Time stretching has been a hugely popular tool for decades, from the early jungle hits in the 90s to more modern slowed & reverb remixes you find everywhere on YouTube. It can either be used to match the speed of different samples, or as a creative effect to transform the vibe of an existing song.

So today we’ll focus on this versatile tool, and how you can create it using the most common DAWs.

What is Time Stretching?

Time stretching is a technique that changes the speed of an audio file without altering its pitch. You can slow down a vocal track to create a more dramatic effect or speed up an instrumental section to match a faster tempo.

Early experiments with time stretching started in the 1990s, with jungle and drum and bass producers using the technique to adjust the speed of samples that are at a different tempo.

Often, this resulted in a change in pitch and speed simultaneously; with analog techniques, changing playback speed inevitably resulted in altering the pitch too. But modern digital tools allow producers to use time stretching while keeping the same pitch.

Today, DAWs come with technology like sinusoidal spectral modeling and artificial neural network processing, which are designed to provide high-quality audio and preserve its integrity.

This technique also has applications outside of music. For instance, in speech and signal processing, time stretching can be used to slow down recordings for analysis without distorting the speaker’s voice.

The Difference Between Time Stretching and Pitch Shifting

Their names say it all: time stretching is about duration, while pitch shifting is about altering musical pitch. In other words, time stretching changes the duration of audio without changing its pitch, whereas pitch shifting adjusts the pitch without affecting the playback speed.

If you want to transpose a vocal sample an octave higher while keeping the original timing, you’d apply pitch shifting. On the other hand, if you need to sync two pre-recorded clips with different tempos, time stretching is your best option.

Time stretching is a powerful technique that affects pitch and speed in different ways. While time stretching allows you to change the duration of an audio source without changing its pitch, there are situations when you might want to adjust both. Which is why these two processes, time stretching and pitch shifting, are often combined.

Nowadays, plenty of AI tools and complex algorithms like flex time and pitch scaling allow you to perform both operations simultaneously, and manipulate speed simultaneously by slowing down a track while maintaining its original pitch.

Some Famous Examples

Here are three very different examples of how time-stretching techniques have been used by producers and sound designers.

Fatboy Slim - Rockafeller Skank

This track, and the entire 1998 album You've Come a Long Way, Baby, was both ahead of its time and the embodiment of the experimental spirit of the late 1990s.

The middle section of Rockafeller Skank is a celebration of what time stretching can do to an electronic piece: at 1:50, the track gradually starts coming to a halt, adding suspense and disorientation before a triumphant finale.

The result is galvanizing, a buildup unlike anything that’s been heard in mainstream music before, and rarely since.

The Batmobile Start-Up Sound in The Batman

In 2022's The Batman, the terrifying sound of the Batmobile was created using a time-stretching tool called Paul Stretch.

If you’re into ambient soundscapes, I’m sure you’ve heard of and used this tool countless times: it’s a free software designed for extreme time stretching without changing the pitch, bringing to life unique soundscapes.

The movie’s sound designer Will Files used a one-second recording of a bottle rocket, stretched it using Paul Stretch, and then carefully layered the sound with a powerful engine sound.

That’s how this unique sound came to be. If you had the chance to watch this movie in the theatre, I'm sure the entrance of the Batmobile was an unforgettable moment: the sound’s buildup, combined with the dark atmosphere, was a powerful cinematic experience I’ll never forget.

Aaliyah - One In A Million (slowed & reverb)

You can find countless examples on YouTube, but one of my favorite slowed + reverb tracks is this remix of Aaliyah’s 1996 hit One In A Million.

This immersive piece, and the slowed + reverb genre as a whole, perfectly shows how a simple time-stretching technique can create entirely new listening experiences.

Extra: how to create a slowed & reverb track

If you’re interested in creating your own slowed & reverb track, here are a couple of easy steps:

1. Slow Down the Tempo: Open your DAW and find the tempo control. Reduce the BPM to slow the track the way you want it to sound.

2. Add Reverb: Apply a reverb effect to the master track. Increase the depth and tweak the wet/dry mix until you create a lush and atmospheric piece.

And that’s it! The hard part is to create the perfect vibe by matching the reverb and the track’s speed. Choose a suitable track, and keep trying until you create your unique reinterpretation of the piece.

How to Time Stretch on Your DAW

Most DAWs come with built-in tools that make time stretching super easy. Whether you're using Logic Pro, Ableton Live, or any other audio workstation, the steps are generally similar, so you should be able to follow along regardless of your DAW of choice.

To get started, activate the time-stretch feature in your DAW. In Logic Pro, you can do this by selecting the audio region and clicking on the Flex Time icon. If you're using Ableton Live, just select the clip and turn on Warp Mode.

This will allow you to adjust the timing of your audio more easily. Once the time-stretching is activated, you can change the length of the audio clip by clicking and dragging the edges to stretch or compress it as needed.

I’d recommend you use the grid snapping view during this process, to make sure the clip matches your project's tempo and that you keep the rhythm consistent.

Most DAWs come with different stretching options, so try them all out to find the best fit for your audio. Apply some effects to make the stretched audio blend with the rest of the mix. In my experience, a touch of reverb and delay can do wonders.

While you're working, it's important to make sure there aren't any unwanted sounds or distortions, especially when you're stretching or compressing by uneven amounts.

Needless to say, the original audio sample should be of the highest possible quality, so that even by stretching the sound to the extreme, you won't create unwanted artifacts.

Once all the elements of your mix, stretched and un-stretched, are perfectly matched in terms of tempo and sound, export everything. And you’re done!

Best DAWs for Time-Stretching Audio

When I started making music, Ableton was known as the best DAW for time stretching, hands down. Now things are a bit different, and as far as I'm concerned, you can create great time-stretching effects with any professional DAW out there.

Here’s my experience with some of the most common workstations.

Ableton Live is still a top choice because it allows you to combine time stretching and pitch shifting, which many producers do. Plus, the Warp mode makes the whole time-stretching process a walk in the park.

Logic Pro comes with the Flex Time and Flex Pitch controls that are specifically designed for time and pitch adjustments. They're easy to use and sound excellent.

Pro Tools can do anything, including time-stretching. It might not be the most intuitive DAW, but its time-stretching algorithms are exceptional.

FL Studio is user-friendly and started as a DAW for EDM producers. As such, it comes packed with tools that make stretching and pitch scaling as simple as it can be.

Finally, Studio One. My opinion might be biased (I've been using it for years), but this DAW offers fantastic time stretch algorithms and plugins, with an easy-to-use interface that makes the whole process simple and enjoyable.

As I said, all DAWs can be great. It’s just a matter of fully exploring their potential.

Final Thoughts

I hope this article helped clarify how you can use time-stretching techniques to create unforgettable tunes. From ambient to hip-hop producers, sound designers and DJs, time-stretching tools can help anyone expand their sonic palette and achieve new immersive sounds.

Most likely, you already have everything you need to start exploring this technique. Whichever DAW you're using is good enough to get started, and the built-in plugins most workstations come with will provide you with the right tools to shape your sound. So go ahead and give it a try!