Tempo Map

Most songs have a single, consistent tempo throughout. But some recordings — especially orchestral, progressive, or live performances — change tempo mid-track. NoteHound supports this through a tempo map.

What Is a Tempo Map?

A tempo map is a list of tempo change events, each specifying a new BPM value at a particular position in the timeline. Instead of a single BPM for the whole track, the tempo map tells NoteHound “from bar 1 it’s 120 BPM, then from bar 17 it’s 96 BPM,” and so on.

Where Tempo Maps Come From

Tempo maps are extracted automatically when you import a MIDI file that contains tempo change events. NoteHound reads these events and builds the map during import. You don’t need to configure anything manually.

See MIDI Import for instructions on importing MIDI files.

How the Grid Adapts

Once a tempo map is active, the piano roll grid reacts to it:

• Each segment of the timeline uses the local BPM defined in the map
• Grid lines shift density at tempo change points
• Notes snap correctly within each tempo segment

This ensures that imported notes continue to fall on musically correct grid positions even when the tempo changes.

Tip: If you’re working with a song that has a clearly audible tempo change (such as a half-time section), consider importing a reference MIDI file to get the tempo map automatically rather than trying to enter the changes manually.