Overview
The timeline is the central workspace. Tracks are stacked vertically, clips are arranged horizontally against a beat/bar ruler. Standard operations — drag, trim, split, copy, paste — work as expected.
Track Model
Each track has a single sound source — either an audio sample or an Audio Unit instrument — followed by an effects chain. One source, one chain, one output.
Groups act as summing buses for their child tracks. They appear in the sidebar track list but not as rows in the timeline — only tracks that contain clips are shown.
Zoom Levels
The timeline uses three fixed vertical zoom levels instead of free zoom:
| Mode | Shortcut | Description |
|---|
| Normal | — | Default track heights |
| Compact | ⌥↑ | Minimal track height for arrangement overview |
| Focus | ⌥↓ | Single clip expanded for detailed editing |
Focus Mode
Double-click a clip or press ⌥↓ to enter Focus Mode. This opens inline editing for piano roll, transient markers, and slice playback. Press Escape or ⌥↑ to return to the arrangement view.
Looping
A loop region repeats a section during playback. Toggle looping with ⌘L. Use ⌘⇧L to enable looping and zoom to the selected region. Looping is also used for loop recording.
Clip Creation & Deletion
Hold ⌘ and click on an empty area to create or stamp clips. The behavior depends on context:
| Context | Result |
|---|
| No clip selected | Creates a new clip (empty MIDI pattern or full-length sample) |
| Clip selected, compatible track | Stamps a linked duplicate of the selected clip |
Grid & Snapping
The grid resolution adapts to the horizontal zoom level. All operations snap to the grid by default. Hold Option while dragging for half-step precision.
Groove
A groove template shifts the timing grid to create swing or shuffle feels. Configure groove in the transport bar popover:
- Template — 35 presets across categories: Swing, Triplet, Hip-Hop, Funk, Breakbeat, and Complex
- Amount — 0–100% intensity of the groove offset
The grid visually adjusts in real time as you change the amount. Clips and notes are stored at straight positions internally and rendered at their grooved positions.
For all timeline shortcuts, see the Timeline Shortcuts reference.Last modified on March 9, 2026
