Beatgrid explained: a grid for exact beats

What the grid is for

Sync, quantize, loops, effects in time and set cue points use the beatgrid as a reference. If the grid is right, hot cues and loops snap exactly to the beat, and two tracks stay in parallel with sync.

A grid consists of two things: the tempo (BPM) and the starting point, the first beat. The “downbeat” marks the one, the first beat of a bar.

Fixed and variable grid

Electronic tracks from the DAW have a fixed tempo, so a single grid is enough. Music played live or sampled fluctuates in tempo. For that, some programs offer variable grids with several anchor points. For club music, the fixed grid is enough in most cases.

Check the beatgrid

Play the track and watch whether the grid lines sit on the kicks, just the same at the start and after two or three minutes. If the grid slowly drifts away, the tempo is off by fractions. If it is consistently off, the start point is shifted. A downbeat on the wrong count is also wrong: then phrases begin in the wrong place.

Correct only where necessary. A grid you have adjusted by hand should be locked so that a later analysis does not overwrite it.

In practice: grid check in 60 seconds

Play the track briefly at the start, in the middle and shortly before the end, and switch on the metronome or beat click. If it lines up with the kick everywhere, the grid is good. If it drifts, shift the grid as a whole instead of dragging individual beats.

Grids are particularly likely to be wrong on tracks with a long, quiet intro, because the analysis does not find the first beats. The same goes for tracks with swing, breakbeats and old recordings. Here the extra step is worth it: find the first kick, set “Downbeat here”, done.

Related terms

Frequently asked questions