by Robert Scovill
D-Show 2.7.1 software enables you to “tap tempo,” providing an easy way to quickly establish a tempo on the fly and apply it as the beat clock for delay and echo plug-ins that support Tempo Sync or Session Tempo. You can set a tempo by simply tapping on a footswitch or other trigger to the beat of the music. Here are some tips on how to use this function.

The Set-Up
D-Show 2.7.1 software comes preconfigured with an example show file called “Tap Tempo Examples,“ which features a control surface Function switch preprogrammed for tap tempo. Take a look at this show file to see how easy it is to program an Event to handle the tap tempo task, and then use the Events list to program a footswitch, console function switch, or something else to trigger the Tap Tempo action.

Tip: For more info on programming Events, see our Tips and Tricks web section, or check out the Tap Tempo section in the D-Show 2.7.1 Read Me file.

Once you’ve programmed a trigger in your Event list, simply choose a delay plug-in that supports Tempo Sync or Session Tempo (such as the DigiRack™ Long Delay plug-in), and make sure that its tempo switch is engaged so it will respond to a tapped tempo (see Figure 1).


Figure 1: Use this button to engage the DigiRack Long Delay plug-in’s Tempo Sync.

One of the things I love about tapping with delay plug-ins is being able to preset the beat divisions for the tempo you’re tapping. In other words, you can dictate how the delay will fall within the rhythm structure by simply tapping quarter notes. Let’s say that you only want delays to fall on a dotted eighth note; just select the dotted eighth note division button and you’ll only need to tap quarter notes to get the delay time there (see Figure 2). Very cool! And the best part is you can do this across multiple delay units at one time. All delays in your plug-in racks with Tempo Sync engaged will respond to the tempo you tap, and place the delays according to the beat divisions you set for each plug-in.


Figure 2: Use the note buttons to set the delay occurrence in any given tempo-engaged plug-in window.

So in a nutshell, simply choose whatever delays you want to be able to tap, engage their Tempo Sync buttons, define the beat division for each delay, tap out the quarter notes, and all of your selected delays will chase to it. Try experimenting with a combination of short and long delay for lead vocals and a medium delay for backing vocals. Tap one tempo and they will ALL follow AND automatically divide. Nice!

Using Tap Tempo with Preprogrammed Snapshots
For you touring guys working with a preprogrammed snapshot list that has preconfigured delay times set to the tempo of each song, you can still have the flexibility to tap in a new tempo or delay time; just use the Event list.

First, create a snapshot that only scopes the delay plug-ins to which you want to tap a new delay time, and engage Tempo Sync on all. Place this snapshot at the very end of your snapshot list (I’ll explain why in a moment). Now go to the Event list and select a trigger, such as a Function switch, and add an action for the trigger that recalls the snapshot you just built. Now during your event, whenever you press that programmed function switch, you can easily recall only your selected Tempo Sync plug-ins.

When I run a show, I like to set up my tap tempo as follows:

• Function switch 1 recalls a snapshot that recalls all of my Tempo Sync-engaged delays
  
• Function switch 2 is what I use to actually tap the tempo
  

Now whenever the band breaks into a moment of creative enlightenment, you can be right there with them!

Tip: When you recall the snapshot that engages Tempo Sync on your targeted delays, the last tempo that was tapped will be employed, which may be incorrect for the current song. As a workaround, do some additional programming in your Tempo Sync snapshot event that additionally mutes the targeted delay returns via a specific mute group. Doing this will give you time to tap in the correct tempo and then unmute those returns at a strategic time.

So why did I ask you to put this Tempo Sync-engaged snapshot at the very end of your snapshot list? When you recall a snapshot through the Event list, it doesn’t change the currently selected snapshot (see Figure 3). This allows you to simply rotate the snapshot encoder in the ACS one click clockwise, press “Recall” to load the next snapshot in the list, and retain your set snapshot sequence. However, if you were to press the “next” button on the ACS, you would recall the snapshot directly after the recalled Tempo Sync-engaged snapshot. So by placing it at the very end of the list, you’re essentially disabling the “next” switch in the ACS after the Event recalls your Tempo Sync-engaged snapshot. This will help keep you from inadvertently hitting the next button and throwing your snapshot recall sequence out of whack.


Figure 3: Here’s what recalling our Tempo Sync snapshot via a function switch looks like (green) versus our currently targeted snapshot (red). Note that the “next” button (the + button) is disengaged.

Saving Tapped Tempos
And now for more coolness — if you like and want to keep the delay times you just tapped in and save it to your current snapshot, go to the Plug-ins page and disengage the Tempo Sync button on the delays you’ve altered. Then go back to the Plug-ins window on the right of the Snapshots window, right-click on the delay or Control-click all the delays you’ve affected with the tap, and select “Update” for those plug-ins that are part of the targeted (red) snapshot (see Figure 4). Now next time you come back to that targeted snapshot, it will have the new tapped-in times.


Figure 4: You can easily update the delay times in a snapshot with your newly tapped in ones by updating the original snapshot where they were stored.

I know that this may seem like there are a lot of steps involved, but I promise you with just a couple of minutes of practice, this entire Tap Tempo process will go lightning fast — faster and more efficient than you ever dreamed of it being with a rack full of gear. Tap Tempo can unleash your creative instincts while deep in the heat of battle. I’m sure you’ll have a blast using it! Be sure to share your creative uses of this exciting function on the Digidesign Users Conference (DUC).