1st post on this forum and I apologize if this isn't technically the right place to put this but, I'm doing this in Studio One 7 so I figured might as well throw it here.



I'm having an awful time figuring out the correct time signature to use on a part of a song I'm trying to record. I know how to change the meter in a specific spot of the song, but for the life of me I can't figure out what the timing of this riff is, or if it might just need a tempo change. This is really making it difficult to program some drums close enough to the grid so that I can then re-record the guitar on time.

 

Last edited: Dec 22, 2025 at 10:42 PM

Advanced Tempo Detection | New in Studio One Pro 7 | PreSonus

Testing the new enhanced tempo detection in Studio One Pro 7 | PreSonus

 

I tried this and it crashed Studio One so I didn't try it again. Guess I'll have to give it another try.

The second video is much closer to what I'm trying to do, only I'm not changing my speed when I'm recording - I just simply cannot figure out the time signature that I need to use. Again, I know this is dumb without an audio sample but I came across this forum while at work so I don't have access to my DAW right now. I will upload the specific part when I get home.

Does the tempo detection work pretty well with odd time signatures?

 

Last edited: Dec 22, 2025 at 7:47 PM

Audio file tempo detection

There are or can be a few things at play here:

- Tempo detection, which is an active process determining the tempo in a file based on its audio content, or
- Files can have tempo information embedded in the file header, which may be readable by Studio One or not
- Stretching files, which depends on (default) track settings

Tempo detection is only needed when an imported audio file does not have useable tempo data in the header. When you start the detection process Studio One analyses the audio, trying to determine the tempo and variations for a fixed tempo or for a tempo map. The new information is there for you to use, or not. If useable tempo data was already present in the file then tempo detection is not needed and even inadvisable, because automatic detection can miss a beat or two.

And then it depends on your track settings (per track) if the song uses the tempo data at all. Each audio track has the option to Follow, Don't follow or Timestretch. Don't follow means that you can place events anywhere on the timeline and they will stay there, even if you change the song's tempo or tempo track. The events will play exactly as recorded and won't change tempo at all.

Follow means the same but now the starting points of the events will move when the song's tempo or tempo track is changed, for a fixed starting point relative to other tracks/events in the song that do change tempo with the song's settings. Finally, Timestretch moves events as with Follow, but events with tempo data in them now also adapt to tempo (changes) in the song.

It means that a file which has tempo data 100bpm in it will play 20% faster when imported in a 120bpm song. And when the song's tempo track at some point goes down to 100bpm then as off that point the track will slow down to 100bpm too.

In Studio One there is a default Follow/Don't follow/Timestretch setting for when you create a new track. You can change the default or you can change the track's setting after you created it, up to you.

Source: https://studiooneforum.com/threads/audio-file-tempo-detection.1078/

Foolproof Tempo Mapping in Studio One

 

Uploaded a quick track of the passage I'm struggling with. There's something weird about this and I can't set a time signature so that I can then program some drums using pads.

 

4/4 at about 120bpm? try that

 

The part directly before it is 4/4 at 119 but it just does not work with this part for some reason. That 5th beat is like a beat off but it doesn't even work if I meter it at 7/4 to try to make the riff repeat for one bar. I'm not the best with timing admittedly and I'm coming off like a 10 year break from audio engineering so this is really frustrating me.

I'm almost thinking I need to do something like split sections of 4/4, 1/2, 4/4. Just to have one little bar of one half note but not part of the next 4/4. I just can't get it to where the drums I want to program to it can be on a grid so that I can actually have it all in time.

 

Last edited: Dec 22, 2025 at 11:38 PM

just listened again its faster than 119 bpm maybe try 130 but i am still counting 4/4 until maybe the last bar

 

it may be just a case rerecording the riff again at the right tempo once you find it

 

I'll give it a try but I still feel like it needs to be two separate bars, one 4/4 followed by one thats 5/4. I had thought maybe the tempo needed to just be higher as well but when I put some real rough drums to it, it made it sound rushed and didn't fit with the part before it.

 

That's very basic. It's straight 64.5 bpm or 129.0 bpm double time.

https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=XZWKmx5ZabIqT6QujSkwk6kF03U7nj1KzumV

And Helge "PulseWave", please use your brain before posting useless AI content before you get banned another time.

 

bout 120bpm, 4/4 all the way or 7/8 alternating with 9/8. i'd say 7/8 + 9/8 as of now, but depending on what you want to emphasize with the other stuff (i.e.drums) it might be more of a 4/4 thing.

 

Your drums are close to what I want to do. Was thinking toms but I'm leaning more toward heavy kick/cymbals, something like a melvins style song

When I get home I'll try these suggestions and put some basic drums to it so I can show the emphasis. I haven't even been able to really get to writing the drums for this part because the timing keeps throwing me off.
It's basically going to be three kicks and snare on the 4th strum/beat, though.

 

https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=XZ7Gmx5ZxWYjiu8lEAQKERVPG0iJAzPzPE8X

Went with 4/4 at 64.5 bpm and it seems to work pretty good. My timing is off on this 2nd take guitar guide but I think this is the right meter for it.

Jumping back to 119bpm after that segment makes it feel like it slows down dramatically. This is very early stage rough, though. It could tighten up a lot after I program all the drums and record actual guitar takes. Maybe I just don't have as good a grasp on half time as I thought?

Tried initially to do 7/8 but I just couldn't get that last down beat to match up the right way, it felt stuttered.

Anyway, major thanks to you guys for getting me back on track with this. This stupid part was stumping me really bad for some reason - I was overthinking it. Now I can actually track this and get this song out of my head!

 

Last edited: Dec 23, 2025 at 2:59 AM