Published by PitchChanger · Updated · How these guides are made
How to use this workflow
Keep the beat unit fixed
Use the same beat unit for both tempos. Quarter-note and dotted-quarter markings are not interchangeable.
Count elapsed intervals
Measure between beat onsets. Beat 1 to beat 129 spans 128 intervals, not 129.
Compare endpoints
Calculate both elapsed times and subtract. A negative difference means the chosen click arrives earlier.
128 intervals at 119.6 BPM versus 120 BPM
At 119.6 BPM, 128 intervals take 64.214046823 seconds. At 120 BPM they take 64 seconds. The rounded setting arrives about 214.047 ms early, despite a difference of only 0.4 BPM. These are ideal-grid calculations, not a browser clock benchmark.
For a short phrase that difference may be acceptable; for synchronized video or a long backing it can matter. Check the actual entrance and ending rather than relying on the first few aligned beats.
Swipe or scroll sideways to read all columns.
| Intervals | Reference 119.6 BPM | Chosen 120 BPM | Chosen minus reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 8.026756 s | 8.000000 s | −26.756 ms |
| 64 | 32.107023 s | 32.000000 s | −107.023 ms |
| 128 | 64.214047 s | 64.000000 s | −214.047 ms |
Practice tempo is different from clock synchronization
The metronome uses whole-number BPM settings and does not import a tempo map or lock itself to your audio file. Use the closest comfortable practice tempo, and restart at a phrase boundary if you need to compare.
A live performance may change tempo within the phrase. This equation assumes a constant reference BPM; if an endpoint mismatch changes from phrase to phrase, investigate local timing before treating the entire recording as one fixed tempo.