This is a quick reference for composition sheet editing. For more in-depth documentation including tutorials, see the on-line documentation at http://kunquat.org/documentation.
These are some of the essential keys used for composition editing. For more controls, see the tool bar above the notation view, as well as the controls below the notation view.
| {actionkey[note1_0]} {actionkey[note1_1]} {actionkey[note1_2]} ··· {actionkey[note1_9]} | Play/add notes (these keys work like white keys on a piano) |
|---|---|
| {actionkey[note3_0]} {actionkey[note3_1]} {actionkey[note3_2]} ··· {actionkey[note3_6]} | Play/add notes (an octave below) |
| {actionkey[octave_down]} / {actionkey[octave_up]} | Change to lower/higher octave |
| {actionkey[play]} | Play composition |
| Ctrl + {actionkey[play]} | Play pattern |
| Alt + {actionkey[play]} | Play from cursor / playback marker |
| Ctrl + Alt + {actionkey[play]} | Set/clear playback marker |
| {actionkey[silence]} | Stop all playback |
| {actionkey[rest]} | Add rest |
| Space | Toggle editing mode |
| Insert | Toggle replace mode |
| Return |
Editing (when not on an existing trigger): Insert an event trigger Editing (on a trigger in replace mode): Modify parameter value of a trigger |
| Esc | Exit editing mode |
Unless otherwise stated, events that expect an argument accept any real number.
Channel events control active notes and other parts of channel state.
| .f |
Set force to x dB Unattenuated force level is 30 dB by default. |
|---|---|
| /f |
Slide force to x dB Use /=f to control slide duration. |
| /=f |
Set force slide length to x beats |
| ts |
Set tremolo speed to x cycles/second By default, the new speed takes full effect immediately; use t/=s to control the length of transition to the new speed. |
| td |
Set tremolo depth to ±x dB By default, the new depth takes full effect immediately; use t/=d to control the length of transition to the new depth. |
| t/=s |
Set tremolo speed slide length to x beats |
| t/=d |
Set tremolo depth slide length to x beats |
| ->f+ |
Turn on force carrying With carrying enabled, following notes will use the force state (fixed force, slide and tremolo) of the current note. |
| ->f- |
Turn off force carrying With carrying disabled, following notes will use the default force state. |
| /p |
Slide pitch to x Use /=p to control slide duration. |
| /=p |
Set pitch slide length to x beats |
| vs |
Set vibrato speed to x cycles/second By default, the new speed takes full effect immediately; use v/=s to control the length of transition to the new speed. |
| vd |
Set vibrato depth to x The depth uses a unit of 5 cents, and specifies maximum deviation: e.g. a depth of 240 reaches one octave above and below the centre pitch. By default, the new depth takes full effect immediately; use v/=d to control the length of transition to the new depth. |
| v/=s |
Set vibrato speed slide length to x beats |
| v/=d |
Set vibrato depth slide length to x beats |
| ->p+ |
Turn on pitch carrying With carrying enabled, following notes will use the pitch state (offset from the starting note as well as slide and vibrato) of the current note. |
| ->p- |
Turn off pitch carrying |
| .sn |
Select channel stream x (string) This event selects the target stream used by events .s, /s, /=s, os, od, o/=s and o/=d. The name is used to select a channel stream interface of the active instrument (configurable in the instrument editor). Note that it is often not necessary to use this event directly: e.g. .s:name 5 is equivalent to .sn 'name' followed by .s 5 (and this also works with the other channel stream events as well as the audio unit stream events). |
| .s |
Set value of a channel stream to x |
| /s |
Slide channel stream to x |
| /=s |
Set slide length of channel stream to x beats |
| os |
Set oscillation speed of channel stream to x cycles per second |
| od |
Set oscillation depth of channel stream to x |
| o/=s |
Set oscillation speed slide length of channel stream to x beats |
| o/=d |
Set oscillation depth slide length of channel stream to x beats |
| ->s+ |
Turn on channel stream carrying |
| ->s- |
Turn off channel stream carrying |
| .xc |
Set channel expression to x (string) |
| .x |
Set note expression to x (string) |
| ->x+ |
Turn on note expression carrying |
| ->x- |
Turn off note expression carrying |
| .dn |
Set channel device event name to x (string) This event selects the device event used with event d. Note that it is often not necessary to use this event directly: e.g. d:name 10 is equivalent to .dn 'name' followed by d 10. |
| d |
Fire channel device event with argument x (context-dependent type) |
| .a |
Set active instrument/effect to x (natural number) This can be used to override the active instrument/effect in the current channel. Normally you shouldn't need this, as you can configure proper defaults in the Songs & channels window. |
Master events control various playback parameters that affect the whole composition.
| m.v |
Set global volume to x dBFS Unattenuated volume level is 0 dB. |
|---|---|
| m/v |
Slide global volume to x dBFS Use m/=v to control slide duration. |
| m/=v |
Set global volume slide length to x beats |
| m.t | Set tempo to x beats per minute |
| m/t |
Slide tempo to x beats per minute Use m/=t to control slide duration. NOTE: Tempo slides are more coarse-grained than other slides. |
| m/=t |
Set tempo slide length to x beats |
| mpd |
Pattern delay for x beats Suspend playback cursor at the event. |
| m.jc |
Set jump counter to x (natural number) |
| m.jp |
Set jump target pattern instance x |
| m.jr |
Set jump target row x |
| mj |
Jump fixed number of times |
| m.r |
Set active retuner to x (index) |
| m.rfp |
Set fixed pitch of the active retuner to x |
| m.rc |
Set tuning centre of the active retuner to x |
| m.ro |
Set pitch offset of the active retuner to x |
| mmr |
Apply initial settings of retuner x to the active retuner |
| m<r |
Reset active retuner |
Audio unit events control parameters that apply to a single instrument/effect as a whole. The target instrument/effect is determined by the channel default setting or by the .a event, and the target stream is specified by the .sn event. Otherwise, the channel in which the audio unit events are fired does not affect the end result in any other way.
| a.sus |
Set instrument sustain value to x Valid range for x is [0..1]. 0 (default) disables sustain completely; 1 applies full sustain. Sustain slows down or pauses the progress of note release envelopes. If a force release envelope is not enabled, values ≥ 0.5 disable cutting of a released note. |
|---|---|
| a.s |
Set value of audio unit stream to x |
| a/s |
Slide value of audio unit stream to x Use a/=s to control slide duration. |
| a/=s |
Set slide length of audio unit stream to x beats |
| aos |
Set oscillation speed of audio unit stream to x cycles per second |
| aod |
Set oscillation depth of audio unit stream to x |
| ao/=s |
Set oscillation speed slide length of audio unit stream to x beats |
| ao/=d |
Set oscillation depth slide length of audio unit stream to x beats |
| ad |
Fire audio unit device event with argument x (context-dependent type) |