Changing Tempo, Time Signature, and Key

A project can be played at any tempo, time signature, or key, and you can make adjustments during playback.

You can add automatic tempo and key changes using tempo, time signature, and key change markers. These markers are added above the marker bar at the top of the timeline. When the cursor passes over one of these markers, the master project tempo, time signature, and/or key will change.

If the Metronome button is selected, the metronome will follow tempo changes during playback and recording.

NOTE Notes:

  • When you use key change markers, any subsequent events that have a pitch shift specified will be shifted based on the new key.

  • When a MIDI clip's key is set on the Clip Pool tab of the MIDI Track Properties window, the project key and key change markers are applied to MIDI clips, and the MIDI event data will display notes as WYSIWYH (what you see is what you hear).

  • When a MIDI clip's key is set to None, the project key and key change markers are not applied to MIDI clips.

Adjust the project tempo Closed

Drag the Project Tempo slider:

TIP Double-click the Project Tempo label to type an exact value. The text will change to an edit box where you can specify a tempo. Press Enter when you are finished.

NOTE When you click the Project Tempo slider, a bar is displayed in each track header to represent the amount the track is being stretched to match the project tempo. The mark in the center of the bar represents the original tempo of a loop.

Change the time signature Closed

Click the Project Time Signature control and choose a signature from the menu to adjust the project's time signature.

Choose Other to display the Custom Time Signature dialog, where you specify the number of beats per measure and which note receives one beat. 

When you change the time signature, the time ruler and grid spacing are updated accordingly.

NOTE For loop clips, the software assumes that each beat is a quarter note. When you choose a time signature in which a note other than the quarter note receives one beat, you can see inconsistencies in loop lengths on the timeline. For example, a five-beat loop occupies ten beats on the timeline in 5/8 time. The same loop will occupies twenty beats in 5/16 time.

NOTE When you're working with a time signature in which a note other than the quarter note receives one beat, one-shot tracks will draw correctly on the timeline.

Change the project key Closed

Click the Project Key control and choose a key from the menu to adjust a project's key:

Each loop clip that has a specified Root note will be transposed to the key indicated by the Project Key control.

For example, if three loops that have root notes of A, B and C, and your Project Key control is set to D, the loops will be pitch shifted by 5, 3 and 2 semitones respectively

Add a key, tempo, or time signature change marker within the project Closed

  1. Position the cursor where you want to place the marker.

  2. From the Insert menu, choose Tempo/Key/Time Signature Change. The Tempo/Key/Time Signature Change dialog is displayed.

    Command

    Keyboard Shortcut

    Add key change marker

    K

    Add tempo change marker

    T

    Add time signature marker

    Shift+K

  3. Select the Key change check box and choose a new key from the drop-down list if you want to change the key of all tracks until the software encounters another key change marker.

  4. Select the Tempo change check box and enter a new tempo in the edit box if you want to change the tempo of all tracks until the software encounters another tempo change marker.

    When you add a tempo change marker, you can choose a setting from the Transition type drop-down list to indicate how Acid will interpolate tempo between markers. When you choose Hold, each tempo marker's settings are preserved until a new tempo marker is encountered (as in previous versions of Acid).

    For more information about using tempo curves, see "Use a tempo curve to change tempo between markers" in this help topic.

  5. Select the Time signature change check box and enter new Beats per measure and Beat value settings to change the time signature at the marker position. The time ruler divisions and grid spacing will be updated accordingly.

    NOTE Time signature changes must occur on the first beat of a measure. If your cursor is not on the first beat of a measure, the marker is placed at the nearest measure.

  6. Click OK.

Use a tempo curve to change tempo between markers Closed

When you add a tempo change marker to the timeline, you can choose to change tempo gradually between markers. Tempo curves are perfect for ramping tempo up or down.

  1. Add a tempo change marker to the timeline or double-click a tempo-change marker to edit an existing marker.

  2. Choose a setting from the Transition type drop-down list to indicate how Acid will interpolate tempo between markers:

    Transition Type

    Description

    Looks Like

    Hold

    No interpolation will take place. The tempo marker's settings will be maintained until the next marker.

    Linear

    Tempo changes between markers in a linear path.

    Fast

    Tempo changes between markers in a fast logarithmic path.

    Slow

    Tempo changes between markers in a slow logarithmic path.

    Smooth

    Tempo changes between markers along a smooth, natural curve.

    Sharp

    Tempo changes between markers along a sharp curve.

  3. Click OK.

TIP If you want to change the timing resolution Acid uses to interpolate tempo curves, choose a setting from the Tempo curve segmentation drop-down list on the Editing tab of the Preferences dialog.

Edit a key, tempo, or time signature change markerClosed

There are several ways to edit a key/tempo/time signature change marker:

  • Place the cursor on or after the marker, and adjust the Project Tempo slider, Project Time Signature, or Project Key control. The marker will be updated to match the control settings.

  • Position the cursor before or after the marker and right-click the marker. Choose Adjust Tempo to Match Cursor to Marker from the shortcut menu. The marker maintains its position on the beat ruler, and the tempo of the project is adjusted so the cursor matches that position.

  • Right-click a tempo/key change marker and choose Edit from the shortcut menu. The Tempo/Key/Time Signature Change dialog is displayed.

  • Double-click the text of the marker and type the value you want:

NOTE When editing a combination marker, you do not have to type all three values: for example, if the current marker value is 130,F and you want to edit only the key, you can simply type A and press Enter. The marker will change to 130,A.