Cubase tempo basics; how to set and change tempo of projects, loops, etc.

In this video I dive into the basics of the tempo settings in Cubase as they are fundamental to some of the more advanced features. I do this by looking at an example project with various track types and how they react to the various tempo settings in Cubase 11 Pro. As part of this I demonstrate how to set and change the tempo of projects, loops and more.
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Table of Contents:
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00:00 Intro
00:28 Overview
00:56 Cubase example project
02:13 BPM basics
03:13 Cubase metronome
03:51 Project tempo modes
04:24 Access to tempo changes
04:54 Track types and tempo changes
05:32 Track time base
07:15 Tempo track editing
08:53 Recording tempo changes
09:26 Process tempo dialog
10:01 Find correct tempo
11:31 Fix that bass!!
14:03 Outro
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Relevant Links:
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Cubase tempo anomaly - forums.steinberg.net/t/questi...
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Gear Used to Make This Video:
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Camera (paid link) - geni.us/fenwfH
Microphone (paid link) - geni.us/L6VJ
Activator (paid link) - geni.us/QV0btW
Mic Arm (paid link) - geni.us/GYyfD2c
Lighting (paid link) - geni.us/3FDnMM
Video editor (paid link) - geni.us/chWtEAl
Display calibration (paid link) - geni.us/TwAqR
Mouse (paid link) - geni.us/dwGar6
Keyboard (paid link) - geni.us/wQoYAm
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Other Studio Gear:
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DAW software (paid link) - geni.us/CjRlex
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AD/DA Converter (paid link) - geni.us/C7MzC
Analog Compressor 1 (paid link) - geni.us/zxBq7
Analog Compressor 2 (paid link) - geni.us/ioKNN
Analog EQ (paid link) - geni.us/vaYDP
Vocal Microphone (paid link) - geni.us/M8AMSJ
Speaker calibration (paid link USD) - bit.ly/3mi5kjo
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Reverb plugin (paid link) - geni.us/V2k6h
Complete Current Gear list - kit.co/LanewoodStudios/home-s...
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#homerecording #cubase #tempotrack

[@delsurmusic]

Finally I found a video that explains tempo in Cubase easy to understand!. Little by little you are becoming my main source for how to in Cubase related tutorials!. Thank you very much!.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Good to hear and you’re welcome!

[@harryvanlamoen8195]

great tutorial. I paused cubase for two years to concentrate on Davinci Resolve, now back to Cubase 12 and I realise how much I forgot. Your videos put nme back on track quickly. and...love your gear links!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Great to hear and thanks for the support. Have fun with Cubase!

[@PeterBatah]

As always your presentation is clear and precise. Much appreciated

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks a lot 😁.

[@deldridg]

What an intro! We took our family to Grindelwald back in 2019 - such a beautiful part of the world. I'm loving your tutorials - clearly you are a very musical man and your teaching ability is superb. Many thanks for all the time and effort you put into producing such a wonderful resource for so many of us. Cheers from Sydney - Dave

[@LanewoodStudios]

Yes Grindelwald is very very beautiful, and thanks for watching my tutorials. It's a lot of work indeed ;), so enjoy!

[@danserogermusic104]

Awesome presentation! Thanks to you, the musical mode settings & their links to tempo is now almost 100% clearer. Before watching your video, I was puzzled by the two levels of the musical mode setting (one for the track and another one for the actual audio clips, etc). I'm so grateful to you for decluttering these confusing concepts!

[@LanewoodStudios]

You are welcome!

[@frankheckel3382]

Absolutely excellent! Thank you so much for all the effort you put in creating your wonderful videos! HIGHLY appreciated!

[@LanewoodStudios]

You are welcome 😁.

[@KenMyrheim]

I knew *some* of this already, but it's a great overview of how deep the tempo manipulation can go in Cubase. Thanks!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Yes that was the idea! And there is more to come. Thanks for watching!

[@budmaynard5952]

Thanks. I really like your videos. They are properly paced and you describe things accurately and technically correct, but in a way that's easy to understand quickly. Well done!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Glad you like them!

[@vantasties]

Very good instructional video! Among the best I've ever seen. Thank you very much.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Wow thank you!

[@chrst7635]

all your tutorials are well informative, Good work ! Thank you so much 👍

[@LanewoodStudios]

Glad you like them!

[@Dettol68]

Very, very good! Great Production, great instruction, superb content, great voice - thank you

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thank you very much. Glad you liked the video 😁.

[@rasolzamini8678]

It's a great overview , thx

[@LanewoodStudios]

Excellent! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@bjazz68]

Great! Thank you very much.

[@LanewoodStudios]

You are welcome!

[@sbarnefy]

Thanks! You are doing a great work

[@LanewoodStudios]

🙏👍

[@sapinit4322]

Super useful , thanks

[@LanewoodStudios]

Great!

