Matching Tracks - Timing Issues

I have an old tape that has drum tracks on it. We used 7 tracks to get the drum sounds and then bounced it down to one. The guitars, bass and vocals were added.

What I'm trying to do is clean up the old drum tracks in Pro Tools using all 7 original tracks, and then add the other instrument tracks to it.

The problem is, the timing isn't lining up. It seems to slow and then speed up ever so slightly, but enough to make it impossible to get everything working properly.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Just a point of clarification.

Is it that the drums aren't all together in their timing, the rest of the stuff doesn't seem to be in sync with the drums, or the performance has timing issues?

Cheers,
Geoff

Best solution: Transfer all tracks to Pro Tools in a single pass, if you have enough I/O to do it.

Next best: If the tape has a time code track or other sync track, use that to resolve the tape speed to a stable sync source, preferably one that also drives Pro Tools word clock.

Otherwise: You'll have to get good at editing the tracks using elastic audio...

Just a point of clarification.

Is it that the drums aren't all together in their timing, the rest of the stuff doesn't seem to be in sync with the drums, or the performance has timing issues?

Cheers,
Geoff

The drum tracks were bounced down and then the guitars were played over them. The timing of the performance is fine. But when i try to take the drum kit (before bouncing down) seperately so I can work on each part, i can't sync the music and drums together. There seems to have been some latency added somewhere.

The drum tracks were bounced down and then the guitars were played over them. The timing of the performance is fine. But when i try to take the drum kit (before bouncing down) seperately so I can work on each part, i can't sync the music and drums together. There seems to have been some latency added somewhere.

If it's truly latency, as you say, then you should be able to take the bounced drum track and drag the clip into time alignment with the other instruments.

I don't know. It almost seems as though the tape player may have contributed to the uneven tempo when the tracks were transferred to pro tools.

I don't know. It almost seems as though the tape player may have contributed to the uneven tempo when the tracks were transferred to pro tools.

Latency is a consistent delay. If its not consistent, it's not latency. When true latency has happened to me with a lot of tracks and automation going, it is easy to fix, as I said.

If you have a variable tape drive inconsistency, the only way to fix it is to use your recording software capability of moving the individual beat points to the correct spot. I think someone called yours "elastic audio". In my software it is called Audio Snap. It's time consuming but it does work.

I don't know. It almost seems as though the tape player may have contributed to the uneven tempo when the tracks were transferred to pro tools.

That's my guess. ... Even a tiny fluctuation in speed would throw you off the grid.

OK, so let's call it "varying latency." LOL

It almost seems as though the tape player may have contributed to the uneven tempo when the tracks were transferred to pro tools.

That's EXACTLY what happened. I went through the same thing, trying to get tracks into the computer from a Tascam 4 tracks, one track at a time.

I was NEVER able to get them lined up properly. Your recording software may have better tools than I was using, but I'll warn you: be prepared to put in a LOT of time, to accomplish what you're trying to do!