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Work in the Logic Pro for Mac Smart Tempo Editor

In the Smart Tempo Editor, you can view and edit Smart Tempo analysis results, including beat markers and other tempo information. After you record an audio or MIDI region or import a file using Smart Tempo, you can refine the tempo analysis and correct any tempo detection errors to define the musical intent more accurately. When working in Adapt mode, tempo and time signature changes are transferred to the project tempo and time signature tracks.

When you open the Smart Tempo Editor, the audio file or MIDI region is displayed along with the tempo analysis results. The main display shows a close-up view of part of the file so that you can make precise edits, while the entire audio file or MIDI region is shown in the overview, with the part of the file shown in the main display outlined by a rectangle.

The Smart Tempo Editor offers two ways of working on the analyzed tempo:

  • You can add and edit hints in Hint mode to improve the tempo analysis.

  • You can edit beat markers in Beat Marker mode to correct the analysis results.

Hint mode

By default, the Smart Tempo Editor opens in Hint mode. You can view the results of the tempo analysis and add downbeat hints, beat hints, and time signature hints, then apply the changes to improve the analysis results. Downbeat hints are used to determine the precise position of downbeats. Beat hints are used to determine the position of beats that aren’t downbeats. You can also add time signature hints to downbeat hints. Time signature hints can improve the analysis when the time signature isn’t detected correctly, and are especially important if the file contains time signature changes. You can move hints after they are added, and can delete them so they no longer affect the Smart Tempo analysis.

You can add hints by playing the file or a selection and tapping the D and T keys on your computer keyboard to indicate downbeat hints (D) and beat hints (T), or by adding and editing hints in the main display. Clicking in the upper third of the main display adds a downbeat hint, and clicking in the lower third adds a beat hint. When you tap in a selection, only the downbeat hints or beat hints in the selected area are changed.

Beat Marker mode

When the Smart Tempo Editor is in Beat Marker mode, you can view the tempo analysis results with the detected beats appearing as editable beat markers. Beat markers for downbeats are more prominent than for other beats. In Beat Marker mode, you can make simple edits to single beats, and make more complex edits to the tempo information for a selection, or the entire file or region. You can move, shift, or scale beat markers from the tempo results directly, without requiring a new analysis to take effect.

The tempo analysis, and any edits you make in the Smart Tempo Editor, are stored in the audio file, so you can still access them if you copy the file or use it in another project. For MIDI regions, the analysis and edits are stored with the project.

You can view any of the audio files in a Smart Tempo multitrack set, including the downmix, in the Smart Tempo Editor. Edits to the Smart Tempo analysis results of the downmix are applied to all audio files in the multitrack set.

Figure. Smart Tempo Editor with audio file and downbeat hints.

The Smart Tempo Editor includes the following controls and working areas:

  • Edit menu: Choose tempo actions including adapting the project tempo to a region, maintaining the relative position of all regions, reanalyzing the file or region, and removing tempo edits made to the file. When an audio file used in a Smart Tempo multitrack set is selected, you can also open the Smart Tempo Multitrack window.

  • View menu: Choose view options, including scroll in play and showing an overlay of the tempo curve. When an audio file used in a Smart Tempo multitrack set is selected, you can also choose to view the downmix waveform.

  • Hint Mode button: When selected, the Smart Tempo Editor is in Hint mode, so that you can quickly add and edit downbeat hints, beat hints, and time signature hints in the main display. When deselected, the Smart Tempo Editor is in Beat Marker mode, where you can edit beat markers in the main display.

  • Catch button: Turn on Catch mode, so that the visible part of the display follows the playhead during playback.

  • Filename display: Shows the name of the file or region displayed in the Smart Tempo Editor. When an audio file that is part of a Smart Tempo multitrack set is selected, the Filename display becomes a pop-up menu where you can select any file used in the set, including the downmix file.

  • Apply Changes button: Perform a new tempo analysis of the file or region or of the current selection, incorporating hints and other changes made since the last analysis. The button is available only when Apply Changes Automatically in the Edit menu is deselected. See Apply changes manually to update the tempo analysis.

  • Bar and Beat display: Shows the current playhead position in bars and beats.

  • Tempo display: Shows the detected file tempo; if multiple tempos are detected, shows as Variable. In Beat Marker mode, you can select the tempo and enter a new file tempo.

  • Double Tempo and Half Tempo buttons: Doubles or halves the tempo of the audio file or of the current selection. In Hint mode a tempo range will be used that contains downbeat hints and beat hints.

  • Signature display: Shows the detected time signature at the playhead position. You can click the display and choose a new time signature from the pop-up menu. In Hint mode, this adds a general time signature hint for the file. In Beat Marker mode, this sets the time signature for the complete file, removing any signature changes.

  • Tempo pop-up menu: Shows whether the file has a constant or variable tempo. By choosing the alternative option, you can trigger a new analysis of the audio file.

  • Is a Loop button: When you drag an audio file to the Tracks area, Logic Pro automatically analyzes the tempo. If the audio is determined to be a loop, it is assigned a downbeat and constant tempo, and the project tempo is applied to the resulting region. If the audio file isn’t detected as a loop or the audio file already contains tempo information, you can click the button to perform loop detection.

  • Metronome button: Turn the metronome on or off.

  • Volume slider: Adjust the relative volume between the metronome and the audio file. Dragging the slider to the right decreases the volume of the metronome click. Dragging the slider to the left decreases the volume of the audio file.

