Automatic tempo detection and correction

In this video I take a look at how you can detect the tempo in a stereo mix in Cubase Pro 11. After tempo detection I show how you can correct the tempo in the audio track and get it completely on the grid. Finally I take a look at two caveats in this Cubase functionality that are good to know about when you want to use automatic tempo detection and correction.
👍 Thanks for watching! Please like, comment, & subscribe.
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Table of Contents:
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00:00 Intro
00:10 Overview
00:40 The track to correct
01:25 Manual tempo detection
03:27 Automatic tempo detection
07:16 Tempo correction
08:56 Caveat 1
09:28 Caveat 2
11:16 Outro
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Relevant Links:
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Tempo basics video - • Cubase tempo basics; h...
Cubase thread on samplae rate problem - forums.steinberg.net/t/bug-cu...
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#homerecording #cubase #tempodetection

[@Wedontwantnowarnomore]

Thank You Maarten. Very precise and easy to follow.

[@LanewoodStudios]

That's great to hear!

[@kennethlundgren4336]

Ultra clear and informative! Keep it up!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thank you!

[@michaelnear2039]

Thank you for a clear, direct explanation!!!!

[@LanewoodStudios]

👍🙏

[@brettlambkin9757]

Wow! A clear explanation of exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Glad it was helpful!

[@maciej74174]

Searched this problem for ages and finally got it. Thank you so much.

[@LanewoodStudios]

You are welcome!

[@in2gadgets]

Once again, I have to say - the best tutorial on this subject.. Thanks!!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks ... again. Apparently great minds think alike 😉. Also make sure to check-out the Cubase 12 update video on these features!

[@29djandy]

Thank you so much for this knowledge

[@LanewoodStudios]

You are very welcome!

[@Lol_Pig]

Thank you! Very helpful.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Harrysound]

oh wow thank you so much for this. for year I'd been doing tempo detection and clicking a few buttons but now I actually get it!

[@LanewoodStudios]

That’s great to hear. Thanks for commenting!

[@FileTransferProtocol]

I’m on deadline for a project, and I needed to time correct a reference track. You saved my skin. Thanks!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Glad the video was helpful and good luck with your project!

[@stevedodd2839]

This was the perfect video for a crucial point in a project. Saved me hours! Liked and subscribed thank you.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Great to hear it was so helpful. Thanks for subscribing.

[@sarin0000]

Great video, thanks for the thorough tutorial.

[@LanewoodStudios]

My pleasure!

[@robertjason6885]

This worked perfect for my needs. Many thanks, and happily subscribed!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Glad it helped!

[@hanisiblini]

brilliant !!! thank you for this video Maarten

[@LanewoodStudios]

My pleasure!

[@joshchristian8598]

Great video ...as others have said, a headache we all deal with, and here is a concise explanation, FINALLY!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Glad it was useful 👍

[@UchihaClan93]

Thanks for the solution.

[@LanewoodStudios]

🙏👍

[@deldridg]

You now have another Ausse subscriber. Many thanks Maarten - clear, concise and exactly what I need. I accompany my daughter's singing on piano and we're about to do some recording work, so now I can add some "feel" with confidence that I can work with the tracks later, not being a Cubase guru. Most of my piano will be MIDI (RD800) and I saw from another comment that things work the same way for MIDI as they do for waves. I know how much work goes into making videos like these and your efforts are very much appreciated. Big thank you from Sydney - Dave

[@LanewoodStudios]

Great to hear Dave, and thanks for commenting. Also check out my video on Cubase 12 tempo related improvement then as the latest version of Cubase (12) has some enhancements in this department. Have fun recording yourself and your daughter!

[@NickFromNetherlands]

Quite a Process !! We just began. Place beatmarkers on the beat with Cubase or Reaper. Now we are ready to get a smpte cuelist for lights in Grandma 2 with plug in software only for Reaper. It is two way communication . Remove a marker in Reaper will remove SMPTE cue in GrandMA2.

[@andremjack]

Really cool video! I've never seen someone go into the nitty-gritty of Cubase like this, especially pointing out the bug with sample rates and even dropping a link for more info. I don't usually comment, but your video is top-notch. Big thumbs up for the great content!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Glad you enjoyed it! I have more of those so maybe subscribe 😉.

