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
The same modifier hierarchy applies, but to notes instead of clips:
| Modifier | Timeline (Clips) | Piano Roll (Notes) |
|---|
| (none) | Cursor movement | Navigate notes |
| ⇧ | Extend marquee | 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 selected note(s) (1 octave) |
| ⌘⌃ | Transpose note(s) (1 semitone) |
⌃↑ / ⌃↓ only apply in the MIDI piano roll and only when one or more notes are selected. They transpose by ±12 semitones, clamp pitches to the MIDI range 0...127, participate in undo, and have no dedicated action outside piano roll focus mode.
Note Editing (Keyboard)
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Delete Notes | ⌫ |
| Duplicate Notes | ⌘D |
| Select All Notes | ⌘A |
| Transpose Selected Notes by Octave | ⌃↑ / ⌃↓ |
| 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 & Slices
Letter keys play MIDI notes or trigger audio slices without any modifier. See the dedicated Musical Typing page for full keyboard layouts (Scale / Piano / Drums) and slice triggering.
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 |
Automation (Curves)
The Automation Focus Mode uses the same modifier hierarchy for editing automation points on parameter curves.
Point Navigation
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Select next point | → |
| Select previous point | ← |
→ jumps to the first point of the next automation clip. Similarly, ← at the first point jumps to the previous clip.
Cursor & Marquee
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Cursor horizontal (1 grid) | ⌘←/→ |
| Cursor vertical (1/8 value) | ⌘↑/↓ |
| Cursor horizontal (fine) | ⌘⌥←/→ |
| Extend marquee horizontal | ⌘⇧←/→ |
| Extend marquee vertical | ⌘⇧↑/↓ |
| Extend marquee horizontal (fine) | ⌘⇧⌥←/→ |
Moving Points
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Move horizontal (1 grid) | ⌘⌃←/→ |
| Move vertical (1/8 value) | ⌘⌃↑/↓ |
| Move horizontal (fine) | ⌘⌃⌥←/→ |
| Move vertical (fine, 1/16 value) | ⌘⌃⌥↑/↓ |
Point Editing (Keyboard)
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Delete selected points | Return |
| Exit Automation Mode | Escape |
Point Editing (Mouse)
| Action | Result |
|---|
| Click on point | Select point |
| ⇧+Click on point | Add/remove from selection |
| Double-click on point | Delete point |
| ⌥+Click on point | Delete point |
| Drag point | Move (with grid snap) |
| ⌥+Drag point | Move (fine, no snap) |
Creating Points
| Action | Modifier | Result |
|---|
| Double-click on empty area | (none) | Create new point |
| Click on empty area | ⌘ | Create new point |
Step Recording
When Automation Focus Mode is active, recording is armed, and the transport is stopped, the number keys insert automation points directly at the cursor position:
| Key | Value |
|---|
1 | 10% |
2 | 20% |
3 | 30% |
4 | 40% |
5 | 50% |
6 | 60% |
7 | 70% |
8 | 80% |
9 | 90% |
0 | 100% |
Non-reassignable shortcut: The 0–9 step recording keys are processed directly and are not part of the Command Palette system. They cannot be customized via Settings → Shortcuts. The same applies to clip volume keys (1–9, 0 on the main timeline), audio slice playback keys, transient nudge (, / .), and Musical Typing.
Grid Snapping
- Horizontal: Points snap to the current grid (same as MIDI notes)
- Vertical: Points snap to an 8-step grid (0%, 12.5%, 25%, … 100%)
- Option: Fine mode — free positioning without grid snap
