Mission 010
Tempo and BPM
Measuring the speed of music.
BPM = beats per minute. The single most important number on your project.
+40 XP
// WHAT IT DOES
Tempo is the speed of the pulse, measured in beats per minute (BPM). 120 BPM means 120 beats happen every 60 seconds — two per second.
Different genres cluster around typical tempos: hip-hop 70–100, house 120–128, drum & bass 170–180, techno 125–135.
Every clip, sample, and automation in your DAW is timed against this number. Change the project BPM and (with warping on) the whole arrangement speeds up or slows down without changing pitch.
Think of it like → BPM is the speed limit of your song. Everything inside obeys it.
▸ WHY YOU CARE
- • Picking a tempo first gives every element a common reference.
- • Tempo affects feel: 130 feels driving, 90 feels heavy, 75 feels patient.
- • Sync, delay times, LFO rates and speeds all derive from tempo.
// SEE & HEAR IT
No simulator for this mission — read & quiz only.
▸ HOW IT WORKS
▸ Signal flow — watch the dot
▸ SIGNAL FLOW
Glowing dot = your signal travelling through Live.
▸ LISTEN FOR
- • Genre-typical tempo feels.
- • Half-time feel making things heavier.
- • Sync glitches when BPM doesn't match the source.
▸ WALKTHROUGH (5 steps)
- 1. DO: Set project to 120 BPM and play a kick on every quarter.▸ LISTEN: Two hits per second — that's 120 BPM.
- 2. DO: Change tempo to 90 BPM with warping on.▸ LISTEN: Slower, heavier — but the kick stays the same pitch.
- 3. DO: Set a delay to 1/4 note and tap-tempo a melody.▸ LISTEN: Delay locks to the grid no matter the speed.
- 4. DO: Drop a 124 BPM loop into a 128 BPM project.▸ LISTEN: Live warps it to fit — pitch usually preserved.
- 5. DO: Use tap tempo on a record you love.▸ LISTEN: Internalising tempos by feel sharpens production instincts.
▸ COMMON MISTAKES
- ✗ Building at the wrong tempo and re-warping later.
- ✗ Forgetting to sync delays / LFOs to BPM.
- ✗ Changing tempo mid-project without checking markers.
// QUIZ (QUICK)
Question 1 / 40 correct
What does BPM stand for?