Few Questions About Waveform

[ChiroVette]

However, your low tech method would DEFINITELY be easier and faster than learning Groove doctor.

Yeah considering I was getting a little dizzy just reading your post about this, I tend to agree.

[UnionS8]

Okay, I watched the video, and other than hooking my iPhone to my computer, and recording app sounds, that seems like a lot of work for just something I need for, say 8 beats to count off a song before the music tracks come in.

I tried every variation of the metronome functions I could find in the program, but I can't seem to create a click track to it's own track that plays other than turning on the metronome which either plays constantly or not at all Plus I can't find a way to change the tempo of the click.

Also, and this is odd, the tempo in the main menu always shows 120 BPM. It seems like there is no functioning metronome in the Waveform software, at least none that I can find. I guess I was hoping that there was an onboard metronome that could intuit what the tempo of the song whose tracks I have in the project, and then allow me to use that tempo to set an intro clicking track.

Edit: You know what? I decided to just get creative in about the most simplistic way. I opened up my audio recording app/program, threw my headphones on, played the Project tracks I wanted to create a click track for into my ears, and just recorded myself tapping my microphone with a Bic pen in time to the music, and just sent that file into a track. I now have an intro click track.

You know what? Read the manual You're running into troubles with the most simple task in Waveform. And you don't need to. Reading the Click section in manual takes a minute. You don't need to google it, search for video tutorial, or wait for an answer here.
Of course, there is a metronom in Waveform. Do you see the Click button under the transport control and next to the output section? Right click and voila!
You can set Count In, metronome sounds, volume, ... and even output device!

[UnionS8]

Also don't forget, almost everything in Waveform has right click option. Drag and drop anything anywhere within the whole Waveform interface is strongly used too.

[UnionS8]

Oh. And changing the tempo... Did you try the first possible thing that crosses your mind? To click the number...

[UnionS8]

Look. Dragging clips, copying tem, selecting them; setting pan, volume, tempo, signature... These are the most basic basics of all basics. Take your time and read at least few chapters of the bloody manual. Only the basic basics of all basics Sure you don't need any advanced functions, but... you know

[ChiroVette]

As I said already, I did read the manual, but the parts on "click tracks" were completely glossed over and I didn't get it. I still don't get it, nor did I get it off the videos. The only thing I could do as a workaround was to take my microphone that was plugged into the U-Phoria, put my headphones on, and tap on the microphone into an open track to record that as my intro click track.

Literally the only thing on click tracks was a brief mention on page 18. No details or instructions.

The other stuff, I was able to mostly figure out both with and without the manual.

[UnionS8]

And did you manage to set up Click now? I don't see any problem here. Click works, tempo is set to other than 120, I can also choose the route of the Click...

[ChiroVette]

And did you manage to set up Click now? I don't see any problem here. Click works, tempo is set to other than 120, I can also choose the route of the Click...

No, well yes, but not using the software. As I mentioned above yesterday, after reading the manual and finding it to be no help at all with click tracks, then trying to make sense of the youtube videos, I just decided to improvise a solution. I played the tracks into my headphones, and took a Bic pen and tapped on my microphone to the beat of the song, recording that into a track, trimmed it to what I needed, moved it where it needed to go, and that is now my click-track

[UnionS8]

And what's the problem? You don't hear the metronome or it has a wrong tempo, or what?

[ChiroVette]

And what's the problem? You don't hear the metronome or it has a wrong tempo, or what?

I actually can’t get it to do anything. I can click on all of the buttons in both locations where there are click track functions, but even when it opens up to other drop-down menus it doesn’t seem to put a click anywhere that I can hear, nor am I able to record a track based on that click to insert until the song. I had the same problem last night. I actually found the “quick“ functions as well as the metronome before asking the question, but the buttons didn’t seem to do anything.

[Watchful]

Here's what's supposed to happen.

1. You enable (or ensure) the Click button on the bottom left menu is highlighted
2. You arm a track for recording
3. You position the playhead cursor where you want the recording to begin (and/or use the in/out markers)
4. Click record...

...and you should (a) see the playhead jump backward a bit and (b) hear clicking from your computer in time with the BPM. The clicking can stop when the playhead reaches the position you set in step 3, in case you're doing a live recording and don't want to record the clicking on a live mic.

I'm guessing you're NOT hearing (b) above?

[TWfriend]

@chirovette, could you post an image of the interface you use to connect your instrument to? That often gives us all a good idea of your setup and see if we notice any setting that are causing the lack of hearing a metronome sound. Could you check your "mix" knob on your interface and let us know the position that knob is turned to? On my Behringer uphoria 204HD, my knob needs to be positioned in the middle for me to hear both my keyboard and the sound of the metronome from Waveform. If I turn the knob all the way to the far left, I do not hear the metronome at all. When it is turned all they way to the right, all I hear is the metronome, but not my keyboard. Give this a quick check and let us know if this works.

[ChiroVette]

Watchful, I will check out your instructions tonight or tomorrow, when I get home and let you know what I find. I think it was (b) that wasn't happening, though, but it's hard to be sure without the software open and in front of me.

TWfriend, next time I have the devices out and am recording, I will do just that, thanks!!

Thanks guys!

[Peter Widdicombe]

The click settings are on the lower left, and fairly versatile for a single click. You can specify the loud (first beat) and moderate sound to differentiate, and pick the device they will go to INCLUDING a MIDI device if you like (and there you can pick the "note" used, from whatever the MIDI device supports.

You can also pick whether click is on only as a leadin, how many bars in (1 or 2) and whether you want a click track during playback. This in Waveform 11 - not sure if there are more options in 12. This DOES assume your bars actually line up with any backing track.

My normal preference, however, is to create a simple loop or step clip, and then just loop it for the whole duration of what I expect; and then come back later and replace that with proper fills and demarcation of chorus, etc. when that's better fleshed out - although doing that up front might make things easier, now that I think of it...

[fde101]

ChiroVette, you seem to be interested in using the click as part of the song itself, something that Waveform does not currently provide for.

If that is a correct interpretation, rather than recording a pen tapping a microphone, I would suggest finding sounds that you like and using a step clip with a MIDI instrument in order to perfect the timing of the sound (just like one would be used with drums, but generating clicks instead of kicks), since a step clip will be much easier to quantize to the tempo of the song.

The Micro Drum Sampler that comes with Waveform (at least with Pro - not sure about Free?) actually includes a "Metronome" preset which is set up for exactly this purpose.

Of course, if you are particularly fond of the sound of the pen you could always take a capture of one of those taps and load it into a sampler to play it back on tempo using a step clip.


Everyone else is apparently trying to tell you how to use the click to support recording, which is what it is actually designed for and something it handles quite adequately, but that is not what you seem to be trying to do?