Audacity Forum

I'll try to make this simple...hopefully there is a simple answer...

How do I add a tap-in intro to an existing mp3 backing track? Also, an overlying click-track to help keep the tempo? Been trying all day and can't figure this out...I am new to Audacity.

Thanks.
Patty

Assuming that the backing track has a constant tempo:
1) Open Audacity and import the backing track ("File" menu)
2) Play the backing track while looking at a watch that shows seconds and count how many beats there are in 30 seconds. Double that number and you have the number of beats per minute (BPM)
3) Add a new (mono) audio track to the Audacity project ("Tracks" menu)
4) "Generate menu > Click Track". Set the "Tempo" (BPM) to the BPM of the backing track, and set the Click Track Duration to a little more than the backing track duration.
5) Use the Time Shift Tool (double headed arrow button <-->) to slide the backing track to the right so that it starts after a few clicks (your count-in).
6) If the click track and the backing track drift slightly out of time, use the "Change Speed" effect on the click track to make it a little faster or slower so that it matches with the backing track. (Tip: "Ctrl+Z" to "undo" the last action). You may need to fiddle with the tempo and start position to get them to match up exactly.

Hi Steve. Don't suppose you could help me too could you. I have an MP3 backing track of Mustang Sally. It has an accompanying click keeping time all the way through the track but it has NO intro. The song begins with brass, piano guitars etc on the first click. I need to add JUST a count in. I followed your previous instructions but the new intro click extends over the entire song and goes out of time. I just need a count in of say, 4 clicks. Any ideas mate?

Hi Steve. Any idea how I could just add a count of 4 tap intro onto an existing MP3 backing track? Tried your explained method but the taps extend over the whole track and go slightly too fast. I only need a 4 tap intro as the existing track already has a finger click throughout. Trouble is the whole track starts on the first click (piano, drums,horns etc) and, without an intro, I can't judge the start! Can you help maybe?
Thanks.
Pau

bov35 wrote:Hi Steve. Any idea how I could just add a count of 4 tap intro onto an existing MP3 backing track? Tried your explained method but the taps extend over the whole track and go slightly too fast. I only need a 4 tap intro as the existing track already has a finger click throughout. Trouble is the whole track starts on the first click (piano, drums,horns etc) and, without an intro, I can't judge the start!

Follow the steps in my previous post, but in step 4 you only need to generate, say 20 seconds of (new) click track.
In step 5, adjust the music track position so that you have 4 (or 8) clicks of the new track before the music starts, and then make fine adjustments to the start of the music track so that the first few clicks are in time with the new click track (don't worry if it drifts slightly as the song progresses).

When you have done that, select on the click track, from the start position of the music to the end (or past the end) of the click track, and press the DEL key to deleted the surplus clicks. (Make the selection using the normal selection tool by clicking with the mouse on the click track, hold the mouse button down and drag to the right).

Thanks mate - very comprehensive. I'll give it a go. (sorry for the 2nd post - didn't realise it had gone on successfully!)