Using Manual Tempo Mode

In Manual Tempo mode, Pro Tools ignores tempo events in the Tempo track and instead plays back a Manual Tempo. This tempo can be set with the Tempo slider, or if you are not sure of the actual tempo, by tapping in the tempo.

While you can adjust the Manual Tempo during playback, doing so momentarily interrupts playback.

To set the Manual Tempo with the Tempo slider:

1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport window, select View > Transport > MIDI Controls.

2 In the Transport window, click the Tempo Ruler Enable button (Conductor) button so it becomes unhighlighted. Pro Tools switches to Manual Tempo mode. In this mode, any tempo events in the Tempo track are ignored.

3 To base the BPM value on something other than the default quarter-note, click the Tempo Resolution selector and select a different note value. (For example, if you are in 6/8, select a dotted-quarter note.)

4 To enter a new tempo, do one of the following:

Drag the Tempo value up or down. For finer resolution, press Control (Windows) or Command (Mac) while dragging.

– or – 

Click the Tempo value, type a new number, and press Enter.

To exit Manual Tempo mode and enable the Tempo track:

Click the Tempo Ruler Enable (Conductor) button in the Transport window so it becomes highlighted.

To set the Manual Tempo by tapping:

1 Ensure that the MIDI controls are shown in the Transport window (select View > Transport > MIDI Controls).

2 In the Transport window, click the Tempo Ruler Enable (Conductor) button so it becomes unhighlighted. Pro Tools switches to Manual Tempo mode. In this mode, any tempo events in the Tempo track are ignored.

3 Do one of the following:

Click in the Tempo field so it becomes highlighted and tap the “T” key on your computer keyboard repeatedly at the new tempo.

– or – 

If the Use MIDI to Tap Tempo option is enabled in the MIDI Preferences, click in the Tempo field so it becomes highlighted and tap in the tempo by playing a note repeatedly at the new tempo on your MIDI keyboard controller.

To compute the new tempo, Pro Tools averages the last eight (or fewer) taps to determine the correct tempo. The computed BPM value appears in the Transport window’s Tempo field.

To lock in the new tempo:

Take Pro Tools out of Manual Tempo mode by clicking the Tempo Ruler Enable (Conductor) button, then set the default tempo for the Song Start Marker to the new tempo.