Set tempo and time signature

Tempo and time signature live on global lanes on the timeline, the same rows as key and markers. To change tempo, add a point on the tempo lane and drag it anywhere from 20 to 300 BPM; the curve between points is editable, so a change can be instant at a bar or ramp gradually across a section. To change meter, place a labeled time signature block at any bar.

Change the tempo

1. Add a tempo point on the tempo lane, at the bar where the change should happen.
2. Drag the point to the BPM you want. The lane covers 20 to 300 BPM.
3. For a gradual change, edit the curve between two points. Ritardandos and ramps are drawn as one curve, not faked with stacked steps.

Tempo is a curve on the timeline, not a single project number. That’s what makes a mid-song ramp an ordinary edit rather than a workaround. The same lane holds both kinds of change (instant at a bar, gradual across a section), so the song’s whole tempo story lives in one visible place. Clips set to follow tempo respond to the new map, even mid-clip.

Change the time signature

1. Place a time signature block at the bar where the new meter starts.
2. Pick the signature. The picker covers 13 common signatures.

The ruler follows the map: a 3/4 section draws its bar lines closer together than a 4/4 section at the same zoom, so the grid always tells the truth about the meter you’re in.

Everything reads the same map

Plugins receive the tempo and time signature at every position, so tempo-synced delays, arpeggiators, and ARA editors all follow the song, including mid-song changes. A delay synced to the beat stays synced through a ritardando, because it’s reading the same map the ruler draws.