Create a single half-measure (2/4) in another otherwise 4/4 song

[MusicalTechie]

I'm new to Waveform but have largely been able to set up the recording I want to do.

I have a song where the entire piece is in 4/4 but there is an abnormal time change for a single measure (2/4) in the middle.

I've tried changing the time-signature for a measure and then changing it back but this does not actually reduce the beats in the measure as expected (the measure still shows 4 beats but the 2/4 signature is visible in the tempo track).

I could fake it by speeding up the tempo by 100% for one measure... but that seems less than optimal.

Despite a fair amount of searching/reading, I haven't found a solution yet.

Thanks for taking a look!

[fde101]

I've tried changing the time-signature for a measure and then changing it back but this does not actually reduce the beats in the measure as expected (the measure still shows 4 beats but the 2/4 signature is visible in the tempo track).

This is working for me:

Screen Shot 2021-03-30 at 4.57.22 AM.png

[Peter Widdicombe]

It works, but can be a little fiddly. Right-Click on the START of the bar in the tempo track, but stay AWAY from the tempo curve. Right click, and you get the option to put time signatures, key changes, or tempo changes. Do the same for the next bar to set it back "to normal".

[TWfriend]

I have also tried this to confirm what the other posters have shown on Time Signature changes:
download/file.php?mode=view&id=37224

[MusicalTechie]

I've tried changing the time-signature for a measure and then changing it back but this does not actually reduce the beats in the measure as expected (the measure still shows 4 beats but the 2/4 signature is visible in the tempo track).

Thanks for your response. The image you showed is what I would have expected... a reduction in the measure to two beats.

In my case, the 2/4 signature would appear in the middle of the bar for some reason. I removed and re-tried it several times... always the same thing. The result was no reduction in the bar's number of beats.

I will try again with a fresh mind and a fresher coffee.

[MusicalTechie]

It works, but can be a little fiddly. Right-Click on the START of the bar in the tempo track, but stay AWAY from the tempo curve. Right click, and you get the option to put time signatures, key changes, or tempo changes. Do the same for the next bar to set it back "to normal".

Thanks. While I am a precision-oriented person and tried several variations, I will focus on your suggestion and see if I was simply being a bone-head in my mouse positioning.

[MusicalTechie]

I have also tried this to confirm what the other posters have shown on Time Signature changes:
download/file.php?mode=view&id=37224

Thanks... the images help. Will do my best to retry my effort and respond back.

[fde101]

If you miss and get the time signature change too late in the measure/bar it seems to take effect at the next one; the DAW does snap the time signature to the start of the next bar if there is already one in the current bar, and if you were slightly before the next measure then that would cause the one in the previous measure to effectively be ignored because the one in the next measure would set it back.

You can hit the target more easily if you have snapping turned on in the transport section.