Seq66 Basic Tutorial Song Editor
The figure at right shows the external Song Editor window (as opposed to the Song tab). It is a bit small, so run `qseq66` (Windows: `qpseq66.exe`) to see the window elements.
Top bar. These controls support undo/redo, follow-progress, zoom, snap, entering "triggers", transposition, and editing the layout. Also shows the time duration of the layout. Time line. Provides for vertical zoom and the markers "L" and "R" for looping. The L/R markers can be moved; a starting position can be set. Names panel. Shows much the same information as does a pattern slot. Shows the mute status. A track can be clicked here to toggle its mute status. The pattern color selected is shown here, helpful in grokking the layouts. Piano roll. The piano roll shows the layout of the patterns in a song. It starts out empty, then one can paint layouts of each track. The layouts can snap to a given resolution, and can be split, moved, or deleted. They show the pattern color. The File / Export / Export song action can be used to save the song in a format that other sequencers can read. Triggers. Triggers control playback: when and how long a pattern plays, and how the pattern is transposed. Triggers allow patterns to be reused in very powerful ways. See `Kraftwerk-Europe_Endless-reconstructed.midi` in the `midi` installation directory. Triggers compress the original MIDI file by a factor of ten. |
Colors. Note that the colors of each layout match the color of the pattern, if a color was assigned.
Song/Performance Editor

This window is packed with functionality. Be sure to try clicking or right clicking on the grid and the various buttons. Hover the mouse cursor over an interface item; often a tool-tip will appear.