How to Shift a DJ Edit's Tempo to Match Your Set

To match a Club Ready Music DJ edit to your set's tempo, type the target into Shift tempo to in Step 04, or press the 124 or 128 preset, and Club Ready Music time-stretches the whole edit to that BPM with pitch preserved. The field accepts 40 to 260 in 0.5 BPM steps, and Clear returns the song to its own tempo. Keep the change within about 6 to 8 percent of the original: moving 122 to 126 is transparent, while pulling a 108 BPM song up to 128 will smear the vocals.

Steps

1. Confirm the detected BPM before you shift

The tempo shift is only as accurate as the source BPM. If the Detected grid shows 63 for a 126 BPM song and you ask for 128, Club Ready Music will stretch the song to double speed. Press ▶ 4 bars, count along, and correct the BPM field with ½, ×2, TAP or a typed value first. Only move to the Redrum step when the grid is right.

2. Decide on your set tempo

Pick the BPM your set actually runs at, not a round number for its own sake. House sets commonly sit at 124; tech house and techno often sit at 128; the presets exist for those two. For other styles, type the exact value. A whole set at one tempo means every edit beatmatches without touching the pitch fader, which is the point of the shift.

3. Work out the percentage change

Divide the target by the source. 126 from 120 is a 5 percent lift, which is safe. 128 from 124 is 3.2 percent, essentially invisible. 128 from 115 is 11 percent and vocals will start to sound stretched. 128 from 100 is 28 percent and should be avoided. If the change is too large, choose a target closer to the song or leave the song at its own tempo and bridge the gap with another edit.

4. Enter the target

In the Redrum box, find Shift tempo to (optional, pitch preserved). Press 124 or 128 to fill the field, or type the target in 0.5 steps. Press Clear if you change your mind and want the song's own tempo. The setting is independent of the Redrum mode, so you can shift tempo with Redrum Off.

5. Set intro and outro bars with the new tempo in mind

Bar length follows the target BPM once the shift is applied, so a 16-bar intro at 128 is 30 seconds regardless of what the song was originally. The intro end and outro start times scale with the shift, and the cue times written to the comment tag reflect the shifted file. Choose Intro bars and Outro bars as you would for any song at the target tempo.

6. Build and listen to the vocals

Press Build the DJ edit. When the edit is Ready, press Drop in and listen to the first vocal phrase. Time-stretch artefacts show up first as a slight warble on held notes and a smeared edge on consonants. If you hear them, press Change settings & rebuild and bring the target closer to the source tempo.

7. Check the tags

The MP3 320 and WAV carry TBPM rounded to the target BPM, so Serato, rekordbox and other software read the shifted tempo straight from the file. The comment tag lists the start, intro end and outro start cues at their new times. The result chip also shows the BPM, so you can confirm at a glance before downloading.

Tips

• Shifting down is as safe as shifting up within the same percentage. 130 to 126 is 3 percent and sounds natural.
• For a set at 126, a 120 to 132 BPM source range covers you within 5 percent. Songs outside that range are better left at their own tempo.
• Redrum, if enabled, stays locked to the shifted grid, so you can add a kick and change tempo in the same build.
• The Volume level is applied to the finished file, so the shifted edit still lands at your chosen LUFS.
• Keep the Title clean and let TBPM carry the tempo. Adding the BPM to the title duplicates what the tag already says.

Common problems

• The shifted edit sounds twice as fast or half speed. The source BPM was detected at half or double. Fix the BPM field with ½ or ×2 and rebuild.
• Vocals sound watery after the shift. The change is beyond about 8 percent. Choose a nearer target or Clear the field.
• The intro end cue is not where I expected. Cue times scale with the shift. Read the new times from the comment tag or count bars at the target BPM.
• The preset is not my tempo. The presets are only 124 and 128. Type any value from 40 to 260 in 0.5 steps.