  • Preview button: Start or stop playback of the audio file.

  • Cycle button: Turn Cycle mode on or off. If a selection exists, the Cycle area matches the selection. If no selection exists, the Cycle area extends to cover the entire length of the audio file.

  • Horizontal Zoom slider: Drag left or right to show a smaller part of the file or region in more detail or to show a larger part of the file or region in less detail.

  • Overview: Shows the entire audio file or MIDI region. The visible area of the file appears highlighted in a white rectangle, which you can drag left and right to view different sections in the main display below. Double-click a point in the overview to play from that position.

  • Main display: Shows the visible area of the audio file or MIDI region, with downbeats and beats detected by the tempo analysis.

Note: Logic Pro saves any edits you make in the Smart Tempo Editor as tempo information in the audio file. This way, if you import the file into a different project, Logic Pro can use the tempo information stored in the file.

Open the Smart Tempo Editor

In Logic Pro, do one of the following:

  • Select the region, click the Editors button , then click the Smart Tempo button.

  • Use the Show/Hide Smart Tempo Editor key command.

  • Select a region in the Tracks area, then choose Window > Open Smart Tempo Editor.

Start or stop file or region playback

  • In Logic Pro, click the Preview button on the right side of the Smart Tempo Editor menu bar (or use the Play/Stop Selection key command, Option-Space bar).

Scroll and zoom in the Smart Tempo Editor

In Logic Pro, do any of the following:

  • Drag the Zoom slider in the Smart Tempo Editor menu bar.

  • Option-drag the main display to zoom in and Option-click to zoom out.

  • Press the Left Arrow to scroll left and press the Right Arrow to scroll right.

  • Press the Up Arrow to zoom out so that the entire audio file or MIDI region is visible.

  • Press the Down Arrow to zoom in incrementally until the pointer is centered in the main display.

Select sections of the file or region

  • To select the section from the start of the file or region to the pointer, press Shift-Left Arrow.

  • To select the section from the pointer to the end of the file or region, press Shift-Right Arrow.

Apply tempo actions to the file or region

You can choose the following tempo actions from the Edit menu in the Smart Tempo Editor menu bar:

  • Apply Region Tempo to Project Tempo: Applies the tempo of the selected region to the project tempo. In the Apply Region Tempo to Project Tempo dialog you can select additional options:

    • Align downbeat to nearest project downbeat: Aligns the region downbeat to the nearest downbeat in the project, regardless of Project Tempo mode.

    • Maintain relative positions of all other regions: When selected, maintains the temporal relationship between regions in the project when applying the region tempo to the project tempo. This can be particularly useful in Adapt mode.

  • Apply Project Tempo to Region and Downbeat: Keeps the project tempo, adapts the region tempo to the project tempo, and aligns the region downbeat with the project.

  • Maintain Time Position of All Regions: When selected, maintains the temporal relationship between regions in the project when making edits in the Smart Tempo Editor. This can be particularly useful in Adapt mode.

  • Apply Changes Automatically: When selected, any changes you make in the Smart Tempo Editor are applied automatically. When deselected, the Apply Changes button appears in the Smart Tempo Editor menu bar. You can then click the button to apply changes manually. See Apply changes manually to update the tempo analysis.

  • Snap to Transients: After choosing this command in Hint mode, any hints you add or move snap to transients. In Beat Marker mode, any beat markers you move snap to transients, as well as beat markers already selected when you choose the command.

  • Apply Changes: Perform a new tempo analysis of the file or region or of the current selection, incorporating hints and other changes made since the last analysis.

  • Analyze Tempo: Perform a new tempo analysis of the file or region or the current selection. Appears in place of the Apply Changes menu item after you have applied changes, and before any new edits to hints are made (and when you have only edited beat markers, or when viewing a MIDI region in the Smart Tempo Editor).

    For MIDI regions, this command reanalyzes the region based on the original positions of MIDI note events when the file was first recorded or analyzed, or for projects created in earlier versions of Logic Pro, the first time you open the region in the Smart Tempo Editor.

  • Clear Hints: Removes all downbeat hints, beat hints, and time signature hints.

  • Remove Tempo Information: Discards all tempo information from the file, including the tempo analysis results. Use only when you’re sure you don’t want to preserve any tempo information in the file.

  • Revert to Original Recording Tempo: Delete the tempo analysis, preserving the tempo of the original recording.

  • Edit Smart Tempo Multitrack Set: Opens the Smart Tempo Multitrack Set window showing the current multitrack set.

Change the view of the Smart Tempo Editor

The following options are available in the View menu in the Smart Tempo local menu bar:

  • Scroll in Play: After the playhead reaches the center of the display, it stays centered, and the display scrolls while the file or region plays.

  • Show Tempo Curve Overlay: Shows the tempo analysis results as a segmented curve in the overview.

  • Show Transients: Shows transients as dashed vertical lines in the main display.

  • Downmix Waveform: Shows a darker waveform overlay in the main display representing a mixdown of all the tracks of the multitrack set. Only available for audio regions that are part of a multitrack set.

When you edit beats or other tempo information in the Smart Tempo Editor, the edits are saved when you save the project.

Download the guides:

Logic Pro User Guide: PDF

Logic Pro Instruments: PDF

Logic Pro Effects: PDF

Control Surfaces Support Guide: PDF

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