Tactus. Enter changing meters in seconds, subdivide every beat exactly.

Try it.

A simplified version of the app.

Tap + Add bar to build a passage
Tap a beat to open Beat Inspector: tap a dot to change its accent, or scroll down to change its subdivisions
Tap the tempo marker above a bar to set a tempo change
Press play

Tap + Add bar to begin

= 120

Tap a meter to begin

/ 2

/ 4

/ 8

/ 16

Tap a dot to cycle: loud · medium · soft · silent

= 120

This is a slice of the app, capped to keep it simple to try. The full app adds conducted feel, practice speed, count-in, a tempo shape editor, Ableton Link sync, and a lot more. See everything else it can do →

Speed of entry

A passage in seconds, not minutes.

Tap the meter keyboard. Each tap adds a bar, 5/8, 7/16, 4/4, 3/8, in any order, landing with correct accents by default. Enter any custom meter too, any numerator from 1 to 32 over 2, 4, 8, or 16. For the bars that need more, every subdivision is a tap in the editor.

Ableton Link

Everyone stays locked to a shared tempo grid.

Ableton Link starts and stops Tactus in sync with another Tactus user, or any Link-enabled device, on the same network, each still following their own accents and subdivisions.

Starting together is automatic. Staying together through a rit or accel means everyone needs the same tempo map, so Tactus lets you share a passage and import the whole thing, or just its tempo map. At a steady tempo, matching BPM is all it takes.

Tactus Settings with Ableton Link active, showing a green ‘1 Link’ connected banner and Sync Start/Stop enabled.

Tempo shape editor

Draw rits and accels the way you hear them.

Draw a tempo curve across any range of bars, linear, ease-in, or ease-out per segment. A ritardando that lands softly. An accelerando that plateaus before the downbeat.

Tactus Tempo Shape editor: a 3-node curve ramping 120 to 161 to 204 bpm with per-segment easing sliders below.

Everything else.

Notation
Die-face dot clusters Read each beat as a die face, not a count.
Four accent states Strong, normal, soft, silent, each its own click.
Rhythm editing
Subdivision independence Split any beat 2–9 ways, then subdivide again for nested rhythms.
Tuplet grouping Group consecutive beats into a tuplet, like 3 notes over 2.
Playback
Conducted feel Overlay a conductor’s beat pattern on any bar.
Practice speed Slow the whole passage, 50–125%, in one tap.
Count-in Plays the previous bar's meter as a lead-in.
Sharing & sync
iPad, iPhone & Android Native on iOS, synced through iCloud. Android coming soon.
.rhythmmap export Share a passage in a single file.

Full feature reference in the manual

Made for

Who this is for.

Percussionists preparing contemporary repertoire. Conductors internalizing a mixed-meter score before rehearsal. Composers, chamber musicians, and orchestral musicians working through anything a normal metronome can’t handle.

Frequently asked

Questions, in plain language.

Can the tempo change within a passage?

Yes, two ways: per-bar BPM overrides, or the Tempo Shape editor for a gradual ramp across a range of bars.

Does it sync between my iPad and iPhone?

Yes, passages sync via iCloud and appear on all your devices automatically. Nothing beyond your Apple ID required.

Is there a subscription?

No. One-time purchase, everything included, free updates for the lifetime of the major version.

Can I share passages with collaborators?

Yes, export a .rhythmmap file and send it any way you like. They open it directly in their copy of Tactus and see exactly the map you built.

How do I import a passage or a tempo map?

Opening a .rhythmmap file adds it to your Library as a whole new passage. To bring in just the bar structure and tempo instead, use Import Tempo Map in a passage's settings and pick another passage. It copies over the meters and tempos, padding or trimming bars to match, while keeping the beat content you already have.

Is there an Android version?

Not yet, it's coming. Ableton Link sync will work the same way between iPhone, iPad, and Android once it ships.