HAPAX TIP: Tempo Nudge (home-made)
Pretty niche, but maybe helps someone…
Okay, so I sync my Hapax from a Mac, using a simple audio file on an audio track. No CV tools, no plugins… Why? Because I need the first click to start before the 1, so the Hapax sends MIDI slightly early and then everything gets recorded on the grid (plugins/M4L don’t have negative delay compensation, they can’t know when you’re going to press play etc).
When I’m looping in Ableton, after a while (20 mins+) I sometimes notice it’s very slightly out, MIDI vs Looped Audio. This could be just my system being run too hard, who knows.
Anyway, I decided I want tempo-nudge buttons. Here’s how to do it if it you’re interested. Very simple to implement. I’ll explain slowly for clarity, it’s very easy in practice:
Create 2 copies of your audio sync track, one above it and one below. Name them Nudge Up and Nudge Down.
Take a chunk of time-sync signal (I used 4 bars). My 4 bar chunk contained 384 clicks (24PPQN). Now I set the Grid to 16th Triplets for perfect cutting.
Cut exactly 8 clicks from the end of each 4 bars on your nudge tracks.
On the Nudge Down track, remove the 8 clicks completely.
On the Nudge Up track, duplicate the 8 click chunk.
So now you have 3 tracks with a clip of differing lengths. A shorter clip on Nudge Down, a perfect 4 bars on your original Sync track, and a longer clip on Nudge Up.
Consolidate the clips so they bounce down. Now set Grid back to Bar. Hold shift and drag each nudge clip so it timestretches back to exactly 4 bars.
IMPORTANT: check each clips Warp mode is set to ‘Re-pitch’.
Now you’ll create a simple muting device. I use a ‘Utility’, volume turned down, then we’re going to map the little yellow light (on/off button).
You’ll need a controller with 2 buttons set to momentary as your nudge buttons.
Place a Utility on both the Nudge Down track and the Main Sync track, name them both ‘Nudge Down’. Map the on/off button to your nudge down button. INVERT one of the mappings - you want the Nudge Down track to temporarily un-mute when you hold the nudge down button (and the original sync track to temporarily mute).
Do the same on your Nudge Up track. You’ll be left with a one Utility on the nudge tracks, and TWO Utilities on the original sync track (one mutes when your press nudge up, one when you press nudge down).
Done!
Now, whilst you hold a nudge button, the Hapax will speed up/slow down by around 2% and you can get back in perfect sync!