[6.73] Reaper does not recognize metadata in imported audio

rekkandevar · 02-01-2023, 01:41 PM

I have several MP3 files that I want to import and I want them to all snap to the project BPM. I went through the trouble of manually finding the BPM and applying it to the files in the media explorer. I even remembered to manually write the metadata to the files. I closed and reopened Reaper and then tried to import them and none of them were fit to the tempo. It does not recognize the tempo no matter what I do.

Things I have tried: putting the tempo in both the metadata and the filename; switching between "automatically adjust media" and "prompt to adjust media;" importing from the file browser and from the media explorer; changing the "offset" parameter on the file to see if any other metadata is considered; and switching the timebase of the track I'm importing onto. I know for sure that Reaper is capable of reading the metadata because it appears in the source properties popup and because I tried converting one of the items and keeping the metadata, which it did.

I am running Pop OS 22.04 (Linux) on the native version of Reaper.

schwa · 02-01-2023, 02:24 PM

Testing with an mp3 with embedded tempo, I get a prompt to use the embedded tempo on import unless any of these are true:

- project timebase is set to time

- importing from media explorer and media explorer tempo match is disabled

- preferences/media/import/media with tempo information behavior is set to "do nothing"

rekkandevar · 06-26-2023, 08:40 AM

I can't figure out how to check or change whether or not media explorer tempo match is enabled.

rekkandevar · 06-26-2023, 09:49 AM

I figured it out but it is still misbehaving. It's clear to me that "media explorer tempo match" does not care about the metadata or suggested BPM of the file, but instead simply stretches or squishes it to be a nice round number of bars/beats; as a result, in importing a 100-BPM file into a 120-BPM project, it actually slows the whole thing down slightly to make it exactly 64 bars long. This isn't a useful tool to me as I still can't make it simply read the metadata.

schwa · 06-26-2023, 09:50 AM

If there is tempo metadata, it should be respected when inserting with tempo match enabled. Would you care to share one of the files you are trying to tempo-match?

rekkandevar · 06-26-2023, 10:01 AM

Upon further research:

Quote:

Originally Posted by schwa

"Suggested" generally means information that could just as easily have been added later, like an ID3 TBPM tag, or a file name like "120 bpm loop". Metadata like this may also be ignored if the file length does not work out to some reasonable-looking number of beats given the suggested tempo. For example if the file name is "120 bpm loop" but the file length would be some random fractional number of beats at 120bpm, the 120bpm suggestion will be ignored.

And yes indeed, the files I'm trying to import end in a partial beat of reverb.

schwa · 06-26-2023, 10:09 AM

Ah, well, there you go. A workaround if you are rendering these files yourself is to render silence at the end so that the exported file is a round number of beats (even half beats will work I think).

rekkandevar · 06-26-2023, 10:10 AM

But there's no way to force it as reliable short of rerendering? I do mashups and the thought of having to rerender every song before I even start fills me with dread.

schwa · 06-26-2023, 10:19 AM

There's no way to force it on import, no. Once you have imported the file, you can open the item properties, and the "set" button next to the playrate allows you to type in a tempo.

It probably makes sense to remove this even-number-of-beats restriction for tempo metadata, we'll look at that.