Time signature

[PetePraise]

I’m sure I’m missing something but I’m stuck so help please someone. The song I want to produce is in 3/4 time and all the midi is 4/4 (or 6/8 I think but not 3/4). It just does not fit. It is a basic waltz time for a specific song I need to produce. I don’t want to be critical I love all my toontrack products but basic is not a common thread. Just getting a basic waltz in my superior midi was a challange but I digress.
If anyone can explain how I get a nice waltz piano from the 4/4 clips I will be grateful. I moved the time sig to 3/4 and it adjusts the ruler but the midi just seems to sit on it in 4/4. Like I said if its me even just point out why
PP

If you meet me and forget me you've lost nothing, if you meet Jesus and forget Him - you've lost everything!

Topic

[Scott]

You can manipulate some of the 6/8 MIDI to fit a 3/4 meter.

For example, take the Soul/RnB Swing 6/8 MIDI. It has an original tempo of 60BPM. This would be slow for 3/4 so change your tempo to 120BPM (for example). Next, click the ‘1/2x’ under Tempo at the top of the MIDI Browser. This will make the MIDI play the 1/2 it’s normal time. Drag MIDI to the Song track and it will sound like a nice 3/4 groove. Make sure the tempo and time signature remains 3/4 and 120BMP when dragging and dropping MIDI.

You can do the same with the Superior MIDI as well if you need ‘basic’ 3/4 drum MIDI

Scott Sibley - Toontrack
Technical Advisor

[PetePraise]

Thank’s Scott, I’ll give this a try (after I’ve read it a few more times)

If you meet me and forget me you've lost nothing, if you meet Jesus and forget Him - you've lost everything!

[Jay Coover]

Completely worthless add here, but I’ll say it anyway, cuz I can’t stop myself.

6/8 and 3/4 in feel are technically different. Usually 6/8 has a snare/backbeat on the 4th beat of 6. In true 3/4 the snare is usually on the 3rd of three, or the 2 and 3.

In pop/modern/blues 6/8 is actually quite a bit more common than 3/4, even though notation-wise you can notate 3/4 as 6/8 and visa versa. I know, my jibberish. Sorry.

Of course, the most important thing is that it sounds right. Follow Scott’s advice and if it sounds right, your’re golden!

SD 2.3 NY vol 2/Metal Foundry/C & V/Roots 1 & 2/Music City Latin Percussion/Funkmasters/The Classic/Jazz/Pop!/#1 Hits/Electronic/Twisted/Claustrophobic EZKeys 1.1 with all the trimmings

[Scott]

I agree, Fizbin, that following my advice above in regards to drums won’t ‘really’ be 3/4 as you state, but OP was asking about piano MIDI and there ain’t no snare hit with piano MIDI

Scott Sibley - Toontrack
Technical Advisor

[Jay Coover]

Yeah, typically piano parts might be the same or similar between the two. The real difference should come when you’re setting up you’re project. Pick 6/8 instead of 3/4. Less work to do later translating MIDI for both piano and drums.

SD 2.3 NY vol 2/Metal Foundry/C & V/Roots 1 & 2/Music City Latin Percussion/Funkmasters/The Classic/Jazz/Pop!/#1 Hits/Electronic/Twisted/Claustrophobic EZKeys 1.1 with all the trimmings

[Cygnus64]

ORIGINAL: PetePraise

If anyone can explain how I get a nice waltz piano from the 4/4 clips I will be grateful.

Realistically, you won’t be able to find any patterns from EZ Keys (currently) that will work in a waltz setting. The best thing to do is find a midi file on the internet in the style you wish and cut it up. There are probably millions. 6/8 is 2/4 with triplets basically, it would take a lot of work to get it to sound right. You would have to move the strong beat (beat 4 in a true 6 eighth note measure) to 3.

[Jay Coover]

OK, here’s what I’d do to try and piece together a waltz. When I think of the most basic piano waltz I think of 3 beats of course. Left hand, right hand, right hand.

The sustain may be held down throughout, or not as the mood fits.

Go into Basic Chord > Chord Variations > Quarter Notes, and find the register that seems right. Move into the timeline and change chords, then drag into your host.

It will not fit. Split it evenly into two (two beats each) and position each of those two onto the second beat of a 3/4 measure (snap to quarter).

Stretch the beginning of each MIDI clip starting on the second beat forward in time so it starts on one. You now have chords on beats 2 and 3, but nothing on 1.

Open each clip and add a bass note on 1 that extends through the clip or just ends at about the same time as the quarter note chords, however you’d like.

That’s how I’d fake it. Sorry if my explanation falls short. Tried my best.

Once you get that concept down, maybe try doing it with something other than quarter note chords, if those are too simple.

SD 2.3 NY vol 2/Metal Foundry/C & V/Roots 1 & 2/Music City Latin Percussion/Funkmasters/The Classic/Jazz/Pop!/#1 Hits/Electronic/Twisted/Claustrophobic EZKeys 1.1 with all the trimmings

[PetePraise]

Thank you for all your replies, sorry about the time I took but things have been hectic. Anyway three cheers for Toontrack Country EZ midi has arrived. Genuine usable 3/4 timing. Now for some serious tracks. (most of our songs are in this sig)
Thank’s again guys,
PP
PS
Another shout out for selling midi to UK through Toontrack site. I tried to get it from T & S as I usually did because the Toontrack site said I couldn’t purchase it. But it must be to new for T & S so I gave it another go on the main site and it worked like a dream, download strait from the receipt page. Quality service

If you meet me and forget me you've lost nothing, if you meet Jesus and forget Him - you've lost everything!

[Davide Pagano]

And for people like me working with odd signature like 5/8, 7/8, 11/8? any chance to have a MIDI pack working for us?

[Jym Feat]

I don’t get it: does the above complaint mean the the EZkey engine can’t cope with odd meters?

[kiloherzalex]

Hey, another question regarding time signature in ezkeys. Is it possible to change time signature in a song in EZ Keys? 3 Bars in 4/4 1 Bar 2/4. If i choose the follow host option, i can´t see the time signature of my cubase or logic projects.

alex

[Hameau]

Same question for me, I think its not possible in EZKEY…  On the other hand in EZBASS its very easy

I hope an update soon

Good Luck

[John]

Hi guys,

EZkeys (and EZdrummer) does not have an internal track for Time Signature or Tempo changes like SD3 and EZbass. All plug-ins slave perfectly to a host but since hosts do not send Time Signature data/changes to plugins, like they do with Tempo, EZkeys can’t reflect that on the Song Track. SD3 and EZbass are much newer plug-ins and they have the ability to either import Tempo and Time Sig changes from a MIDI file or to manually enter changes on their internal Song Tracks.

BR,
John

John Rammelt - Toontrack
Technical Advisor

[Pekka Lehto]

I have made a song with a 4/4 time signature. There is one measure in between in 3/4 time, how can I do it with EZkey.

EZkeys version: 1.3.3
Operating system: macOS High Sierra (10.13)

[John]

Hi Pekka,

are you using EZkeys standalone?

The EZkeys Song Track cannot currently handle Time Signature changes but if you are using a DAW with EZkeys as a plug-in and have Tempo and Time Sig changes, EZkeys will still sync to your DAW with ‘Follow Host’.

BR,
John

John Rammelt - Toontrack
Technical Advisor

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Thanked by: da88

[Author]

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