User Guide

Getting Started

Initialize a Module

When you first open the app, go to the Library tab. You'll see the Library Archive — a rack of artist modules. Tap Initialize New Module to add your first artist.

Each module card shows the artist name, song count, and set count. From the card you have two options:

• Engage Set — jump straight into performance mode by picking a setlist for that artist
• Edit (pencil icon) — open the artist's library to manage songs, sets, and shows

Navigation

The app has three main areas, accessible from the header (desktop) or the bottom bar (mobile):

Once inside an artist's library, sub-tabs let you switch between Songs, Sets, and Shows. Tap the back arrow in the header to return to the artist list.

The Metronome

The TEMPO tab is always accessible from anywhere in the app.

Starting and Stopping

Tap the large circular button to start and stop the metronome. It glows ▶ Amber when stopped and ■ Red when playing. The beat indicator dots at the top flash in time, with beat one accented brighter.

Setting the Tempo

• Use the −1 / +1 buttons for fine adjustments
• Use the −5 / +5 buttons for coarse adjustments
• Tap TAP TEMPO repeatedly in time with your song — the app averages your last 4–8 taps and resets after 3 seconds of no input

On desktop, a VU needle shows your tempo position across the full range.

Time Signature

Tap any preset (4/4, 3/4, 6/8, 7/8, 5/4, 12/8) to switch instantly. On mobile, only the three most common presets are shown.

Click Sounds & Volume

Choose between Beep, Woodblock, and Cowbell. On desktop, use the Master Vol fader to adjust loudness and the Pitch fader to shift all sounds up or down by semitones.

To practice silently, tap the Audio Online button at the bottom of the panel to toggle mute — the beat dots still flash so you can follow the tempo visually.

Song Starter

The Song Starter plays a short count-in click then stops automatically — useful for giving your band the tempo before a song without the click running throughout.

• Choose how many bars to count in: 1, 2, 4, or 8 bars (desktop presets), or use the +/− buttons on mobile
• Tap the ▶ Count N Bars button to trigger the count-in
• The LED dot beside the SONG_STARTER label lights up while counting is active
• The Song Starter and the regular play button are independent — starting the regular metronome does not affect the starter, and vice versa
• To stop a count-in mid-way, tap the starter button again (it shows ■ Stop while counting)

Gap Click (Practice)

Gap Click alternates between click bars and silent bars — a classic practice technique to test whether you can keep time without the metronome. This feature is available on desktop only.

• Toggle it ON and set how many bars to click, then how many bars to stay silent
• The display shows ● CLICK PHASE or ○ SILENT PHASE so you always know where you are

Recent Sessions

Below the main metronome panel, a Recent Sessions rack shows the last 4 songs added to your library. Tap any card to instantly load that song's BPM and time signature into the metronome — useful for quickly revisiting a song you were just working on.

Building Your Song Library

From the Library Archive, tap Edit on an artist module to enter the library. Select the Songs sub-tab.

Adding Songs

Tap + Add Track to create a song. Fill in:

• Title — the song name
• BPM — the tempo (1–300)
• Time Sig — e.g. 4/4, 3/4, 6/8
• Notes — anything useful: key, capo position, cues, reminders

Loading a Song to the Metronome

Tap the ▶ play icon on any song row to instantly load its BPM and time signature into the metronome.

Searching and Filtering

Use the search box to find songs by title. Use the BPM min/max fields to filter by tempo range — useful for finding all your slow songs or high-energy ones.

Grid View

Tap Grid to edit your song library as a spreadsheet. Click any cell to edit it, press Tab to move between columns, and press Enter to add a new row. Drag the ⠿ handle to reorder. Tap Save all when done.

Importing from a Spreadsheet

If you already have your songs in Excel or a CSV file:

1. Tap Import
2. Drop your file or tap to browse
3. The app will try to match your column headers automatically
4. If it doesn't match, use the dropdowns to map which column is Title, BPM, etc.
5. Review the preview — problem rows are highlighted
6. Choose Add to library (keeps existing songs) or Replace library (starts fresh)
7. Tap Import

Building Sets and Setlists

SetTempo organises your live material in layers:

Step 1 — Create Sets

Go to Library → Sets and tap New Set. Give it a name (e.g. "Set 1", "Acoustic Set", "Encore").

Tap the set row to open the Set Editor, then tap + Add Song to build the song order. Drag the ⠿ handle to reorder. Use the Shuffle button to randomise the order, or Clear to empty the set.

Overriding a song's tempo for a set: Tap any song row in the Set Editor to open the entry editor. You can set a local BPM, time signature, or notes that apply only in this set. The app will ask whether to apply the change to this entry only or update the song globally. Overridden values are highlighted in amber.