[@Jazzmaster58]

Greuzi. I used to know the correct spelling "uf schwizer dütsch" greuzi 40 years ago. The place you showed reminds me of Zermatt and the Matterhorn where I've spent a month playing in a dancing club.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Hi, yes it's a stunning place, and in fact Switzerland as whole is really beautiful. We were in Zermatt the year before that on a very clear day, and were very lucky to see the Matterhorn in its full glory without any clouds.

[@awaregomusic]

Thanks!

[@LanewoodStudios]

👍👊

[@dzemoredzeposki8867]

very helpful...thank you

[@LanewoodStudios]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dzemoredzeposki8867]

@@LanewoodStudios greetings from Macedonia

[@MoXyiD]

Good content buddy I hope your channel grows!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks, I hope so too 😁😎.

[@tobatakube6273]

Nice one

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks!

[@alexissongsforyou]

Thank you once again for another great vid! Can I ask for a suggestion please for how to change the tempo track when my audio files have varying tempo within the file? The value for "Tempo" in the pool is incorrect since there is no single tempo, and I wonder if that's why Cubase seems to give me odd results! :) Thank you! Signed, Happily Subscribed! 😀

[@project1265ffo]

Great

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks!

[@wsimpson53]

Gtreat content, thanks! Any way to use a MIDI controller like a slider to make those tempo changes (iinstead of mouse) when recording the tempo in the tempo track editor?

[@syifahasyim1522]

thanks for the video.. please make an example, we use random .wav drum tracks and do basic setup bpm and make find metronome beat match.. please. thankyou so much

[@LanewoodStudios]

Yes similar to what you asked under the other video right? It's on the list!

[@syifahasyim1522]

@@LanewoodStudios ill subcribe 😁

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@syifahasyim1522 thanks!

[@sambana88]

I want to simply drag the track to its ideal location like in cubase 9.5 but in cubase 13 I can't do that. Why is this happening? All I want to do is drag it to thr exact spot. Not use some tool. I keep changing the time code feature or whatever it is but it doesn't work.

[@robo_music]

Hi! Good video.! I have a question about set tempo right. You set the base audiotrack to musicmode, does that work the same if it was a midi track? I have a midifile there base doesnt follow tempo buttom.

[@LanewoodStudios]

On a midi track you only have to set musical time base for the track. Then it should adjust and stay in sync when you change the project tempo.

[@robo_music]

@@LanewoodStudios Yes it worked! In inspector window, I just marked in "toggle timebase...." So now it is ok! Thanks!

[@PeaKock-be]

great video again! there is this one issue that i run into every now and then with cubase, regarding to tempo. sometimes whe i load in instru track in cubase, the get played sped up or slowed down. I have found that this is sometimes caused by music that was made in FL, where the producer checked a box at rendering stage, that says something in the style of "save tempo in file", but I have encountered the issue with instrumental coming out of other DAW's aswell. and this most of the time is a pain in the ass resolving. Do you have a workaround for this maybe?

[@LanewoodStudios]

Maybe you have it configured so that the audio is automatically stretched to the tempo in the file? You can check which tempo is in the audio file in the pool. That could be incorrect.

[@B_stu]

Probably a silly question: Should guitar volume knob always be at max wether using 0 gain on interface or using "peak' method for initial setup. Of course i would adjust volume knob to suit while actually recording.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Not sure how this is related to this video, but when electric recording guitar I always turn up the guitar volume knob full whack and then use the pre-amp gain on my pre-amp to assure the correct level is recorded.

[@robyn8842]

I use Cubase Elements 11, which does not let me have more than 1 tempo in a song. But I like your version better! Which Cubase do you use?

[@LanewoodStudios]

I'm using Cubase Pro. Checkout the differences in Cubase versions over here: www.steinberg.net/cubase/compare-editions/

[@etherity]

The issue I have is that my cycle markers move every time I set a new tempo. Can't figure out a solution for it.

[@stephanecollin]

At least, a good explanation of tempo esoterism in Cubase. I understand now why I never understood these matters. It is a very good example of bad design, absolutely not intuitive. You might think there are two modes (musical and time), as intuitively indicated by the yellow knob on the track header, but no, there is another, hidden one, in the library (each file being set to musical or not, even if the yellow knob is on). And then you even have the predefined tempo set by clip. So all this is perfectly designed for poor me not to understand. Add to this that the help files are only useful for those who don't need help... So thanks alot for having enlightened me. Now three weeks practicing.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Ha ha ... yes it is not very straightforward. Happy to help, more to come so please subscribe 😉

[@delsurmusic]

Hello Lanewood, I decided to duplicate your project to follow along and I noticed when I click and drag the MIDI tack Bum intentions sample to the windows project I do not see the Musical Mode little yellow icon . It does adapt to tempoc changes but I was just wondering if you know why I do not see it exactly as in your example. Thanks, again. Luis.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Hi Luis, not sure why it is not turned on after import. Does it make a difference if you turn it on manually after import?

