What time signature have I changed to ?

[Acid Mitch]

Hey Ya'll,
I'm trying to find out what time sig I'm in.
I start with a standard 4/4, 16 step, 1 bar pattern and then shorten the amount of steps to 12 and change timebase to 16t.
This gives 2 beats with 6 steps each. What time sig have I changed to ?

[jancivil]

12 : 16

the ratio in all that you did is 3 : 2 (that's a "triplet"), so you have 12 in the time of what you've established as 8, if I read correctly.

If the emphasis gives you ONE two THREE four FIVE six...
it's more likely correct as (3/4 or) 3/8.
If the emphasis gives you ONE two three FOUR five six, that tends to be called 6/8 or 12/16 it sounds like in this case. {ONE 2 3 4 5 6, TWO 2 3 4 5 6.}

If you mix these accents, it's a tossup.

if there's a fair amount of odd accents, you should call it 12/16. This all only matters if you try to get musicians to play it. Your sequencer doesn't care.

EDIT: AKA 2/4 played as triplets. Note well: All of this nomenclature describes things so a musician to play a thing.

If you don't understand what I typed, stick with 4/4.

[Nystul]

So your first pattern is in 4/4 with sixteenth notes. When you change to the second pattern, you say you have 2 beats that are subdivided into six notes each. Is the tempo of each beat the same in each pattern? In other words, the fast notes in the second pattern actually would be triplet sixteenth notes (sextuplets) at the original tempo? That's how I interpreted your post. The snare drummer in me says that your second pattern is just 2/4 time. On actual sheet music it may even stay in 4/4 throughout, with 2 of those second patterns crammed into each measure.

Depending on the accent pattern, 12/16 would be a possibility. But some things would work in 2/4 that would look very strange in 12/16 (triplet eighth notes for example).

[Acid Mitch]

I have a pattern running on a sequencer.
Using the time sigs you supplied, I still cant get other sequencers to play the same thing. Any other ideas ?

[jancivil]

I have a pattern running on a sequencer.
Using the time sigs you supplied, I still cant get other sequencers to play the same thing. Any other ideas ?

you have to do the math: you specified triplet 16ths. That, a triplet, is 3:2 (compared to a 'duplet').
If you keep 4/4, there is no problem, unless the BEAT (the tempo) is a 'faster beat'. Which isn't anything you described.

If you want a sequencer which doesn't do triplets, you figure, let's just say 120 is your tempo. What number does multiplying 120 by 3/2 give you? 180.

You get the same effect telling the sequencer to keep doing regular 16ths at 180 BPM, as telling it to do triplet 16ths at 120.


You see how it works now?

[Acid Mitch]

Thanks for all the replies.
Got it.