Insert a few bars of 3/4 time into a 4/4-time project?

[Ally007]

I'm under the impression that you cannot set the time signature of a few bars to 3/4 time, when the rest of the project is set as 4/4 time. Is this correct? If so, can anyone share any tips on how best to accomplish it? I guess I can change drum rhythm to 3/4 time, and then use that as my metronome. Is that the only/best way to do it? Many thanks.

[pough]

Use the Tempo Track. That's what it's for: changes to time signature and BPM.

[Ally007]

Use the Tempo Track. That's what it's for: changes to time signature and BPM.

Thanks, Pough! I didn't know it was possible to alter a section on the Tempo Track. I will have to try that.

[Watchful]

Here's how to insert a measure, which Waveform has made weirdly complicated.

1. Find the measure where you want to insert the new measure.
2. Put an in marker on the start of it and an out marker on the end of that measure. For example, if you want a new measure put between measure 115 and 116, put your in marker on 115 and out on 116. To set these, just type I (in) and O (out) on your keyboard, making sure the cursor is in the right spot!
3. Make sure no clips overlap your in point, or Waveform will split them in the next steps!
4. Select all the tracks that get this new measure: this could be ALL your tracks, so be prepared to shift click Track 1 all the way down to the end! You don't need to bother with return tracks or anything that doesn't have an audio or MIDI clip on it.
5. From the useful menu (the one across the bottom of your screen that usually hides itself), look for "Insert Into Tracks."
6. From that button, select "Insert space in the marked region."

Waveform will shift all those tracks over by one measure.

Here's how to change that measure to 3/4 time.

1. At the measure in question, right-click on the Beat/Bar scale on the top of the screen: this is the one that lists the bars and beats at the top of the screen, from left to right. (You can do this in the Tempo track, too!)
2. Select "Insert time signature change."
3. At the useful menu (again), change the time signature to 3/4.
4. Put your cursor at the end of that 3/4 measure...
5. Right click and select "Insert time signature change."
6. At the useful menu, change it to 4/4.

If you look in the Tempo track, as Pough says, you should see your |3/4 and |4/4/ markers appear. Guess what: you can drag those left or right as you wish to add more measure, tighten up timing, etc. This can be weird, because you can do two beats of 3/4 time, for example, if you want to go crazy.

That should get you going.

[Ally007]

Here's how to insert a measure, which Waveform has made weirdly complicated.

Thank you, Watchful! Your explanation is extremely helpful. I doubt if I could have figured that out on my own, without suffering hours of stress, and a possible headache! No doubt it seems a lot easier after one has done it a couple of times. For my present project, I'm inclined to avoid the rigmarole and simply insert a section of 3/4 drum rhythm to work to, and only resort to tinkering with the Tempo Track, if it seems really necessary... especially because I might need to juggle sections around.

[dysjoint]

Here's how to insert a measure, which Waveform has made weirdly complicated.

Thank you, Watchful! Your explanation is extremely helpful. I doubt if I could have figured that out on my own, without suffering hours of stress, and a possible headache! No doubt it seems a lot easier after one has done it a couple of times. For my present project, I'm inclined to avoid the rigmarole and simply insert a section of 3/4 drum rhythm to work to, and only resort to tinkering with the Tempo Track, if it seems really necessary... especially because I might need to juggle sections around.

You can do this, of course, if you can work without the grid lines for snapping. One helpful thing might be to insert your 3/4 drum loop and then use that as a ghost track for other tracks if you need a visual helper to get stuff aligned.

[Ally007]

You can do this, of course, if you can work without the grid lines for snapping. One helpful thing might be to insert your 3/4 drum loop and then use that as a ghost track for other tracks if you need a visual helper to get stuff aligned.

Thanks for the tip, dysjoint. Where can I find instructions on using ghost tracks? I can't find anything.

[dysjoint]

Select the track. Open the bottom panel. Lower right you can select any other track to use as a ghost track. This will bring up the selected ghost track as a transparent background for the current track. I would use it if I have a real drum break where the hits don't match the project tempo/grid and I want to layer other samples but keep things in sync.

[Ally007]

Select the track. Open the bottom panel. Lower right you can select any other track to use as a ghost track. This will bring up the selected ghost track as a transparent background for the current track. I would use it if I have a real drum break where the hits don't match the project tempo/grid and I want to layer other samples but keep things in sync.

Fantastic - many thanks for that, D! It sounds really easy (once you know how)!

[Watchful]

Ghost tracks are not always reliable, though: they can enormously helpful...exactly as Dysjoint uses them...but they're awfully picky about other applications (like syncing MIDI beats to a vocal track). In the past--I probably haven't used them since v10--if you zoom in for fine work, the ghost track vanished until you zoomed out. Maybe that's been fixed, but I think Dysjoint provided exactly the steps Ally needs.