The short guide
Understand the idea
Beatmatching brings two rhythmic sources into time together. Matching their tempos keeps the gap between beats from changing; aligning their starting beats decides where those beats fall together. This exercise separates those two jobs with original synthesized clap patterns.
What you can explore
- Distinguish a tempo difference from a starting-position difference.
- Adjust B’s tempo and first downbeat against a fixed 120 BPM reference.
- Compare the two patterns alone or together without a timing score.
A worked example
Same speed, then the same starting point
The starting example has A at 120 BPM and B at 126 BPM, with B half a beat late. First set B to 120 BPM. Their gap now stays constant, but the first beats still do not meet. Set B’s start delay to 0 to align the two patterns. Play again and compare the timeline with the earlier version.
- Reference A
- 120 BPM: one beat every half second.
- Tempo B
- 120 BPM stops the relative drift; it does not remove a saved start delay.
- B start
- 0 beats begins together. Half a beat late remains late at matching tempos.
Speed and position solve different problems
BPM means beats per minute. A higher BPM puts successive clicks closer together. If B is faster than A, their spacing changes as the example plays, even when the first clicks start together. A start delay moves the whole pattern later without changing the spacing inside it.
Try one control at a time. Compare a faster B with no delay, then the same-tempo B with a half-beat delay. The larger dots mark every fourth source click, helping you separate a downbeat from the other clicks in the bar.
Use a small mismatch as a mixing puzzle
The supplied challenges load tempo drift, a late start or both. They change the displayed tempo and start delay together, keep your blend and never start sound. Use the tempo and start controls to explore a correction or keep an unusual relationship. A perfect match is not required to review your result.
The blend changes which pattern you hear. The middle keeps both present; either endpoint isolates one. Both patterns use the same clap sound, so a timing difference is not being disguised as a different instrument. The percentages describe a gain balance rather than measured loudness.
What this eight-bar example can teach
The player schedules B’s actual click intervals against A’s 120 BPM timeline for eight A bars, about 16 seconds. Each Play begins the same finite example again. This demonstrates drift inside that window; it is not two independently running decks, automatic tempo detection or a pitch-preserving audio-file player.
Sound-off mode keeps the exact click positions, tempos and start delay available visually. Your choices save in this browser when storage is available. Review the current version to finish and download a text recipe; it contains no audio and does not automatically transfer to TunePal’s app.
Common questions
Is matching BPM enough to beatmatch?
No. Two sources can have the same tempo but begin at different positions. In this example, set B to 120 BPM to stop drift, then compare its start delay separately.
What is a downbeat?
A downbeat is the first beat of a bar. The larger dots mark every fourth click in each four-beat pattern. Starting an ordinary beat together does not always mean the downbeats match.
Does the example automatically sync my tracks?
No. It uses original synthesized clap patterns, not uploaded tracks. You choose B’s tempo, its delay and the listening blend; each Play restarts the finite eight-bar demonstration.
Can I finish if the beats are still apart?
Yes. This is an experiment, not a test of hearing or DJ skill. You can review any valid settings with sound on or off and keep the result as a text recipe.
Published by TunePal. Interactive examples for beginner music producers.