[@skiiizo]

Thank you so much for the video, it was so helpful to me.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Great 😊 thanks

[@Flooride1]

Thank you. I have now put recordings from a SMPTE striped 16 track audio reel into cubase and put a click on Cubase Pro 12 via SMPTE XR300 Synchroniser and Roland TR626 drum machine. Then used that click for tempo definition and lined it up into measures and now going to add in new midi tracks. Loving your easy to follow videos.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Sounds good!

[@RKAlapana]

It is great class to know new things from you Marten...I am a Cubase user it really helps to me

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks and great to hear!

[@ale.mascia]

Many thanks! I have exactly the same problem with a song played and recorded live with my band in far 1990... You get the input, I take my patience, and it's solved!!! Thankyou! (thumb up and subscribed! 😊)

[@LanewoodStudios]

Excellent!

[@arupsircar4855]

Awesome review Now I am soo compatible with it...👍

[@LanewoodStudios]

👍

[@musicriver4203]

Great tutorial!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks!

[@simonlawrence1234]

Thanks, I have been looking for a video to teach me this in Cubase for ages. New sub.

[@LanewoodStudios]

👍

[@dragolov]

Respect! And thank you, Maestro!

[@LanewoodStudios]

🙏

[@rafaelhernandez5550]

You made my day. Thanks

[@LanewoodStudios]

Excellent!

[@vio4jesus]

Awesome video!!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thank you!!

[@yousef7050]

Very useful , thank you

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks!

[@valimelinte1]

Thank you,very useful !!!

[@LanewoodStudios]

You are welcome, glad you like it!

[@walterwa256]

Thank You. I am going to use this to detect the tempo for a film trailer score. I will play the transition points and then use the detector to give me an average value

[@LanewoodStudios]

Great 👍

[@a.l.recordingstudio1163]

Thank you for the explanations. Indeed there are almost always manual corrections needed to fit the click to the rhythm. But hey ... the automatic tempo detection is at least a good start to do it.... :-)

[@LanewoodStudios]

Yes very true. And you're welcome again!

[@Frontier2000AnoDomin]

Great video, thanks. We often recreate backing tracks for covers but use the original artist`s vocal stems. The original tracks often have oscillating tempo either because no click track was used or because of lack of precision in the original analogue gear. We've been syncing manually but with a far messier method than this.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Great, I hope it works for you!

[@samsmall]

Thank you so much!

[@LanewoodStudios]

You are very welcome!

[@42726emu]

that helped me a lot, cheers!

[@LanewoodStudios]

That’s good to hear! Thanks for commenting.

[@DMSbhakti]

Thanks🙏. Mahesh gupta from India🇮🇳

[@LanewoodStudios]

You are welcome 🙏

[@roszgyurka]

THX! it is very useful!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Great 👍

[@GalantGoStudio]

Thank you Marten for your great videos Quick tip: You can remove warp marker quickly by open the Tempo window "Ctrl+T" then select all the tempo points .... press delete.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Good idea, thanks for the tip!

[@EvansAudio]

Great Sir Thanks😍

[@LanewoodStudios]

You are welcome!

[@cutebabymahika4008]

Great sir

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thank you!

[@PeterBatah]

Another great tutorial Maarten. Thank you for not sugar coating the fact that CB has yet to address the detection bug issue. Looking forward to your upcoming presentations. Have a safe and wonderful day / weekend! Peter

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks Peter and the same to you, have a nice weekend!

[@tomghzel]

Hey thanks fellow Dutchman!

[@LanewoodStudios]

You are welcome, graag gedaan 😉.

[@MarcoPolux]

EXCELLENT, this is what I was searching for, I´ve been using this for long, but THE CAVEAT2, darn! I couldn´t grasp it until you said it is an nasty wating our time Bug. 👍 👍 👍 (the song sounds cool, even only listening to some seconds, you are the singer, right?)

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thank you 🙏. I’m not the singer of our band, I am the guitar player. Check us out on Spotify with the link in the description 😁.

