Ableton/Live/UG/09 Audio Clips Tempo and Warping/01 Tempo
- Setting, tapping and nudging the Set's tempo, and letting Arrangement clips lead it.
- The Control Bar's tempo field sets the playback tempo, in whole BPM and hundredths, each separately key or MIDI mappable. Tempo can be automated for gradual or sudden changes.
- Live can lead or follow external gear over MIDI Clock or Link, or follow an audio source with Tempo Follower. See Ableton/Live/UG/37 Sync with Link Tempo Follower and MIDI.
- Click Tap Tempo on every beat to set the tempo; the more taps, the more accurate.
- To tap with a key: turn on the Key switch, select Tap Tempo, press the key, and turn the Key switch off. MIDI Map Mode assigns a note or controller, such as a footswitch.
- With Start Playback with Tap Tempo on in Record, Warp & Launch Settings, tapping starts playback: four taps in 4/4. Link-connected apps start in phase.
- For sources not locked to one tempo, such as live players or turntables, the Phase Nudge Up and Down buttons briefly speed up or slow down Live to stay aligned. They can be key or MIDI mapped.
- Warped clips follow the Set's tempo by default. In Arrangement View, the Lead/Follow toggle in Audio Utilities makes a clip a tempo leader: the Set follows the clip's Warp Markers and the tempo field is disabled.
- Many clips can lead, but only one sets the tempo at a time: the playing clip on the lowest track.
- Live writes read-only tempo automation on the Main track, which moves with the leader clips. Unfollow Tempo Automation in the tempo field's context menu turns all leaders into followers and makes the automation editable.
- Leader automation overrides Tempo Follower. With EXT on, Lead/Follow is disabled.