Audio/MIDI multitrack recording software
MultitrackStudio
Manual : Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard Shortcuts (Mac)

Transport

These shortcuts work in the main window, effect/instrument windows and editor windows:
  • Home or Option-Left Arrow: Go to start of song.
  • End or Option-Right Arrow: Go to end of song.
  • Space Bar: Toggle transport start/stop.
  • Shift-Space Bar: Start at last start position (if transport stopped), Stop and move to start position (if transport running).
  • Left/Right Arrow: Rewind/Fast Forward.
    Several modifier keys can be used combined with the left/right arrow keys:
    • Command: Walk through history of recent start positions (and the last stop position if transport is stopped). These positions are also available from the Transport menu.
    • R: To last recording start/end.
    • M: To previous/next Marker.
    • L: To loop start/end point.
    • B: To previous/next bar.
    • Shift-B: To previous/next beat.
    • S: One second backward/forward.
    • I: One minute backward/forward.
    • Q: One quarter hour backward/forward.
    • H: One hour backward/forward.
    • Ctrl: Move one pixel in the editors. The actual amount of time depends on the zoom level.
  • Page Up/Down: Move one editor page. The actual amount of time depends on the zoom level and the window width.
  • Command-L: Toggle Loop button.
  • F6: Loop selected part of focused track.
  • F7: Set looping region start point.
  • F8: Set looping region end point.
  • L+Space Bar: Engage the Loop button and start transport.
  • Command--: Zoom Out.
  • Command-+: Zoom In.
  • Shift-Command-R: Toggle Automation Recording button.
  • Shift-Command-T: Toggle Automation Touch Mode button.
These work in the main window only:
  • Option-M: Add Marker.
  • Option-Command-V: Show/Hide VariSpeed control (Pro edition only).

Main Window

  • Command-S: Save song.
  • Command-I: Show System Preferences audio settings.
  • Command-J: Toggle Soft Monitoring.
  • Command-P: Toggle Punch In/Out recording.
  • Option-Command-P: Toggle Sound On Sound recording.
  • Command-T: Add empty track.
  • Option-Command-A: Add Audio Track.
  • Option-Command-M: Add MIDI Track.
  • Option-Command-I: Import audio/MIDI file.
  • Option-T: Alternate Take, add Shift to avoid rewinding.
  • Option-Command-T: Alternate Take (in new tracks), add Shift to avoid rewinding.
  • Command-Y: Show Delay Before Recording window.
  • Command-K: Show Keyboard Mapper window.
  • Command-R: Toggle Ripple button.
  • Command-G: Toggle Snap button.
  • Command-B: Toggle Bars button.
  • Command-F: Toggle Follow button.
  • Command-E: Show Tempo / Time Signature Editor.
  • Option-Command-E: Show Song Editor.
  • Command-U: Show Multi MIDI Editor with all MIDI tracks.
  • Option-Command-U: Show Multi MIDI Editor with MIDI tracks that have same color as focused track.
  • Option-Command-C: Show Chords Editor.
  • Option-Command-L: Show Lyrics Editor.
  • Command-O: Show Audio Output Control.
  • Command-D: Show Devices window.
  • Ctrl-Command-F: Enter / exit full screen mode.
  • Command-,: Show Preferences window.
  • Shift-Command-?: Open Help menu, including an item that shows help on the control under the mouse pointer in the active window.
  • Command-M: Minimize window.
  • Up/Down Arrow: Scroll mixer sections up/down. Add Command key to scroll one page. In Multi Column Rack mode (see Preferences) these keys scroll one section's width left or right.
  • Ctrl-A: Open Add Track menu.
  • Ctrl-B: Edit BPM box.
  • Ctrl-E: Open Edit menu.
  • Ctrl-I: Edit Time Sig box.
  • Ctrl-L: Open Songlist menu (if songlist bar is visible).
  • Ctrl-N: Open transport position menu.
  • Ctrl-Q: Open Tempo menu.
  • Ctrl-R: Open Recording menu.
  • Ctrl-S: Open Song menu.
  • Ctrl-U: Open Studio menu.
  • Ctrl-W: Edit transport position box.
  • Ctrl-X: Open Mix Down menu.
  • Ctrl-Z: Open editor zoom factor selector.