[@MrBeen992]

The best tutorial

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thank you!

[@astariosmedia]

Thank you

[@LanewoodStudios]

You are welcome!

[@ErixSamson]

super useful

[@LanewoodStudios]

Good to know! 🙏

[@mikemccormick1624]

Best video and tutorial on Cubase tempo detection I have seen. Thanks for explaining this so thoroughly. It has helped me immensely! (Any word on if the 48K bug is fixed in Cubase 12?? :-) )

[@LanewoodStudios]

Wow thanks. The bug still seems to be there unfortunately.

[@advarkmerrygoround1425]

Love the show Sir, really useful insights. Just to let you know that. Cubase 13 is scheduled for October. I only know this due to my enquiries about my Cubase 9 not working after my hardware update to Intel 12900k (can't even record live music !!!!). According to Nils Reumuth (Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH) , if I purchased Cubase 12 now, I would be able to get Cubase 13 for free.............:-)) So current

[@LanewoodStudios]

Great. Excellent Intel!

[@gffWillie]

Excellent! Bookmarked as I will forget the detail. 👴

[@LanewoodStudios]

Good idea 👍

[@onceuponascale]

I had no idea we could do that(adapt markers to tempo in audio). Thanks. Will use that at some point for sure in some prod. Peter Lazer

[@LanewoodStudios]

Excellent!

[@serkandemirhanofficial]

Thanks.

[@LanewoodStudios]

You are welcome!

[@mrt3870]

I had some success with legato percussion-free tracks by tapping a "click track" in real time into a drum Instrument track by ear, tweaking it then using that as the basis for tempo detection.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Yes good idea 👍

[@TheSoundbar]

Hey thx a lot !

[@LanewoodStudios]

👍

[@pettiee]

Thanks

[@LanewoodStudios]

🙏😎

[@NickFromNetherlands]

Great video. Reaper 6 have no Auto tempo detection. So I use Cubase and export to tempo map smt file . Use Script to get the map in Reaper. And for the drum track I use Unmix Stems in VST3 Spectralayer 9 and render in Reaper

[@LanewoodStudios]

Wow, that’s quite a process!

[@ghuinink]

Very informative video !! tnx btw, Do you know a way how to do this for MIDI? Lets say that you receive a Piano MIDI file which is played freely with a lot of rubato. Is there a way to drag the 1 and 3 bar-lines to specific notes to create a form of a tempo map, or is there another way of getting this Piano into a tight grid?

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks! I'm not a big midi user myself but I believe you can just use the same tools. This video contains an example with midi: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3vanK2gYrVqjJY

[@ghuinink]

@@LanewoodStudios TNX, great suggestion. this helps a lot

[@deldridg]

@@ghuinink Yes - it helps me too. Big thanks from Sydney, Dave

[@alanalvarado6405]

Logic Pro PERFECTLY does this in less than 1 second, regretably I have multiple copies of Cubase.

[@LanewoodStudios]

👍

[@MrJonsong]

Great video - I have a project that is midi based and quantized to 103bpm. Is there a way in sync an audio guitar track to that project? The guitar track is close in tempo but variable. I have tried multiple ways but no luck

[@LanewoodStudios]

Maybe just sync it to tempo 103 in a separate project, export it and then import it into your midi project?

[@lebinolivier6548]

Super tutorial : the best tutorial on the subject. it's been a while I could not manage all that subject and now it is cristal clear; Thank You very much. Just a little question : if I want to stay in variable tempo, to follow the subtille tempo changes of a song, would it be possible to adjust the "overall tempo" of the project ? (without renderinga new audio track)For example to practice a song at lower tempo ?

[@LanewoodStudios]

Glad it was helpful!. I'm not sure I understand completely what you mean Once you have a tempo map in the project you can freely stretch the audio by varying the tempo. The audio will follow the tempo without changing the pitch. I also have another video about that which demonstrates a similar thing towards the end of the video, without doing any corrections: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2m7ZGuVrLh9f6s

[@mrt3870]

You could adjust the MIDI tempo points in the tempo map by selecting them all and dragging them down a bit. You could also use [Process Tempo] in the Tempo Editor by increasing the New End position. All tempo map points would decrease according to the "Equivalent Tempo Scaling" displayed. Note though that the slowing process would affect only MIDI-based tracks. Unless any audio present could be back-synchronised to the changed tempo map by changing audio track(s) to Musical Mode? Over to Lanewood Studios.

