> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gridshift.studio/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Glossary

> The words the docs use, each in one or two sentences, with a link to the page that explains it.

## Most used

| Term | Meaning |
| - | - |
| **Track** | One row of the project with one sound source, an effects chain and a mix stage. See [Tracks](/tracks/tracks.md) and [Tracks, Clips and Sources](/get-started/tracks-clips-sources.md). |
| **Clip** | A region on a track with its own position and length. Editing a clip never changes the file or notes behind it. See [Clips](/arrange/clips.md). |
| **Sound source** | What a track plays: one sample or one instrument. Every track has exactly one. See [Tracks, Clips and Sources](/get-started/tracks-clips-sources.md). |
| **Edit cursor** | Where the next edit, paste or new clip lands. It moves with the arrow keys. See [Cursor, Playhead and Loop](/get-started/cursor-playhead-loop.md). |
| **Playhead** | Where playback is right now. Click the ruler to move it. See [Cursor, Playhead and Loop](/get-started/cursor-playhead-loop.md). |
| **Loop** | The range between the loop braces that repeats while the loop is on (`⌘L`). See [Loop and Locators](/arrange/loop-and-locators.md). |
| **Focus Mode** | One clip opened in place on the timeline for note, slice or curve editing (`⌥↓`). See [Focus Mode](/edit/focus-mode.md). |
| **Command Palette** | The searchable list of every command (`⌘K`). See [Command Palette](/work-fast/command-palette.md). |

## Tracks

| Term | Meaning |
| - | - |
| **Sample track** | A track that plays one audio file, as clips or as slices. See [Tracks](/tracks/tracks.md). |
| **Instrument track** | A track that plays MIDI clips through an Audio Unit instrument, the built-in sampler or an instrument preset. See [Load Instruments and Effects](/sounds/load-instruments-and-effects.md). |
| **Group track** | A sub-mix bus its child tracks play through, with its own effects and mix. It has no row on the timeline. See [Groups](/tracks/groups.md). |
| **Return track** | A shared bus that tracks send into, for one reverb or delay used by many tracks. See [Sends and Returns](/mix/sends-and-returns.md). |
| **Send** | How much of a track's signal goes to a return, tapped Pre-Mix or Post-Mix. See [Sends and Returns](/mix/sends-and-returns.md). |
| **Master** | The final output every track reaches. See [Group Mix and Master Mix](/mix/group-and-master-mix.md). |
| **Automation track (lane)** | A track that holds automation clips, whose curve drives one or more parameters. See [Automation](/mix/automation.md). |
| **Listen Bus** | The monitoring path that carries a monitor profile's gain and correction plugin; it never reaches a bounce. See [Monitor Profiles](/mix/monitor-profiles.md). |
| **Chord track** | The instrument track whose chords other tracks can follow. See [Chord Track](/sounds/chord-track.md). |

## Clips and samples

| Term | Meaning |
| - | - |
| **Audio clip** | A window into a sample track's file, with its own offset, fades, gain and stretch. See [Audio Clips](/edit/audio-clips.md). |
| **MIDI clip** | Notes on an instrument track, edited in the piano roll. See [Piano Roll](/edit/piano-roll.md). |
| **Automation clip** | A 0–1 curve on an automation lane, drawn by hand or generated by an LFO. See [Automation Clips](/edit/automation-clips.md). |
| **Linked clip** | A copy made with `⌘D` that stays the same as its siblings: edit one, all follow. See [Linked Clips](/arrange/linked-clips.md). |
| **Clip gain** | A clip's own level, set relative to its peak with the number keys. See [Clip Gain](/arrange/clip-gain.md). |
| **Transient marker** | A detected or hand-placed hit in a sample, where a slice starts. See [Slices](/samples/slices.md). |
| **Slice** | The span of a sample from one transient marker to the next, playable from a key. See [Slices](/samples/slices.md). |
| **Stems** | The parts a mix or drum loop is split into: vocals, drums, bass, other, or kick, snare, cymbals. See [Stems](/samples/stems.md). |
| **Warp** | Time-stretching a sample to the project tempo, **Punchy** (as slices) or **Smooth** (continuous). See [Time-Stretching](/timing/time-stretching.md). |
| **Pattern** | A MIDI file in the library that you stamp onto a track. See [Patterns](/sounds/patterns.md). |
| **Marquee** | A selected time range across tracks, made by dragging on empty space. See [Clips](/arrange/clips.md). |
| **Locator** | A named marker in the ruler that labels a song section (`⌥L`). See [Loop and Locators](/arrange/loop-and-locators.md). |

