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→Quantization
== Quantization ==
Most DAWs feature <u>quanization</u> of time, in terms of tempo, attempting to keep everything lined up with the beat. This essentially means that timeline selections and MIDI data are "snapped " to the nearest unit of time beat (or sub-beat division) instead of being placed exactly as specified. For example, if I set ''quantize'' to the nearest quarter note and try to set the timeline cursor a bit later than the 1st beat of a measure, the DAW will actually set the cursor to directly on the 1st beat. If I click a bit after halfway in the 1st beat, it will set it to exactly the 2nd beat, which is the nearest quarter note. This affects moving and slicing audio events as well.
MIDI recordings can be quantized as well. So if I'm playing in a slight [[Applying Rhythm to Chords#Swing Feel|swing feel ]] but have quantize turned onto even beat divisions, the recorded MIDI will not reflect the swing feel - those slightly delayed notes will be snapped back to their non-swing locations. The same will happen with editing MIDI using the mouse or keyboard. You would have to turn quantize off or set quantize to 8th note triplets to get the notes to align how you want.
Quantization is a very useful feature to make sure everything lines up to the beat, but it can occasionally be too rigid. In this case you can decrease the size of each quantized block, for example switching from quarter notes to eighth notes. Or if you need a [[Applying Rhythm to Chords#Tuplets|tuplet ]] (such as a triplet), there are options to quantize in terms of fractions of the beat, like 3:2 (common triplet) or 5:4 (complex tuplet). When you are dealing with audio, quantize may actually prevent you from getting an event to line up directly on the beat. For instance, consider a sample of a jet sound then an explosion. You want the explosion to line up on the beat, but the jet sound doesn't fit perfectly into your project tempo. So quantize is lining up the beginning of the jet sound instead of the explosion, and the explosion never lines up with the beat. Here's a case where it's best to turn off quantize and do what you need to do, then turn it back on.
When you are dealing with audio, quantize may actually prevent you from getting an event to line up directly on the beat. For instance, consider a sample of a jet sound then an explosion. You want the explosion to line up on the beat, but the jet sound doesn't fit perfectly into your project tempo. So quantize is lining up the beginning of the jet sound instead of the explosion, and the explosion never lines up with the beat. Here's a case where it's best to turn off quantize and do what you need to do. Quantize only affects current actions - it will not automatically align all the events/notes that have already been placed. DAWs often have features to automatically create timing offsets on MIDI data. So for instance, you can take a straight on-beat MIDI event and choose a swing-feel feature, then adjust the lag of every note that occurs on the 2 and 4 beats. Even though the MIDI data is not changing, its playback gets the intended effect. Like inserts, this is handy to be able to adjust things after-the-fact, without having to re-record or edit lots of individual notes. There are also randomize features to "humanize" virtual drumsor other MIDI data, moving notes away from their quantized position in time. {{top}}
== Automation ==