[@honved1]

I’ve done this by exporting the song or project (complete with tempo variations/mapping) as an mp3 (smaller file) And then importing it into another Cubase project and setting it to musical mode/define by tempo. I can then slow the song down without changing the pitch and the subtle variations in tempo are preserved.

[@Barncore]

I just bought Cubase 12 and this is super useful and well communicated, thank you!! What about this scenario: Say you have a recording of a live band (that didn't play to a metronome) divided into 4 stems (vocals, bass, drums, keys), if i want to warp them all to the same tempo simaltaenously, how would i do that? Do i tempo detect the drums ONLY and then "set definition from tempo" for all 4 files to the tempo that the drum registered? Or do i need to tempo detect every individual part and THEN hit "Set definition from tempo"? Or some other way? (in this example the band is reasonably in time, no major repairs needed. The purpose is to set a tempo in order to be able to overdub additional instruments over the top of the band)

[@LanewoodStudios]

Hmm, very interesting question which I've never tried myself. But what I imagine could work: Tempo detect with one track, and then select all tracks and do 'set definition from tempo'. I think that will do the trick. If that gives problems with the other tracks, what you could also try is copy/pasting the warp markers from the tempo detection track to all the other tracks before setting the tempo definition. You do this copy/paste of warp markers since Cubase 12 😀.

[@Barncore]

@@LanewoodStudios First suggestion did what i needed it to do. Thanks

[@rickwashbrook4926]

Thank you for this video It is very helpful. I am wondering after one does get in 44K sample rate the approx. beat of the song how then would one change that to midi so one can add instruments for sun and educational?

[@LanewoodStudios]

I'm not sure I understand what you mean. The video shows how you can detect the tempo and beats in an audio recording and then align the audio with the beats in Cubase. You don't have to change anything to midi. You can just record or program midi tracks and quantize them to the beats in Cubase.

[@rickwashbrook4926]

@@LanewoodStudios July 25th, Hello Lanewood Studios. Thank you so much for the reply. Yes the video tutorial you made is clear. My question is. If I take a live analogue performance for example 16 bars of a song that is slightly out of time, and proceed to do exactly what you explained detecting the tempo and aligning with the beats in Cubass. Can I then change that into midi for a backing track to explore adding midi parts for education and adding fresh idea's midi overdubs?

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@rickwashbrook4926 you can just add midi parts to the project that contains your aligned audio as well. But if you are talking about converting the audio to midi, I have a separate video about that: Converting an audio track to midi in Cubase; what are the options? kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqKYhWOFiNKkfJI

[@AlexPapadopoulosMusic]

So could this be an effective way to put drums on the grid ? Thank you for this !

[@LanewoodStudios]

Or use the methods in my other video specifically for drum tracks: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKfXZYJoeK2nbNE

[@louiegroenewald]

Can you make a video about auto tempo detection after vocals has been recorded to a two track beat so that the vocals also follow newly set tempo from auto detection after saving the tempo to project file as mentioned in this video.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks for your suggestion, I'll put it on my ideas list.

[@djerikfox]

...for some of us coming from logic x this is very complicated, just dont get it why steinberg wont make some simpler and better tempo detection tool....in logic x is literally 5 seconds work....and it does it perfectly i 99 percent of the time...great videos by the way!! regards

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thank you. I don’t know Logic so can’t compare.

[@luisgregoriojr762]

Erik you took the words out of my mouth. Just recently switched from Logic Pro to Cubase 12 and the only thing Steinberg needs to do is to have Cubase 12 do this feature as good as Logic Pro X. Man this sucks.

[@djerikfox]

@@luisgregoriojr762 ..also track stacks in logic are amazing,now pro tools have that too...😀

[@abolit]

Thank you for the video. Very helpful! What if a singer takes a pause for a couple of seconds then continues chorus. How to handle this situation in terms of adjusting tempo or maybe time signature?

