Hi everyone,
In Cubase/Nuendo 13, a crucial utility that was formerly part of the old beat calculator was removed: the ability to select part of an audio event, input the number of beats, and let the software calculate the BPM internally using this simple formula:
(Number of beats * 60) / Duration of the selection = BPM
This feature existed for at least six iterations of Cubendo. It allowed me to quickly and precisely calculate the BPM of various electronic music tracks and embed it directly into the audio event properties. This made aligning different audio tracks to a common tempo seamless when creating mashups. Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of these for several large-scale events.
Several alternatives have been suggested in the forums, but none fully address the need:
- Tap Tempo: This method is imprecise and initially caused tempo track issues (now fixed). Beyond that, it seems to calculate the average tempo per bar rather than the overall average BPM.
- Tempo Detection: While useful in some cases, it creates multiple warp markers instead of providing an average BPM, disrupting the tempo track. Additionally, it requires moving each event to the start of the project for detection, which is inconvenient.
- Set Tempo From Event: This method aligns the length of the selected audio event with the ruler’s loop region and adjusts the overall project tempo accordingly. While it technically calculates the tempo, it directly modifies the project tempo. To use it effectively, you must either manually copy the calculated BPM into the audio event’s settings or use Set Definition From Tempo with the Write Definition to Audio option, but then manually revert the project tempo to its original value.
My Question
Is there currently a simple, precise way in recent Cubase/Nuendo releases to:
- Detect or calculate the average BPM of a selected audio event,
- Avoid altering the tempo track or overall project tempo, and
- Achieve this without relying on external tools like an actual calculator?
If there’s a feature I’ve missed or a better workaround, I’d greatly appreciate hearing about it. That said, I believe this utility deserves to be restored in future updates, given its importance to workflows like mine.
Thanks in advance for your insights and suggestions!