Excerpts from The BeatTips Manual: Choosing the Right Timing Correct Note Value Depends On the Goal of the Drum Pattern
*The following article is an excerpt from The BeatTips Manual, 7th Edition by Amir Said.
Timing correct is just that: It’s a corrective measure for your timing. So how you set your timing correct values should be determined by how good (or bad) your general sense of timing is. If your timing is excellent, that is, your drum event-strikes are comparable to the playing of a traditional drummer, meaning you strike on time, with little to no mistakes, then you really don’t even need to have the timing correct function on. But if your timing is fairly decent and you want to put in some swing, then you’re probably better off setting the timing correct note value to either the default 1/16th NOTE or perhaps even 1/32 TRPLT. (If you’re using an Akai MPC, you also want to make sure that the shuffle % is set to: 50, and set the Shift timing to: LATER.) If your timing is poor, then you almost certainly want to use the timing correct note value of 1/16th NOTE or 1/16th TRPLT.
The reason many well-known beatmakers (producers) set the timing correct to 1/16th and/or 1/16th TRPLT is not because their timing is poor, but rather their timing is so good, they know how to manipulate the corrective nuances of the timing correct function to their advantage. But when using the standard 1/16th NOTE value, you should be aware that if your timing isn’t that good, and if you’re not particularly skilled at note correction and the like, you run the risk of recording drum-pattern sequences that sound stiff, robotic, or slow-dragging with an off-beat feel. But then again, sometimes you might want that slow-dragging effect; it depends on the style and sound of beat.
Generally speaking though, I recommend setting the timing correct to either 1/32 TRPLT (especially for vintage hardware sequencers like the Akai MPC 60 II or the E-Mu SP 1200), 1/16, or 1/16TRPLT and leaving it as your default for all of your basic drum patterns. For instance, let’s say that you have an arrangement of non-drum sounds looping nicely and you’ve just added the main kick and snare to the sequence, and everything’s really starting to come together. All you need now to complete the drum pattern is the main hi-hat. Why stop the loop, change the timing correct, restart the loop, then play the hi-hat with the corrective protection? If you’ve got the loop going well and the main kick and snare are already in place, then just play the hi-hat right over the top of the existing pattern in real-time. In this way, you’re forced to trust your own timing rather than merely rely on the time correct function. I also recommend that you get accustomed to programming your event-strikes exactly how your fingers play them in the sequence, mistakes and all. This way, you’ll build up your timing strengths and neutralize your timing weaknesses.
Finally, although it may be a good idea to keep a default timing correct value for your main drum sounds and patterns, there are occasions where changing the timing correct value makes sense. For instance, depending upon the rhythmic nature of the event that you want to initiate and drum pattern that you want to achieve (especially in the area of additional syncopation like stutter hi-hat, kick, or snare patterns), choosing the most effective timing correct value is essential.
