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BPM and MS
- Thread starter Oreobass
- Start date
In its basic form it is % points of any time sig. against real time.
BPM is the beat as we would know it, so when it becomes fractional, there has to be a trade of against a time sig.
So playing 60 BPM is one beat per second, so 120 is two beats per second, 180 is three beats per second etc.
So each one of those seconds is made up of % points ( in the same way that athletics uses % points in timing to seperate runners that are all 1.30, so the break up is 1.303 is faster than 1.323 )
When the BPM does not match real time it is sub divided into milli seconds ( MS ) this justs lets you match the speed of the delay to the tempo you are using.
Each effect such as delays, chorus, tremolo, etc has the ability to match speed to tempo, therefore they work in MS.
But when you use it in say tempos and time sigs that do not clearly divide without the use of % points, then the more % points involved in the signal the better and closer the unit will perform when used with similar technology. In the early days using such units could cause problems because the player or track it was used on sounded "out"
Certain units using digital timings, from recording equipment, to drum machines have a facility to " Quantize ". All this does is move the % points to even up everything to the one feel. In many instances this will remove certain timing nuances and feels associated with not playing right on the beat every time. Now this may fix the timing problem, but will change the feel, in the same way as time sigs. will change the feel of a piece.
In music you will find this when using 8th, 16th, 32nd, 64th, etc notes in programming. For example it is easier to add more feel when using 32nd notes that it is using quarter notes in a 4/4 time sig.... but then again that would not be a true 4/4 time sig. but you get the idea over the semantics.
You get more of the beat to work with so you can be on it, ahead of it, or behind it....then you can be in between those, and if need be in between the in between beats.
Now how each company or unit is calabrated is a tech spec., I would imagine each unit has its own calabration based on MS.
The more the unit can sub divide its MS means better or closer relations to more time sigs. and beats. That would need more technology in the unit, so that would mean a higher cost of the unit as it is a bit more complicated. It also means more options to get it right or wrong. Sometimes just having the unit that breaks down to 4 x .250 per second is an easier option than one that breaks down to 20 x 0.50 per second.
But in the end your ear will sort out if it sound right over the actual BPM/MS, we can only calibrate for what we can hear and perceive, I for one cannot hear in MS other than half seconds (.500) but I can perceive the over all feel, so in a live situation a midrange unit that handles the music you play with do fine of it is mainly for simple time sig. ( time sigs based on 4s ) if you play compound time sigs then a unit that can break down to the 3s may be better.
But if 2 goes in to 4 even, and 3 does not without a % point left over, then the fact that two goes in to 6 even, as does 3 go in to 6 even, it is the fact 2 does it 3 times, but 3 does it 2 times and there are no % points left over???? LOL sorry for the math, but hopefully it reinforces the point of sub division which MS is.
Hope this helps, but it is really about the many % points are involved in the units basic function to make a second.
BPM is the beat as we would know it, so when it becomes fractional, there has to be a trade of against a time sig.
So playing 60 BPM is one beat per second, so 120 is two beats per second, 180 is three beats per second etc.
So each one of those seconds is made up of % points ( in the same way that athletics uses % points in timing to seperate runners that are all 1.30, so the break up is 1.303 is faster than 1.323 )
When the BPM does not match real time it is sub divided into milli seconds ( MS ) this justs lets you match the speed of the delay to the tempo you are using.
Each effect such as delays, chorus, tremolo, etc has the ability to match speed to tempo, therefore they work in MS.
But when you use it in say tempos and time sigs that do not clearly divide without the use of % points, then the more % points involved in the signal the better and closer the unit will perform when used with similar technology. In the early days using such units could cause problems because the player or track it was used on sounded "out"
Certain units using digital timings, from recording equipment, to drum machines have a facility to " Quantize ". All this does is move the % points to even up everything to the one feel. In many instances this will remove certain timing nuances and feels associated with not playing right on the beat every time. Now this may fix the timing problem, but will change the feel, in the same way as time sigs. will change the feel of a piece.
In music you will find this when using 8th, 16th, 32nd, 64th, etc notes in programming. For example it is easier to add more feel when using 32nd notes that it is using quarter notes in a 4/4 time sig.... but then again that would not be a true 4/4 time sig. but you get the idea over the semantics.
You get more of the beat to work with so you can be on it, ahead of it, or behind it....then you can be in between those, and if need be in between the in between beats.
Now how each company or unit is calabrated is a tech spec., I would imagine each unit has its own calabration based on MS.
The more the unit can sub divide its MS means better or closer relations to more time sigs. and beats. That would need more technology in the unit, so that would mean a higher cost of the unit as it is a bit more complicated. It also means more options to get it right or wrong. Sometimes just having the unit that breaks down to 4 x .250 per second is an easier option than one that breaks down to 20 x 0.50 per second.
But in the end your ear will sort out if it sound right over the actual BPM/MS, we can only calibrate for what we can hear and perceive, I for one cannot hear in MS other than half seconds (.500) but I can perceive the over all feel, so in a live situation a midrange unit that handles the music you play with do fine of it is mainly for simple time sig. ( time sigs based on 4s ) if you play compound time sigs then a unit that can break down to the 3s may be better.
But if 2 goes in to 4 even, and 3 does not without a % point left over, then the fact that two goes in to 6 even, as does 3 go in to 6 even, it is the fact 2 does it 3 times, but 3 does it 2 times and there are no % points left over???? LOL sorry for the math, but hopefully it reinforces the point of sub division which MS is.
Hope this helps, but it is really about the many % points are involved in the units basic function to make a second.
Short version:
BPM= beats per minute; smaller numbers are slower delays
MS= milliseconds (between each beat); smaller number are faster delays
MS= BPM/60000
BPM= MS*60000
BPM is used for matching the delay to the tempo of the song (or a fraction of the tempo),
esp when using a repeating delay mode. Think of U2's guitar sounds.
MS is used for shorter delays that eliminate the 'echo' effect and have a more 'thickening' effect.
BPM= beats per minute; smaller numbers are slower delays
MS= milliseconds (between each beat); smaller number are faster delays
MS= BPM/60000
BPM= MS*60000
BPM is used for matching the delay to the tempo of the song (or a fraction of the tempo),
esp when using a repeating delay mode. Think of U2's guitar sounds.
MS is used for shorter delays that eliminate the 'echo' effect and have a more 'thickening' effect.
