getting that first chord in time.

anyone have advice on this. i'm so accustomed to using midi and being able to just align with ease, that i'm finding audio a bit difficult. i've got a one bar lead in, then the drums come in, and i want to hit the first chord at that same time, but i'm always just short, though if i keep going i manage to get the time right for the rest, it's just that first chord that gets me.

put some clicks before it

pretend to play in the first bar. ie move your arms. This works for many instruments. Just like if your having trouble singing the first note in tune, sing a line before and edit it out.

What everyone else said. Put a click or a drum fill or a bar or two of backbeat in before the song starts. I often put it on another track so it's easier to mute if I want.

thanks for all the tips, i'll give them a shot.

BTW if you go to File/Project Settings/Project Settings you can change the start measure so that you have a bar or more of lead in and your song still starts on measure 1. I usually set the first measure to -2. That gives me one empty measure and two measures count in.