making a track longer?

[StevieM]

How do I make a track longer? Mike sent me a backer to practice with, but I want to make it longer. I know I can loop it, but I don't want the intro and end to loop too, just extend the middle bits.  Any explanations in words of one syllable or less please? Pictures would be even better
Cheers.

[Glenn Mitchell]

Read up on the A-B function. You can grab anything and copy it anywhere.

[OsCKilO]

Read up on the A-B function. You can grab anything and copy it anywhere.

I should really read the instructions.........

I've been playing extended loops of the same thing over and over......
Get distracted eventually!

Them days are over!!!!!

Cheers M_Glenn_M!

Peace

Osckilo!

[StevieM]

Cheers MGM, I'll have a fiddle about with that tomorrow ( well, later today, 'cos it's about 2.30am!)

[64Guitars]

AB Repeat can be used to loop any section of a song. For what you want to do, it's probably the easiest solution and should be adequate.

However, Track Copy is more accurate. See the following message:

https://songcrafters.org/community/micro-br/looping-t901/msg5930/#msg5930

[Ted]

Are you just practicing along with the track?  If so, the A-B function is the easiest way to go.  Read no further, and be happy you don't have to.

However, if you want to actually edit a song to make it longer, say, for recording purposes, you can do this on the Micro BR--if you have no other alternative, or are a sadist.  I find it useful to copy sections of the song using measures of song as reference point.  This will work if you can figure out the tempo of the song.

1. Create a new song.

2. Import the song to a pair of tracks.  Say TR12-V1.

3. Figure out the tempo of the song (use this online tool).  In particular, figure out the tempo of the section you want to loop.  (If the original song wasn't recorded with a click track, the tempo is likely to vary throughout the song, so it'll be best if you focus on the section that you want to loop.)

4. Create a one-part drum arrangement with the song's tempo--particularly the tempo.  This can be a 4/4 metronome--just something you can hear temporarily to verify that the beats line up roughly.  It doesn't particularly even matter if the "one" of the songs rhythm doesn't match the "one" of the metronome rhythm--as long as neither is faster or slower than the other.

(If you are really determined to match up the two rhythms, it can be done by moving the entire track around in tiny increments until you get it right on--but that can be a frustrating pain in the butt.)

5. Suppose the "one" of your imported beats line up about with the "two" of the click track.  Like this:

   1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9   10   11   12
|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|
      BEGINNING            MIDDLE               END

Also suppose it's the MIDDLE part of the song you want to extend to three times it's original length.

5. Copy to a new pair of v-tracks (e.g. TR12-V2) the BEGINNING part of the song:

   Start Meas    001-1
   End Meas      005-2
   To Meas       001-1
   Repeat:       x 1

6. Copy to the same v-tracks as the previous operation the MIDDLE part of the song:

   Start Meas    005-2
   End Meas      009-2
   To Meas       005-2
   Repeat:       x 3

7. Copy to the same v-tracks as the previous two operations the END part of the song:

   Start Meas    009-2
   End Meas      013-2
   To Meas       017-2
   Repeat:       x 1

And your song will now have a MIDDLE section three times as long as before:

   1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20
|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|
      BEGINNING                                 MIDDLE                                    END

8. You can now turn Rhythm OFF so you don't hear those annoying clicks.

9. Play along or record with the v-tracks you've maniipulated.

Are you sorry you asked?

[StevieM]

Errrr---- Thanks Ted ( I think ).
It was just a backer to play along to, but that's really useful. I'll print it off for when I do need to do that, it's more thorough and easier to understand than the manual.
Cheers.