The mixer section which has focus responds to keyboard shortcuts. A dot appears on the left hand side of the mixer section indicating it is focused. Tab and Shift-Tab can be used to move focus. Clicking a section (including any of its controls) will focus that section as well.

Focus indicator (left) and Pan knob after pressing Ctrl-P (right).
Focus indicator (left) and Pan knob after pressing Ctrl-P (right).

There are keyboard shortcuts for Volume faders and rotary knobs as well. An edit field appears in which a new value can be typed. Pressing Enter accepts the new value, Esc discards it.
Instead of typing a value you can use the up/down arrow keys to move the control. Note that you'll have to press Esc to accept this value, since Enter accepts the edit field's value.

  • Tab/Shift-Tab: Focus next/previous section. Add Ctrl key to focus last / first section.
  • Ctrl-C: Toggle Rec button focused track.
  • Ctrl-D: Open editor focused track.
  • Ctrl-F: Open file menu focused track.
  • Ctrl-M: Toggle Mute button focused section.
  • Ctrl-O: Toggle Solo button focused section (Mono on Master section).
  • Ctrl-P: Edit pan knob focused track.
  • Ctrl-Y: Toggle Play button focused track.
  • Ctrl-V: Edit volume slider focused track.
  • Ctrl-1: Edit effect send 1 knob focused track (2= second effect send etc.).
  • Ctrl-F1: Open first slot (effect/instrument) focused section.
  • Ctrl-F2: Open second slot focused section.
  • Ctrl-F3: Open third slot focused section.
Note: macOS may override the Ctrl-function key shortcuts.
  • E-Up Arrow: Close all editors. Collapses all mixer sections if all editors are closed already.
  • E-Down Arrow: Expand all mixer sections. Opens editor of focused track if all mixer sections are expanded already.
  • E-Left Arrow: Temporarily switch off the "Align Editors with Editor Preview panes" option, this expands the editors to the left.
  • E-Right Arrow: Temporarily switch on the "Align Editors with Editor Preview panes" option, this shrinks the editors to the right.
    The E-Left Arrow and E-Right Arrow options don't change the setting in the Preferences window.

Editors

Most editors can be operated using the standard macOS keyboard shortcuts. A track editor can only be controlled using keyboard shortcuts if the track has focus.
The following shortcuts are supported:

  • Command-/: Edit
  • Command-Z: Undo
  • Shift-Command-Z: Redo
  • Command-X: Cut
  • Command-C: Copy
  • Command-V: Paste
  • Delete: Delete
  • Command-A: Select All
  • Shift-Command-I: Make punch-in point equal to transport position
  • Shift-Command-O: Make punch-out point equal to transport position
  • Shift-Left/Right Arrow: Shift editors left/right while keeping transport position
  • Option: Temporarily switch between Select Notes/Dots and Add mode

The Multi MIDI Editor also features:

  • Up/Down Arrow: scroll up/down. Add Command key to scroll all the way up/down.
  • Tab / Shift-Tab: make next/previous track active.
  • Option-M: Move selected notes to active track.

Chords/Lyrics editors:

  • Tab / Shift-Tab: to next/previous bar.
  • Command--: Zoom Out.
  • Command-+: Zoom In.

Add Audio Track window

  • Command-M: Mono
  • Command-S: Stereo
  • Command-N: Show # of tracks box (Pro edition only).
  • Ctrl-T: Open Type selector.
  • Ctrl-C: Open Channels selector.
  • Ctrl-Q: Open Quality selector.

Effect/Instrument selectors

  • Command-R: Rescan CLAP / VST plugins.

Effect/Instrument windows

  • Command-F: Show effect/instrument selector
  • Command-R: Reset Level History (Compressor, Dynamics, Noisegate), Reset spectrum averaging (EQ), Reload plugin (AU / CLAP / VST plugin window).
  • Command-M: Reset custom remote control knob mappings
  • S+Left Arrow: Close this window and open the first slot on the left that isn't empty.
  • S+Right Arrow: Close this window and open the first slot on the right that isn't empty.
  • Ctrl-B: Toggle effect Bypass button.
  • Ctrl-C: Edit instrument Channel box.
  • Ctrl-M: Toggle sidechain effect Monitor button.
  • Ctrl-P: Open Presets menu.
  • Ctrl-F1: Open sidechain effect sidechain source menu.

