MusE - The Linux (Midi) Music Editor

5. Getting Started

5.1 Creating A New Song

Here's a very short tutorial on how to create a new song from scratch.

  1. Start MusE with the name of a new song (ie. a filename that doesn't already exist): 
    	muse blues1.med
    Alternatively, start MusE and select File->New. The default song name is default and the first time you select File->Save, MusE asks you for a real name.
  2. Select a song type from the Type pulldown menu in the Toolbar. This selects the capabilities of your MIDI hardware (either NO, GM, GS, or XG).
  3. Doubleclick on the first empty track to create a new track.
  4. Select the MIDI channel for the new track; click with the right mouse button on Ch column in the track list to increment channel nummber, click with middle mouse button to decrement.
  5. If the TrackInfo window is not visible, press TrackInfo.
  6. Select a MIDI instrument for the MIDI channel of your new track.
  7. Click with the middle mouse button on ruler to set left locator mark.
  8. Click with the right mouse button on the ruler to set right locator mark. Note: The right mark must be set to the right of the left mark.
  9. Double click between the left and right locators on first track to create a new part, or select the Pencil tool and draw with the left mouse button pressed to create a new part.

5.2 Recording Events

Entering Notes Manually

  1. Select Pointer tool from toolbar
  2. Double click on part in part canvas to start the pianoroll editor
  3. Select Pencil tool from toolbar in the pianoroll editor
  4. Now you can draw events into the event canvas

Play The Notes

  1. Click with middle mouse button on ruler to set left locator mark
  2. Click with right mouse button on ruler to set right locator mark
  3. Note: right mark must be set right to left mark
  4. Click with left mouse button on ruler to set current position between left and right locator
  5. Select "loop" in the transport toolbar
  6. Press play to start sequencer
  7. You can enter new notes while the sequencer is playing

Some Hints

  1. You can "play" in realtime on the piano keyboard on the left side of the pianoroll editor
  2. You can change Channel Info and Track Info values during play

5.3 Step Recording

  1. Start the pianoroll editor
  2. Click with left mouse button on ruler to set current position to the start position of your recording
  3. Set the Snap value to the step distance
  4. Set the Quantize value to the length of the notes to record
  5. Enter step record mode by pressing the "S" toolbar button
  6. Every click on the piano keyboard records a note with "Quantize" len and advances the current record position to
  7. The next "Snap" position
  8. Shift+click records a note without advancing the current record position
  9. Change the current position with the cursor keys
  10. Shift+space inserts a gap; all notes to the right of the current position move to the next snap position