What a tempo map is and why you need one

A tempo map in PreSonus Studio One is a series of tempo changes you set at specific points in your song. Instead of keeping one steady tempo from start to finish, you can slow down for a bridge, speed up for a chorus, or match the natural rhythm of a live recording that drifts slightly. Studio One reads your tempo map as the song plays, so every instrument and effect stays locked to the tempo you've set at each moment.

You build a tempo map by placing tempo events on the timeline. Each event tells Studio One what the tempo should be at that exact bar or beat. This is different from manually adjusting a single master tempo slider — once you set the map, it runs automatically during playback and export.

Tempo maps are most useful when you're working with live recordings that weren't played to a click, when you want to add dramatic timing shifts to a composition, or when you need to slow down a section for clarity without re-recording.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the Tempo track by clicking the tempo display at the top left of the arrange window, then right-click and select "Show Tempo Track".
  • Click directly on the tempo track timeline to place a tempo event, then drag it up or down to set the new tempo value.
  • Each tempo event affects the song from that point forward until the next event, so plan your map from the beginning of the song to the end.
  • Use the Inspector panel on the right to type exact tempo values instead of dragging, which gives you precise control.
  • Test your tempo map by playing the song back and listening for smooth transitions; abrupt jumps usually mean you need intermediate events between two very different tempos.

Locating and opening the tempo track

The tempo track lives at the very top of your arrange window in Studio One, above all your instrument and audio tracks. Look for a small tempo display — it shows a number like "120" or "100 BPM" — in the top left corner of the arrange area, just below the menu bar.

Click on that tempo display. A dropdown menu appears. Select "Show Tempo Track" from the menu. The tempo track now appears as a horizontal strip at the top of your timeline, with a grid of bars and beats underneath it.

If you don't see the tempo display at all, make sure you're in the Arrange view (not the Mix view). You can switch views using the tabs at the top of the window or by pressing F2 on your keyboard.

Placing your first tempo event

Click directly on the tempo track at the bar or beat where you want the tempo to change. A small diamond-shaped marker appears on the track. This is your tempo event. Studio One automatically sets it to match whatever tempo was playing at that moment.

Once the event is placed, you can drag it up or down to raise or lower the tempo. As you drag, the tempo value displays in a small box above the event. Drag upward to increase tempo, downward to decrease it. Release the mouse when you reach the tempo you want.

If you need to move the event to a different bar or beat, click and drag it left or right along the timeline. To delete an event, right-click on it and select "Delete" from the menu, or select it and press Delete on your keyboard.

Using the Inspector to set exact tempo values

Dragging tempo events works for rough adjustments, but when you need a precise tempo — say, exactly 95 BPM instead of "somewhere around 95" — use the Inspector panel on the right side of the screen. Click on a tempo event to select it, and the Inspector shows its exact tempo value in a number field.

Click in that field and type the tempo you want. Press Enter to confirm. This method is faster and more accurate than dragging, especially when you're working with multiple events and need consistency.

The Inspector also shows the bar and beat position of each event. If you need to move an event to a specific location, you can edit the position number directly instead of dragging on the timeline.

Building a complete tempo map across your song

Start at the beginning of your song and work forward. Place events at every point where the tempo should change. If your song has a slow intro, a faster verse, and an even faster chorus, you'll need at least three events — one at the start of the verse, one at the start of the chorus, and one if you return to the verse tempo later.

Think of your tempo map as a series of instructions: "From bar 1 to bar 8, play at 100 BPM. From bar 9 onward, play at 120 BPM. From bar 25 onward, play at 110 BPM." Each event marks the moment a new instruction begins.

If you're working with a live recording that drifts in tempo, you may need many events — sometimes one every few bars — to keep the rest of your arrangement locked to the original performance. Play back the song frequently as you build the map to hear how the transitions sound and catch any jumps that feel unnatural.

Smoothing transitions between tempos

When you jump from one tempo to a very different one — say, from 90 BPM to 140 BPM — the change can sound jarring. To smooth it out, add intermediate tempo events between the two extremes. For example, go from 90 to 110 to 130 to 140 across several bars instead of jumping straight from 90 to 140.

Space these intermediate events a few bars apart so the tempo ramps gradually. This is especially useful in live recordings where the band naturally accelerated into a section. Your tempo map can follow that acceleration instead of forcing an artificial jump.

Play back the transition several times and adjust the intermediate tempos and their positions until the ramp feels natural. Small changes in tempo value or timing can make a big difference in how smooth the transition sounds.

Exporting and saving your tempo map

Your tempo map is saved automatically as part of your Studio One song file (.song). Every time you save the project, the tempo map saves with it. You don't need to export the tempo map separately or take any special steps.

When you export audio from Studio One — whether as WAV, MP3, or another format — the exported file includes your tempo map. All the tempo changes you've set play back in the final audio file. Plugins and virtual instruments respond to the tempo map during export, so any effect that depends on tempo (like a delay or reverb) will follow your map.

If you want to use your tempo map in a different DAW or share it with a collaborator, you can export the song as MIDI or as a tempo-locked audio file, but the tempo map itself stays in Studio One's native format. Most other DAWs have their own tempo map tools, so you'd need to recreate the map in that software.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo a tempo map if I change my mind?

Yes. Press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Cmd+Z (Mac) to undo your most recent tempo event or change. You can undo multiple steps to get back to a previous state. If you want to remove all tempo events and start over, select all events on the tempo track (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A while the track is active) and delete them.

What happens if I place two tempo events at the exact same bar?

Studio One uses the last event you placed. If you need two different tempos to start at the same bar, place one event slightly before and one slightly after — for example, at beat 4 of bar 7 and beat 1 of bar 8. This creates a very quick transition instead of a conflict.

Can I copy a tempo map from one song to another?

Not directly through a menu. The fastest way is to select all tempo events in the original song (click on the tempo track and press Ctrl+A or Cmd+A), copy them (Ctrl+C or Cmd+C), then open the new song and paste them into its tempo track (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V). The events paste at their original bar positions, so make sure the new song has the same structure.

Does a tempo map affect the length of my song in bars?

No. A tempo map changes how fast the song plays, but it doesn't change the number of bars or beats. If your song is 64 bars long, it stays 64 bars long whether you play it at 100 BPM or 140 BPM. The total duration in seconds or minutes changes, but the bar count does not.