE: You will need EOF minimum r1271 (now its RC9 r1302 and its ok, DL new version guys)

Plus better add Leading silence(about 2000ms = 2 seconds) before song to get smooth start.

 

• Download and install Sonic Visualizer for you platform(I know that better get Audacity, but it can't export .svl file)
   
• Get plugin named QM-vamp-plugin(Queen Mary university stuff)
  direct link to v1.7 and link to QM plugin page
   
• *For windows*
  To install plugins open %Program Files%Vamp Plugins
  Now unpack plugin data there,
  a-a-a-and done, its installed.
   

• Open Program (Sonic Visualizer).
   

• Load you audio.
   

• Go to Transform menu, select "Analysis by category>Time>Tempo>Tempo and beat tracker:  Beats". 
  *You can adjust the plugin parameters in the window that pops up if you want to experiment, otherwise just click OK and wait a minute.*
   

• If you played song and you don't satisfied by results - use another plugin preset.
   

• Go to Transform menu, select "Analysis by category>Time>Tempo>Tempo and beat tracker:  Beats".
  Set this values:
  
  Beat tracking method: new
  Onset detection function Type: Broadband Energy Rise or Spectral Difference 
  Adaptive whitening: unchecked(this will mess up your BPM-map)
  
  *You can set one channel in advanced settings to make detection more accurate)*
   

• You can export the beat positions to a file that EOF can import.  To do so, make sure that layer is still in the foreground (it is the selected layer tab on the side of the program) and use "File>Export annotation layer"
   

• Choose a place to save the file. 
  *your project folder would be a good place*.
   

• In EOF, while your project is open, use "File>Sonic Visualiser Import" and select the file you just exported from that program. 
  *The beat map will be updated to reflect the information in the file, and you can undo the changes if they didn't turn out the way you like*.

That is it, I think its very progressive way to get BPM map and its not taking so long, but if you know actual BPM and its static you can sync tab with couple anchors :)

Thanks to Me(Alex360), Raynebc, QM university team, Sonic Visualizer team, all other good peoples.

[Generalsnus]

This is how I do it, I haven't found any problems with this method for any song. Never tried 7 thou.

[raynebc]

Interestingly, a set of steps similar to this is given in EOF's tutorial. But wow, one of my charts gets pretty crappy beat detection when using the default "Complex domain" detection function, and "Broadband energy rise" works quite a bit better for it. Do you find that it seems to work better than the other detection functions for most songs?

[Alex360]

Interestingly, a set of steps similar to this is given in EOF's tutorial. But wow, one of my charts gets pretty crappy beat detection when using the default "Complex domain" detection function, and "Broadband energy rise" works quite a bit better for it. Do you find that it seems to work better than the other detection functions for most songs?

Yup, I've done some tests one thing that annoying - that sometimes you can get skipped beat and you need to fix that.. by hands, but after setting map you will get pretty nice results, yay. Also I recommend import bass first and check BPM map with it and ofc. with waveform graph(f5) function. Its ideal solution for those who doesn't likewon't buy gpa.btw now i get better results on syncing vocals in eof, but I'll writeextend another software to support utf-8 characters, when I can manage to work utf-8 chars for RS2014 vocals :)But we just need more extended fonts for EOF to force it use utf-8 (atleast i can extend current font with ru glyphs or any other or add another dat with fontsuse windows font like Arial for sup it.

[raynebc]

EOF is probably a long way from proper Unicode lyric support, so definitely don't wait on it if you are able to build that functionality.

[Cat With A Mustach]

When importing the Sonic Visual Layer, does the BPM switch when the marker passes the given section. Such as; when it crosses the BPM count 94, and then the BPM goes to 124, does the BPM on that section already switch to the given count, or do I have to do i manually? It doesn't seem to work for me.

[raynebc]

If you're using the tempo estimation feature in Sonic Visualiser, I recommend using the beat estimation instead. In my experience it's led to better results.

[Cat With A Mustach]

The program always sets the BPM way too low. The song is a close match to about 237 BPM, but the Sonic Vusiaulizer sets the BPM to around 114, and 117. Think it's user error on this?

[raynebc]

I'd probably have to see the Sonic Visualiser file and audio file to determine what's going on. If it doesn't give good results on the first try, you may have to try to have Sonic Visualiser try again wiith different settings.

[Alex360]

I think yours tab just get wrong bpm, cause SV use drums(mostly) for getting BPM map, if you got song that have constant bpm use it (or if you got wrong bpm in tabs - correct it in tabs) compare results from SV and EOF's BPM estimation alg and you can use other BPM estimation soft to get it and if you get low BPM in this cases - tabs are comes with wrong BPM

[irongoats]

When exactly during the build process would you import using this tool when using EoF? Basically after what step in the CDLC tutorial? Thanks. 

[raynebc]

At the beginning of whatever point you begin syncing the beat markers.

[irongoats]

Cool thank you

[Tmlt]

Awesome! Can´t wait to try this out! =)

[TimeIsFading]

Very cool. Works good for me so far!  B)

[YLedbetter]

This was the best thing that happened to my forging career. Thank you!

[bballwiz]

I've been trying to install the queen mary plugin, but have been unable to get it to show up when I click on Transform there is no plugins listed as being installed.

[raynebc]

What OS are you using? If Windows, are you using a 32 or 64 bit version? For Windows, you could also set a "VAMP_PATH" environment variable defining the path to where you put the Queen Mary plugin files.

[bballwiz]

Vista, 64 I believe. i saw the thing you just described to change the path, but have no idea what that means or how to do it..

[raynebc]

It should be similar to this process:

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/environment_variables.mspx?mfr=true

[Carousser]

So I don't have %Program Files%Vamp Plugins  Where should I put the plugin?

[Alex360]

So I don't have %Program Files%Vamp Plugins  Where should I put the plugin?

Create this folder and put it in there... and do so if you'll read any manuals that pointed to un existed folders like i do..

[Liquidlizard]

I can't seem to find a forum on the sonic visualiser site about this and I'm going to take a gamble to see if you know the answer to this... Whenever I import the .svl and get the  bpms for EOF, I noticed for a good portion of the songs I put through, that the bpms are double of what they should be. I wouldn't mind halving them with pressing CTRL-SHIFT-X, but halving only works for about 10% of the set bpms. And if I can't halve them, the .svl is useless. Is there some way in Sonic Visualiser or EOF that I can get half of the bpm values?

[raynebc]

I'm not aware of a way for Sonic Visualiser to do that, you may just have to try it again with a different detection method. If you happen to be using the "Tempo" transform function, I really have to recommend using the "Beat" function instead.

[Alex360]

I got this kind of issues but It seems that its mostly correct, but you can use plain beat-map(set it from GP or import through midi), import tab and then adjust beat-map by hands. if you got something wrong.. with it.As example guitar in 10 000 days halve bpm of bass bpm..