MultitrackStudio Instruments window

  • Up/Down Arrow: Step through available instruments.

SoundFont Player window

  • Up/Down Arrow: Step through presets provided by current soundfont.

External MIDI Instrument window

  • Up/Down Arrow: Step through available patches.

Mouse modifier keys

Mouse modifier keys change the effect of a mouse click if you keep the key down while clicking.

Standard modifier keys

  • Command (while selecting): Select item without deselecting existing items (MIDI editor notes, track Solo buttons)
  • Option (while dragging): Copy item instead of move it (editors and effect slots)

Transport

  • Option (on Overview Bar thumb): drag to select looping region and start transport
  • Shift (on Start button): Start at last start position
  • S (on Start button): Re-Arm (engage the Rec buttons of the last recorded tracks)
  • T (on counter): Show text edit box to type new value

Rotary Knobs

  • A: Show automation editor
  • T: Show text edit box to type new value
  • C: Move to center position

Faders

  • A: Show automation editor
  • T: Show text edit box to type new value

Effect Slots

  • B: Toggle effect's Bypass button
  • A: Open all slots in the same group of slots (eg. all slots in a track, or in a Multi Effect etc.)

Track buttons

The Play, Rec, Mute, Edit and collapse buttons of all tracks will be toggled if you keep the 'A' (or Command) key down while clicking a button.
You can use the 'C' (or Option) key to toggle same-color tracks only. This also works with the Solo buttons.

'A' and 'C' can also be used on Editor Preview panes, and on collapsed tracks.

Note: you can use Click..Shift-Click to toggle any range (click a button on the first track, and then shift-click the same button on the last track).

Editor Time Bars

  • Option: drag to select looping region and start transport

Audio/MIDI editors

  • Command (on edges selected part): Stretch selected part
  • Command (in selected part): Warp selected part

Pianoroll, Score and Drum editor notes

  • V: Velocity of note
  • D: Duration of note
  • S: Sharpen note (one semitone up)
  • F: Flatten note (one semitone down)
  • Q: Quantize note (move it to the current grid)
  • L: Legato (extend duration to next note)
  • R: Remove (delete) note
  • T: Transpose note one octave up or down
  • X: eXpand to chord (eg. click a C and select major: an E and a G will be added)
  • 1: make it a whole note
  • 2: make it a half note
  • 3: make it a quarter note
  • 4: make it an 8th note
  • 5: make it a 16th note
  • 6: make it a 32nd note
  • A: add/remove dot (score only)
  • Shift: ignore the Snap button, so you can add/move notes anywhere
  • M: move to active color (Multi MIDI Editor pianoroll)

The V, D, T and X mouse modifiers pop up a small selector, which will disappear when you release the mouse button. You can select an item by moving the mouse while the mouse button is still down.
The Drum Editor doesn't support mouse modifiers which don't make sense for percussion instruments (like Duration, Sharpen, Expand to chord etc.).

The 1..6 and A modifiers can also be used on the score editor's note duration box.

Trackpad gestures

Trackpad gestures can be used in various places.

Two finger swipe:

  • Move mixer sections vertically.
  • Move faders and rotary knobs (only horizontal movements work in main window).
  • Scroll lists.
  • Scroll editors horizontally.
  • Scroll MIDI editors vertically.

Pinch:

  • Zoom editors horizontally.
  • While pointer is over left hand side of editor: zoom editor vertically.

Mouse wheel

The mouse wheel can be used in various places:

  • Move mixer sections vertically.
  • Move faders and rotary knobs (in main window use horizontal movements or add the Shift key).
  • Scroll lists.
  • Scroll MIDI editors vertically.

Combined with Command key:

  • Zoom editors horizontally.
  • While mouse is over left hand side of editor: zoom editor vertically.
  • Zoom Lyrics Prompter.