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Section 3Rus

Adapting the tempo-map to a reference (Adjust Tempo-Map)

Example files: Drums MIDI (drums-only) Reference MIDI Adjusted MIDI (drums-only)

This section solves the task of re-gridding the produced drums-MIDI from its native tempo-map onto the tempo-map of your finished project, so the notes land exactly on the grid and match the other tracks.

The idea is simple: to pass on your project's tempo-map, we create a "reference" MIDI inside it, feed it together with the drums-MIDI into the Adjust Tempo-Map utility, and it re-grids the notes onto the required grid while preserving their real playback time.

3.1. Preparing the reference MIDI with the project's tempo-map

We work in your finished project (in the example — a constant 136 BPM).

  1. Create a new instrument track: right-click in the track area → New Software Instrument Track.
  2. Assign it a drum instrument — for example, Drum Kit Designer (Stereo).
  3. On this track, create a MIDI region: right-click → Create MIDI Region.
  4. Stretch the region so it covers exactly the length of the audio that was processed by drums-MIDI (in the example — example_drums_only), from start to end (here Length 145 0 0 0).
  5. Place two anchor Kick (C1) notes in the region: one at the very start (bar 1), the other at the very end of the region.

    Instead of a kick you can use a snare or any other note — what matters is that they sit at the edges and hold the MIDI region, otherwise it will collapse after export.

  6. Export the region to a MIDI file: right-click the region → Export as MIDI File… (⌥⌘E).

You now have a reference MIDI (example-etalon-midi.mid) — it carries the project's tempo-map and two anchor points holding the start and end.

3.2. Re-gridding with the Adjust Tempo-Map utility

  1. Open the Adjust Tempo-Map page (available from the dashboard).
  2. In the Drums MIDI field, upload your example_drums_only.mid — the file that needs to be re-gridded onto the project. In the Reference MIDI field, upload the example-etalon-midi.mid you just exported — the reference file carrying the project's tempo-map. Click Adjust Tempo-Map.
  3. The result downloads — example_drums_only_remap-grid.mid.

3.3. Checking the result

Before inserting it into the project, it's worth making sure the re-gridding went correctly, and also determining the insertion point for the drum region. Open the downloaded file as a separate project: right-click → Open With → Logic Pro.

  1. The tempo-map is the same — the Tempo track shows the same 136 BPM.
  2. Check that the notes kept their real playback time (compare the milliseconds with the original from Section 2):
    • first hit — 00:28,209;
    • last hit — 03:59,090.

Note where the drum part begins (the start of the MIDI region): the real hits start where their absolute time falls on the 136 BPM grid — in the example, from bar 17.

3.4. Inserting into the project

Drag example_drums_only_remap-grid.mid into your project at position 17 1 1 1 (onto the drum track with the right instrument).

An important nuance. When you open the adjusted MIDI as a separate project (step 3.3), Logic sees that the part starts at bar 17 — this information is recorded in the file. But when you drag the MIDI file straight into a project, the start position is lost: Logic places the region wherever you drop it.

3.5. Final check in the project

Make sure the inserted MIDI matches the project's drum audio:

  1. first hit — the note lands on the audio transient, the time 00:28,209 is preserved, bar 17;
  2. last hit — 03:59,090, matches the hit on the waveform, bar 136;
  3. hit in the middle — 02:21,149, matches the hit on the waveform.

The part landed exactly on the project's grid and matched the other tracks — the drums-MIDI has been successfully adapted to the project's tempo-map.