Why use tap tempo in a DAW?
Tap tempo is useful when you have a recording, a live player or another source with no known tempo, and you want the project to follow it. Menus and shortcuts change between versions, so treat this page as a map and confirm the details in your DAW's help.
Tap tempo in Logic Pro
Logic Pro can set the project tempo from taps on your computer keyboard. Assign a key command to Tap Tempo, then press it several times at the tempo you want. The first time you tap, an alert asks whether you want to enable Tap Tempo. The tempo display accepts values from 5 to 990 BPM.
For finer control, the Tempo Interpreter window has settings for how Logic Pro responds to taps, including a tap count-in and tempo smoothing. It is available when Enable Complete Features is turned on in the Advanced settings.
Tap tempo in Ableton Live
Live has a Tap Tempo button in the control bar. Click it once on every beat and the tempo of the Live Set follows your tapping. Live smooths the change a little so the tempo does not jump, and the more taps it gets in a row, the more precisely it settles. You can also start playback by tapping: in 4/4 it takes four taps to start playing at the tapped tempo.
Tap tempo in Pro Tools
In Pro Tools, tap tempo works in Manual Tempo mode. Turn off the Conductor button in the Transport window so it is no longer highlighted. That switches the session to Manual Tempo mode, where Pro Tools ignores tempo events in the Tempo ruler. Then click the tempo value in the Transport window and press the T key on the beat. Tutorials describe Pro Tools averaging your last eight taps. If you cannot see the tempo field, show the MIDI controls in the Transport window.
If you only need the number
You do not have to tap inside the DAW. Tap along with the song in the tap tempo tool and type the BPM into your project tempo. That also lets you settle the half-time and double-time question before you commit, which the guide on half-time and double-time explains.
Tips for tapping into a project
- Tap on a steady part of the music and keep going for several bars before you trust the number.
- Very fast tempos are hard to tap accurately. Tap every other beat and double the result.
- Check the result by playing the track against the project's metronome click.
Common questions
What is the Logic Pro tap tempo shortcut?
It depends on your version. Some versions use a key command you assign yourself, and older documentation lists Shift-T. Look for Tap Tempo in Key Commands.
What key taps tempo in Pro Tools?
Tutorials give the T key, with the tempo field selected and the session in Manual Tempo mode.
Where is the Ableton Live tap tempo button?
In the control bar, next to the tempo field.