midi Timing always doesn't line up

[Ezio Hikari]

References: Target Audio to recreate (includes MIDI for drums in the video's description), Source (Base) Audio, Drum VST I'm using

Important: I've only done very basic audio editing in Audacity (fade transitions, some EQ, and adding some reverb), so basically, ELI5.

So I'm trying to use Cakewalk to line up this MIDI drum track to the source audio to recreate the audio heard in the target audio (or at least, recreate the same parts, since the target audio has an intro section that I can't find a source track anywhere, so I'm just recreating the main part which starts at 0:19 on it). Every time I import the MIDI track, it always seems to be off-timed, especially after transition parts. I've made some subpar amateur patchwork on the MIDI to roughly retime the major parts to where they should be, but it still leaves the entire track feeling wrong on time, not to mention some of the gaps are too big to just leave empty.

Trying to adjust the project BPM to match the original audio's BPM (90) makes the MIDI too slow and long for the audio so I have to work at 179.99 to compensate (which for the most part is fine, but I noticed audio files don't seem to stretch when BPM is changed) (P.S. When I tapped the audio, I found out the BPM is around 178. I'm not sure if this is me or the audio's BPM needs to be stabilized or what.)

Is there any way I can make it easier to adjust the MIDI to match the audio? I can also send the project file if needed, though I'm only working exactly with the things I've listed above.

[azslow3]

"Target audio" (mp3) as well as "Source Audio" have tempo 89BPM (precisely, so not 90). MIDI file has tempo 178 BPM, so double of 89. MIDI file also include tempo, f.e. if you open it "as a project" in Cakewalk, it will set 178.

If you want project in 89 BPM, you should stretch MIDI clip (not the same as trim it).

Note that MIDI always follows tempo since Notes are specified in "beats",  audio is seconds based and it doesn't follow the tempo. So normally when aligning MIDI to audio you start with audio, find its (precise!) tempo (can be variable, but not in this case) and then MIDI is automatically aligned. In this case, for unknown reason, MIDI was created using double tempo and so has to be stretched (precisely).

PS audio can follow tempo when you mark the clip as grooved and set its originally tempo correctly. But that feature is not for your case.