[@LanewoodStudios]

I guess you can just insert one or more longer measures at a different tempo to handle that.

[@abolit]

@@LanewoodStudios Thank you! Will try.

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@abolit 👍

[@puito6024]

In Cubasis 3.6,How to set up different time signatures (3/4&4/4) in the same piece of music, and how to set up the fast and slow steps. Thank you!

[@LanewoodStudios]

I think you can only set it for the whole song in the tempo dialog. Not sure what you mean with fast/slow steps.

[@puito6024]

Set 3/4 or 5/4⋯ in the same song. The music ends with a slow-down tempo. Please answer, thank you!

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@puito6024 not sure how to do that actually.

[@onceuponascale]

That's right we slowed down too fast right at the beginning!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Indeed!

[@starsandguitars2050]

Really helpful. I need to fix the tempo on a number of mono audio tracks. Not sure how to apply this to my problem, but at least this is a tool to assist me.

[@MrBeen992]

Great tutorial. 5:00 Why cant I divide more than once in automatic detection ? I am not able to put 4 beats of the music in one bar.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Hmm, not sure about that. I guess you can delete the warp markers manually, but that’s a bit of work. But your time signature can just be set to 4/4 right? That should be independent of the warp markers that Cubase put in.

[@MrBeen992]

@@LanewoodStudios mmm, yes I can change the time signature but I have not checked the effect of it.

[@jibonanondo7680]

hello, did they resolve the bug that you showed here on CB 12?

[@LanewoodStudios]

I have not noticed any solution yet.

[@mediaoffline3254]

There is a problem with this tutorial, I fellow it step by step multiple times. Audio > Advance. The option 'Set Definition From Tempo' is grayed out for me, preventing me from selecting it. What am I doing wrong?

[@LanewoodStudios]

Not exactly sure why it is not working for you but maybe this can help: forums.steinberg.net/t/solved-unconfused-set-definition-from-tempo-confusion/47899/5

[@salinamelanie4792]

Does this work for cubase 5?

[@LanewoodStudios]

That's a very old version I no longer have installed. So unsure if some of this was already in there.

[@hoseinhosein3412]

thanks but if i want to delete that quick jump? i mean, can we delete that measure ?

[@LanewoodStudios]

Not sure what you mean. Which timestamp in the video are you referring to exactly?

[@hoseinhosein3412]

@@LanewoodStudios thanks for answering, 10:27 in video, how to delete that big jump?

[@hoseinhosein3412]

could you answer me please?@@LanewoodStudios

[@neilkendall5499]

So is the bug fixed now that Cubase 12 is out?

[@LanewoodStudios]

😂 it’s working great for me

[@nicksaya]

It also always crashes for me when I switch off warp tool.

[@LanewoodStudios]

That's annoying. Never had that myself.

[@DAUBSKI]

your file has to be 7 sec what if its 6 ?

[@LanewoodStudios]

Not sure that I understand your question. Cubase will stretch the audio in whatever direction to stay on the set tempo. Obviously if it needs to stretch a lot, you will start hearing artefacts. In your example, if you need to "make the file longer" this equates to setting a lower tempo in the project. Also check this video for a more general understanding of what you want to do (I think): kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2m7ZGuVrLh9f6s

[@AboveEmAllProduction]

The first step with the tempo track seems unnecessary.. You could setup hit markers, automatically or manually, turn them into warp markers, then quantize the audio. Done. 😊

[@LanewoodStudios]

In the first step I’m showing how you could manually setup warp markers to detect the tempo. In the next part I’m showing how to do that automatically with the tempo detection panel. So I didn’t mean it as the first step. The method you’re describing, starting with hitpoints, is actually something I’m showing in my previous video on correcting a bass track. So many ways to do thing in Cubase 😉.

[@AboveEmAllProduction]

@@LanewoodStudios yeah but you are setting up warp markers for the tempo track, not for the audio itself. You could skip setting up the tempo track entirely. Yeah cubase has many ways to do things

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@AboveEmAllProduction ah yes 👍

[@onceuponascale]

tempo detection: not avaible in ARTIST

[@LanewoodStudios]

Noted!