## Playing and recording

| Term | Meaning |
| - | - |
| **Musical Typing** | Playing notes or slices from the letter keys. See [Play with the Keyboard](/work-fast/play-with-the-keyboard.md). |
| **Keys Layout / Controller Layout** | How the letter keys, or a hardware controller, map to notes: Scale, Piano, Drums or Follow. See [Play with the Keyboard](/work-fast/play-with-the-keyboard.md) and [Play a MIDI Controller](/controllers/play-a-controller.md). |
| **Record mode** | `⇪` on: step entry with the transport stopped, live recording while it plays. See [Record MIDI](/record/record-midi.md). |
| **MIDI Capture** | What you played without recording, kept and placed with `⇧C`. See [MIDI Capture](/record/midi-capture.md). |
| **Groove** | The swing and feel notes, quantized slices and the metronome follow. See [Groove](/timing/groove.md). |
| **Quantize** | Moving clip starts and notes to the grid (`⌘U`). See [Quantize](/timing/quantize.md). |
| **Pitch Snap** | Which rows a note may land on in the piano roll: Off, Scale or Chord. See [Pitch Snap](/edit/pitch-snap.md). |

## Mixing and output

| Term | Meaning |
| - | - |
| **Mix section** | A track's volume, stereo, mono-below, pan, mix filter and clipper in the Inspector. See [Track Mix](/mix/track-mix.md). |
| **Ducking** | A drawn volume dip on one track, fired by another track's clips or notes, with no plugin. See [Ducking](/mix/ducking.md). |
| **Sidechain** | A plugin listening to another track's audio, MIDI or trigger impulses. See [Sidechain](/mix/sidechain.md). |
| **Monitor profile** | One listening setup: output device, channel pair, gain and correction plugin (`⌘P`). See [Monitor Profiles](/mix/monitor-profiles.md). |
| **Zero Latency Monitoring** | Bypassing latency-adding plugins while you play, so what you hear has no delay. See [Zero Latency Monitoring](/record/zero-latency-monitoring.md). |
| **Bounce in place** | Rendering selected clips with their effects to a new sample track (`⌘B`). See [Bounce and Export](/mix/bounce-and-export.md). |
| **Flatten** | Replacing a track with its rendered audio while its mixer stays live (`⌥F`). See [Bounce and Export](/mix/bounce-and-export.md). |

## Window and library

| Term | Meaning |
| - | - |
| **Sidebar** | The track list on the left. See [The Window](/get-started/the-window.md). |
| **Inspector** | The panel of tabs for the selected track and project (`⌘1` / `⌘2`). See [The Window](/get-started/the-window.md). |
| **Plugin Strip** | The row of effect cards for the selected track (`⌘3`). See [Plugin Strip](/sounds/plugin-strip.md). |
| **Info Bar** | The line at the bottom that names the control under the pointer (`?`). See [The Window](/get-started/the-window.md). |
| **Sample Library** | Your own samples, patterns and presets, searchable and synced (`⌘Y`). See [Sample Library](/library/sample-library.md). |
| **Collection** | A named set of samples, presets or projects; an item can sit in several. See [Organize Samples](/library/organize-samples.md). |
| **Smart Search** | Finding samples by how they sound, not their name. See [Smart Search](/library/smart-search.md). |
| **Instrument preset** | An instrument with its MIDI effects and effect chain, saved to reuse. See [Instrument Presets](/sounds/instrument-presets.md). |
| **Version** | A saved snapshot of the project with an audio preview (`⇧⌘S`). See [Versions](/projects/versions.md). |
| **Assistant (MCP)** | An AI client such as Claude or ChatGPT connected to Gridshift over the Model Context Protocol, reading and changing the open project through its tools. See [Assistants](/assistants/overview.md). |


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