Matching MIDI to Audio Using Tempo Detection | Cubase Q&A with Greg Ondo

This music production tutorial shows you how to match MIDI to audio in the Cubase DAW. Using tempo detection, Greg Ondo shows you how to quickly and easily match a MIDI beat to imported audio samples.
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[@MarkRigler]

Even if your not syncing midi with live audio it's a great way of having your echoes in time with the track

[@DonelKatshingu]

You are a genius yet he didn't even talk about it

[@MarkRigler]

@@DonelKatshingu Thank you

[@tonynoscope5889]

Thank you so much!!! This will save me tones hours!!

[@javierpenya]

Nice and easy. Great, many thanks Greg.

[@DonelKatshingu]

Thank you very much I will try it now

[@gavmc]

This is a great tip! Thanks Greg.

[@Sasuke99767]

Thanks for the helpful content! I'd like to see more stuff like this!

[@gregondo376]

We are trying to release a new video every week like this.

[@jason.martin]

@@gregondo376 This is great ! do you have a tutorial on matching 2 multi track drum kits with each other, example is that one kit is recorded without cymbals then next is recorded with cymbals but just triggers for kick and snare (e kit part). essentially muting the e kit kick and snare so we have great mixing control over the real elements

[@brucephares3797]

Awesome!! 😊

[@Griuofficial]

Thanks for the video

[@yaelamen9728]

Perfectoooo 👊🏻

[@micwarren21]

Do you keep the midi channel locked? What if the audio track is a mix and your adding multiple midi tracks to sweeten. Learnt a lot from this video. Thanks.

[@JonPattersonMusic]

If I import a midi groove from superior drummer and align it with the downbeat will it follow the tempo track and align with the grid?

[@DonelKatshingu]

Of course

[@jason.martin]

This is great ! do you have a tutorial on matching 2 multi track drum kits with each other, example is that one kit is recorded without cymbals then next is recorded with cymbals but just triggers for kick and snare (e kit part). essentially muting the e kit kick and snare so we have great mixing control over the real elements

[@DavidSchPT]

@gregondo376 Thank you, Greg. I hope you can help me. I have Cubase 12 on Windows, and I literally do not see a "Tempo Detection" command on the Project menu. ... Markers | Beat Calculator... Tempo Track Chord Pads Chord Track .....

[@user-hg4vp5dq2j]

Is it possible to export that tempo map (beat times) in some way? (I'm a game developer, and need to sync game events to the beats in the audio track.) Also, is this Tempo Detection feature available in Cubase Elements? (I looked at the comparison chart, but couldn't find this.)

[@lesliemakin]

Is this Cubase Pro only ? Can this be done in Artist ?

[@machineagevoodoo2106]

Nice video! Having done this many times, I don't remember having had to lock and unlock any midi events, what does that do?

[@gregondo376]

If you have existing MIDI data on the grid before the tempo detection is done it gets shifted as the tempo info is created from the tempo detection. It is then really hard to get it back on the grid. Locking the MIDI tracks before prevents this from happening. It is the one step that people often miss. MIDI data created after the tempo tracks is not affected.

[@dankenton]

@@gregondo376 I wondered the same thing - thanks for clarifying this Greg

[@Sasuke99767]

Hi Greg! How to change the tempo of a sample or how to fit the sample to the track BPM?

[@simoncrocket2040]

Beat Detector - See his reply to mine above :)

[@Sasuke99767]

@@simoncrocket2040 when I make drums I put them into more sampler tracks. how to put multiple sampler tracks into one sampler track?

[@simoncrocket2040]

Great info ! What is the difference between this and “Beat Calculator”

[@gregondo376]

The Beat Calculator is really intended for finding the tempo of a loop. You could use beat detective for every beat or bar and manually enter the tempo into the tempo track. This process is much faster.

[@ErixSamson]

What's the impact of locking the Groove Agent track, and then unlocking it at the end?

[@gregondo376]

If the MIDI track is not locked the events get shifted during the tempo detection process and will no longer have any connection to the grid.

[@ErixSamson]

@@gregondo376 Thanks Greg. I'll need to better understand that locking feature.

[@PeterStedtMusikproduktion]

Just wonder why the metronome click in the lower menu moves from 160 to 180 when you plays thru the song but at the same time the sound of the tempo feels like its on the beats? The problem I have got when changing the tempo in a wav file from 133 to 118 is that the Count in and the metronome click is not following the actual beat. How do I solve that? All the best Greg, your tutorials is always a real timesaver!

[@gregondo376]

Many real songs will fluctuate tempos more than expected when examined in more detail.

[@anonymous_friend]

I noticed a setting under metronome setup called Count In - Time signature at project position. Might help?

[@anonymous_friend]

Please help. Say I've programmed a track on my external midi sequencer, and its running at 120 bpm. Over midi, how can I make Cubase auto detect the bpm, set the project tempo accordingly, and lock the grid to my sequencer when I hit record, so everything is on time in the DAW ? Thanks!

[@gregondo376]

Send MIDI clock from Cubase to your external sequencer and set the external sequencer to chase MIDI clock.

[@dementisband]

I am unable to copy midi hits in the piano roll, say Kick and duplicate it for another hit, say HH. The copy paste function creates extra notes of the same drum part either layerd or extends it which is not what I want. Help. In reaper it's a simple highlight , hold Ctrl and drag to create double

[@gregondo376]

If in the same event try dragging the events while holding alt?option and drag it vertically then press and hold control?command before releasing the mouse to constrain the direction of the move. If you are copying to a different use the paste at origin command alt?option+V.

[@RudalPL]

Hi Greg. Is there a way to do something like this but to audio track? Meaning, align audio track to MIDI grid?

[@gregondo376]

After doing the tempo detection on the audio file, select the event and go to Audio - Advanced - Set Definition From tempo. The audio file with tempo changes will now follow the project tempo. There are earlier videos in the series that show this.

[@RudalPL]

@@gregondo376 Thank you ☺

[@JaffaRoad]

please post a link to that tutorial - I just tried this but when I set to fixed tempo click and track dont line up - so I must be missing a step ? @@gregondo376

[@sagarkhadka4536]

This is some scary stuff.. I like my tempo steady

[@vasostach666]

no such feature in cubase elements

[@YungstarProd]

Gotta upgrade!