[@fedemezz1931]

Great video! But what about automations? I'm trying changing the bpm of a song I'm working on, but the automations of the tracks (for examples some filters automation I did on some tracks) don't follow the new tempo! Is there a way to solve that?

[@LanewoodStudios]

Hmm, I just tried it with some volume automation on one of the audio tracks in the example project I'm showing in the video. But the automation stays perfectly in sync with the audio when changing the tempo. I'm not sure why it is not working on your side.

[@fedemezz1931]

@@LanewoodStudios maybe the problem is with automation of third party plug-ins, I'm gonna try changing tempo and see if native plug-ins automation follow it, thanks!

[@danpettimusic]

I don't have all those options in my track for tempo settings. Only record, monitor, edit, and then the R/W automation. Is that because I have a more basic version of Cubase? I still can't figure out how to get a sample loop I drag in to adjust to the project's tempo

[@LanewoodStudios]

Over here you can check if your particular version is missing anything for that: www.steinberg.net/cubase/compare-editions/

[@robertjason6885]

Nice vid, but Cubase Pro 13 has hidden stuff like the time signature window. But to my question: a client sent me a ruff guitar vocal demo whose tempo varies back and forth. I’ve set the projects tempo to 100, which is closest to his first 8 bars. All I wish to do is warp his track to roughly fit my tempo, so I can recreate his chisel progression and build a midi track. What to do? Apologies for my lack of learning ability. More on that later!😏

[@LanewoodStudios]

Have a look at this one for what you're trying to do: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZfOcmlmabWZrbc I also have a playlist on tempo related functionality in Cubase which may be of interest: kzbin.info/aero/PLjQrdrOsAK_XjORv5aN311ZRBuMo45IA6

[@robertjason6885]

Worked like a charm. Happily subscribed!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks!

[@khaliducsi]

Hello there, thanks alot for those nice videos just I have question I have one audio file «old song» was been recorded at 1980s when I imported info cubace does not going with the click because the temop it variable between 100 a100.5 100.9 and 102 bpm is there any way I can fix this issue and make the tempo fixed 100 from ATo Z? thank you

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks. I think what you mean is in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZfOcmlmabWZrbc

[@khaliducsi]

thank you very much 👍🙏

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@khaliducsi you are welcome!

[@amirkahwagy7585]

How to make Tempo gradually slower or faster?

[@LanewoodStudios]

In the same way that I do tempo changes in the project. You can draw in a slope on the tempo track.

[@AingellAingell]

With PreSonus I can simply change tempo and everything midi will conform with it. Why can't I do that in Cubase. I'm missing something probably something obvious.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Works like that with midi too in Cubase.

[@domeniconitti529]

Hi! When I import in Cubase a backing track converted from KZbin, it is not in time with the project, even if I use the musical modality; Do you know why it happens?

[@LanewoodStudios]

Is it an audio file or a video file?

[@domeniconitti529]

@@LanewoodStudios no no. It is for example a bass and drums backing track just to improvise on with guitar or even original tunes converted in MP3 from KZbin that I use as reference track.

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@domeniconitti529 I think you might be missing the setting that I'm doing in the last part of my video, like I show for the bass track. You have to set musical mode and original tempo on the audio clip in the pool as well. Obviously if the tempo is not consistent in your file or project it will not stay in time either. But Cubase does have automatic tempo matching which I'll tackle in another video.

[@CCMusicproducti0N]

How to set time signature freely on any spot I want? I'm working on video to produce music. So there is a tempo change. For example the tempo is 100 at the begginning. And then the tempo changes to 86 somewhere but not on the grid. Not the quarter note or anything that syncs with the previus tempo. But I want to set the beginning of the next bar right at the spot with the new tempo but Cubase doesn't let me to do that. I'm able to do that in Ableton and Studio One but where I started to work as a media music composer I'm using Cubase 12 pro. I couldn't figure out that.

[@LanewoodStudios]

You should be able to do that with a combination of tempo changes and time signature track. You can make a tempo map that will assure that key points are on the grid, and then you can change your time signature on those key points

[@agallo121]

Never shown how to enable or disable music mode or any while explaining, just flew right over everything

[@LanewoodStudios]

You mean it went to fast for you?

[@agallo121]

Um.. no. I seen where you enabled it in the audio pool. How about midi? It use to be in the project menue.

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@agallo121 you just set the track time base like I show around 5:32. Or is that not what you meant?

[@serkandemirhanofficial]

- Please subscribe to the channel - Yeaahhh welllll....... more about that later. 👎👎

[@LanewoodStudios]

It’s your choice of course.

[@albertmoore7587]

Your video are very confusing and not clear, could you please simplfiy your content?

[@LanewoodStudios]

Sorry that you feel this way. This is my way of structuring these things in my own head which seems to work for a lot of other people as well, but I’m sure it’s not for everybody. It usually helps checking out some more videos about the subject to look at it from different angles.