Entry & Exit
Double-click a clip to enter Focus Mode for detailed editing:
| Clip Type | Focus Mode |
|---|
| MIDI | Piano Roll editor |
| Audio | Slice/Transient editor |
| Automation | Curve editor |
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Enter Focus Mode | ⌥↓ or Double-click |
| Exit Focus Mode | Escape or ⌥↑ |
| Focus Next Clip | Tab |
| Focus Previous Clip | ⇧Tab |
MIDI (Piano Roll)
The Piano Roll uses the same modifier conventions as the main timeline, but applied to MIDI notes instead of clips.
Modifier Mapping
| Modifier | Timeline (Clips) | Piano Roll (Notes) |
|---|
| (none) | Navigate clips | Navigate notes |
| ⇧ | Multi-select clips | Multi-select notes |
| ⌘⌃ | Move clips | Move notes |
Note Navigation
Horizontal (←/→)
| Modifier | Action |
|---|
| (none) | Select next/previous note (by start time) |
| ⇧ | Add note to selection |
| ⌘⌃ | Move note(s) (1 grid division) |
Vertical (↑/↓)
| Modifier | Action |
|---|
| (none) | Select note with higher/lower pitch |
| ⇧ | Add note to selection |
| ⌘⌃ | Transpose note(s) (1 semitone) |
Note Editing (Keyboard)
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Delete Notes | ⌫ |
| Duplicate Notes | ⌘D |
| Select All Notes | ⌘A |
| Copy | ⌘C |
| Paste (at playhead) | ⌘V |
| Cut | ⌘X |
| Exit Piano Roll | Escape |
Note Editing (Mouse)
| Action | Result |
|---|
| Click on note | Select note |
| ⇧+Click on note | Add/remove from selection |
| Double-click on note | Delete note |
| Right-click on note | Delete note |
| Right-click + drag | Eraser (delete multiple) |
| Drag note | Move note (with grid snap) |
| Drag note edge | Change duration |
Creating Notes
| Action | Modifier | Result |
|---|
| Click on empty area | (none) | Set cursor, start marquee |
| Drag on empty area | (none) | Create marquee selection |
| Click on empty area | ⌘ | Create new note |
| Drag on empty area | ⌘ | Create note + set duration |
Brush ModeHold ⌘ to enter brush mode. A ghost note appears under your cursor showing where the note will be placed. Click to create, or drag to set the note’s duration.
Musical Typing
When a MIDI or Instrument track is focused, letter keys play notes without any modifier. The layout is scale-based:
Upper row (+1 octave): Q W [E] R T Y U I O P
Middle row (base): A S [D] F G H J K L
Lower row (-1 octave): [C] V B N M
↑
Root aligned vertically
Key Points
- Three rows = 3 octaves relative to the base octave
- Root notes are vertically aligned: C (bottom), D (middle), E (top)
- Each key plays a scale degree of the selected scale
- No black/white key distinction — only notes in the current scale are played
Octave Selection
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Octave Down | Z |
| Octave Up | X |
Configuration
Set Key, Scale, and Octave in the Project sidebar (⌘5):
- Key: Root note (C, C#, D, … B)
- Scale: Scale type (Major, Minor, Pentatonic, etc.)
- Octave: Base octave (1–7)
Musical typing is automatically disabled during text input (renaming, search, etc.) and works across keyboard layouts (QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY).
Audio (Slices)
Letter keys trigger slices directly without any modifier:
Upper row: Q W E R T Y U I O P
Middle row: A S D F G H J K L
Lower row: [Z] [X] C V B N M
↑ page ↑ first slice
Z and X switch between pages of slices when there are more slices than keys.
Playback Behavior
- Monophonic: Playing a new slice stops the previous one
- No retrigger: Holding a key plays the slice once (doesn’t loop)
- Selection persists: After release, the slice remains selected for editing
- Auto-scroll: View scrolls to show the slice marker if off-screen
Slice Definition
- Slice 0: From clip start to first transient
- Slice 1: From first transient to second transient
- Slice 2: From second transient to third transient
- And so on…
Slices are defined by transient markers. Use ⌘⇧E on the main timeline to split a clip at all transients, creating separate clips from each slice.
Transient Marker Editing
After playing a slice, you can nudge its start marker:
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Move marker left (1ms) | , (comma) |
| Move marker right (1ms) | . (period) |
Workflow
- Press a slice key — slice plays and becomes selected
- Release the key — slice stays selected
- Press
, or . — start marker of that slice moves
Slice 0 has no start marker (it begins at the clip start), so nudging only works for Slice 1 and higher.
Splitting at Transients
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Split Clip at All Transients | ⌘⇧E |