Step 2 — Create a Show

Go to Library → Shows and tap New Show. Give it a name (e.g. "The Venue — March 2026") and an optional date.

Step 3 — Create a Setlist

Open a show and tap + New Setlist. Give it a name (e.g. "Main Setlist" or "Backup").

Step 4 — Add Sets to the Setlist

Open the setlist and tap + Add Set. Pick sets from your Set Library. You can reuse the same set across multiple shows — edit the set once and all shows update automatically.

If you need a show to have its own independent version of a set, choose Add as local copy instead.

Performance Mode

When you're ready to take the stage, tap Engage Set on any artist module card in the Library Archive, or tap the ▶ Perform button in the header (desktop). Choose which setlist to perform.

What You See

• The current song name — displayed as 01. TITLE in large seven-segment display style
• BPM in large amber digits, with the time signature below
• The next cue shown in the song info bar
• Shift − and Shift + buttons to move to the previous or next song

Starting Songs

• Tap ▶ START_PRECISION to trigger the song starter count-in for the current song, then stop (or auto-advance, depending on your Config setting)
• Tap ■ PANIC STOP to immediately stop the metronome
• Tap Arm Next Track to advance to the next song in the setlist

Auto Mode

Toggle AUTO in the top bar to have the metronome start automatically each time you advance to a new song (uses the Auto-Start setting from Config).

Config (Settings)

Tap the CONFIG tab to access settings and data management.

Performance Config

Two toggles control how the metronome behaves during live performance:

• Auto-Start Metronome — when enabled, the metronome starts automatically each time you advance to a new song in Performance Mode
• Auto-Advance After Intro — when enabled, the app automatically moves to the next song in the setlist when the Song Starter count-in finishes. When disabled, the click stops and waits for you to advance manually.

A live System Log panel shows a record of setting changes and data operations during your session.

Backup & Restore

• Export Current Artist — saves just the selected artist's data as a JSON file
• Export All Data — saves everything as a JSON file

Restore

• Set the import mode: Merge adds the backup data alongside what's already there; Replace wipes everything first
• Tap Select JSON File… and pick your backup

Moving to a New Device

1. Export your data on the old device (Config → Export All Data)
2. Open SetTempo on the new device
3. Go to Config → Import, set mode to Merge, select the file

Spreadsheet Templates

Download an XLSX or CSV template from Config → Templates to prepare songs for bulk import via the Library's Import function.

Account & Sync

An account is optional — SetTempo works completely offline without one. Sign in to sync your library across devices using the same email address.

Signing In

SetTempo uses passwordless sign-in (magic link). No password or account creation required.

1. Tap the sensors icon in the top-right header
2. Enter your email address and tap Send Link
3. Check your email for a sign-in link and tap it — you'll be returned to the app automatically

Syncing Your Library

Sync is manual — it runs when you tap Sync Now in the account panel. It works both ways:

• Push — any locally added or changed records since your last sync are uploaded to the server
• Pull — any records added or changed on another device since your last sync are downloaded into your local library

The panel shows when you last synced. Deleted items (soft-deleted) are also synced, so deletions propagate across devices.

Sync Status Indicator

When signed in, the sensors icon shows a small ● amber LED dot. Tap it to open the account panel. The panel shows your email, last sync time, and a spinning icon while a sync is in progress.

Signing Out

When signed in, a power icon appears next to the sensors button. Tap it to sign out. Your local data is untouched — signing out only ends the server session on this device.

Installing as an App

SetTempo is a Progressive Web App — install it on your device for one-tap access and full offline use, without going through an app store.

• iPhone/iPad: Open in Safari → tap the Share button → Add to Home Screen
• Android: Open in Chrome → tap the menu (⋮) → Add to Home Screen or Install app
• Mac/PC: Open in Chrome or Edge → look for the install icon (⊕) in the address bar

Once installed, it works exactly like a native app, even with no internet connection.

Tips for Live Use

• Build your setlist before the show, not at soundcheck
• Enable Auto-Advance After Intro in Config so the app automatically loads the next song after the count-in — one less thing to think about on stage
• Add notes to songs for things you always forget: "CAPO 3 — count in quietly — full band on bar 2"
• Use the Engage Set button on your artist card to skip directly from the Library Archive to the stage without navigating sub-tabs
• Export and email yourself a setlist PDF as a backup in case your phone dies
• The screen stays on automatically in Performance Mode, but plug in if it's a long set
• The Song Starter and regular play button are independent — you can tap Song Starter while the metronome is running to stop and begin a count-in for the next song