Hi,
I’m using a couple of “fixed” arpeggios live. I tap the tempo button on the XF with the drummers beat and i notice that every time or 2 that i hit the button, the tempo number on the screen moves 1-5 bpm +/- and having hard time getting into perfect time with live drummer.

Yes, my rhythm and tempo skills are good, and i do hit it in good timing, it’s not me being that far off....no way.

Question is, is there a way to quantize the tap tempo button to quarter notes or sixteenth notes ect.?

Im wondering if the tap tempo button is currently set to quantize to 1/32 notes or something, and that’s why im having issues getting into time?

Any help is appreciated on this.

Thanks
Paul S.

bunzi1964 - 25 October 2017 08:06 AM

[...] Yes, my rhythm and tempo skills are good, and i do hit it in good timing, it’s not me being that far off....no way.

I’ll take your word for it.
 

bunzi1964 -

Question is, is there a way to quantize the tap tempo button to quarter notes or sixteenth notes ect.?

Not that I’m aware of.

The XF should resolve 480 PPQ (parts per quarter note). That means if you’re not absolutely precise in your tapping rate, you’re going to see at least some “wiggle” in the BPM.

How many times are you tapping? More is usually better, not just due to the way the XF “calculates” the tempo, but your tapping tends to become more reliably rhythmic.

Of course, there’s always the possibility that the “button” (switch) isn’t making perfect contact. Although I don’t suggest that you press so hard as to break something, a good firm tap can sometimes make a difference.

Some additional thoughts:

“Playing” a tap-button is very much like playing a keyboard:  No matter how skillful and precise your internal clock is, there is an ergonomic/mechanical component to the action that has a subtle but very present effect on timing.

I think all keyboardists would understand that playing a weighted piano key-bed action has a very different feel than an organ or synth key-bed.

Part of that “feel” difference can be credited to the mechanics required for the key to make contact once pressed, and how the key action responds to being triggered is an inherent part of how the physical playing relates to your internal timing “clock”.

Those of us who play multiple keyboards, with multiple (very different) actions, have come to realize that the way you physically play the action changes, from keyboard to keyboard...in the attempt to play accurately in-time, with that keyboard, at the desired tempo.

I believe you will find that the tap button has it’s own very unique response as a mechanical beast...in a very similar way...and only a good amount of practice allows for it to be precisely and accurately “played” with satisfactory results.

Keep in mind that a very tiny “error” in timing, at a given moment, will be compounded to a quite noticeable and irritating level some number of measures in the future.

And that is when you are playing to a precise mechanical or digital clock.  Consider trying to tap a tempo now...in anticipation of the exact tempo the band will be playing in 8 bars...well, fugetaboutit, as they say!

Hi All,

I was tapping in 2 measures (8 beats) but now discussing this with others, i see that us humans cant keep the beat like a machine and mico errors in timing will show up quickly on the arps....plus like you suggested 5pin, the button may not contact perfect as tapping your finger on a tabletop ect.

With that said, I’ve resigned myself to to the fact that the band would really need a click track to keep with perfect timing with arps live, even short ones.

The current musicians i’m currently playing with do not want to go the click track route on any song, so i wanted to at least try the tap tempo live, but no good.

I really appreciate the advice and reply’s
Thanks!

Paul S.

bunzi1964 - 28 October 2017 08:41 AM

The current musicians i’m currently playing with do not want to go the click track route on any song, so i wanted to at least try the tap tempo live, but no good.

Now’s the time to start saying things to the band like:

“If you were any good, you’d be totally comfortable with a click! That other local band who get better gigs than us use one”. Probably not the best idea, but it might be true.

or, my personal favourite directed at the drummer…

“You won’t have to think about giving us the correct tempo for each song any more, it will be perfect every time, so that’s less stress on you and now you can be free to just play.”

The one that always makes more sense and resonates with a band is something like…

“I only have two hands and this song has 5 keyboard parts and 3 of them are simultaneous, look, if we play clicked up, I can sequence the parts I can’t physically cover and we can embrace a much fuller sound, you know? ...just like the record.”