MIDI Recording

MIDI tracks always record the MIDI In Device(s) and/or the Onscreen MIDI Keyboard, regardless of the type of MIDI instrument being used. If the Autodetect Keyboard option is enabled (default) your keyboard's MIDI channel will be detected automatically. If necessary you can set the channel used in the instrument's user interface.

The Pro Plus edition features a built-in MIDI merger that merges all data that's being received on any of the MIDI In Devices (up to four of them can be used, see devices). Make sure your keyboards are using different channels in order to avoid problems.

You can undo MIDI-recording using the track editor's Undo button.

Note: If the MIDI file contains multiple streams ('tracks' in MIDI terms) all streams will be recording. Using multiple streams is not recommended.

Onscreen MIDI Keyboard

The onscreen keyboard can be used to play MIDI instruments, it works just like a MIDI In Device. Not only does it offer a keyboard layout, but a drum layout and various string layouts as well. It can be made visible using the button in the bottom-right corner of the window.

Keyboard

Bass

Drum

The onscreen keyboard can be used with a touchscreen. A multi-touch screen lets you play multiple notes simultaneously, and also makes monophonic parts easier to play. The number of fingers which can be used simultaneously solely depends on the touchscreen and its driver. Multi-touch support requires Windows 7.

Using the computer keyboard is possible as well. The onscreen keyboard provides suitable shortcut keys for various international keyboard layouts automatically. The shortcuts are not visible in touchscreen mode. The number of keys which can be played simultaneously solely depends on the keyboard hardware, three keys typically isn't a problem.

The mouse works as well, but it isn't really suited to playing music.

The fader on the left controls volume (MIDI controller 7). It can be moved while playing the keyboard if you're using a multi-touch screen.

The keyboard and string layout support finger vibrato when using a touchscreen. The Options button lets you to turn it on. The string instruments support string bends, this requires a multi-touch screen. Only monophonic parts can be played while finger vibrato or string bends are enabled. Both finger vibrato and string bends generate MIDI pitch events.

The drum layout uses GM instrument mapping. You can perform hihat pedal movements on a touchscreen: put a finger on the HH Open pad to hit it with a stick. Then move the finger to the FF Close pad to close it with the pedal.

Note: the onscreen keyboard's timing may not be as accurate as you'd expect from a real MIDI keyboard.

Keyboard Splitter

Keyboard Splitter window

If you want to play two instruments using only one keyboard you can use the Keyboard Splitter, which is available from the Recording options menu. The Keyboard Splitter splits a MIDI keyboard in a left and right hand part. MIDI messages on one channel are intercepted and separated. All notes below the split note are routed to the left hand channel. All other notes and all controller events are routed to the right hand channel. Each output channel can be transposed up to three octaves up or down.

Autodetect Keyboard

If the Recording options menu's Autodetect Keyboard option is active (this is the default setting) recording MIDI tracks will respond to messages on all channels. This means that you won't have to worry about the actual MIDI channel being used, it just works.

The Autodetect Keyboard feature will disable itself automatically if there are multiple recording MIDI tracks and they're not all recording the same channel. This means that you won't have to turn it of in order to be able to record two tracks using two keyboards.

You can turn Autodetect Keyboard off if data is coming in on multiple MIDI channels and you don't want to record all of them.