View Categories

Note Manipulation Features

4 min read

Quantize

Quantize aligns the start time of selected notes to the nearest grid division.

  • Q Button: Click the Q icon button in the toolbar
  • Q Hotkey: Press Q on your keyboard
  • Only affects selected notes; unselected notes remain unchanged
  • The quantization algorithm respects the current grid size setting

Quantize Rhythm Mode

Defines how the quantization algorithm aligns notes with grid divisions:

  • Nearest: Notes snap to the closest grid division (default)
  • Lower Nearest: Notes snap to the grid division immediately before their position
  • Upper Nearest: Notes snap to the grid division immediately after their position

The rhythm mode can be configured in the quantize dialog, which appears when using the Q button on touch devices or can be accessed through the note context menu.

Reverse Notes

Reverses the order of selected notes. Two modes are available:

  • Vertical (Pitch): Reverses the pitch order while maintaining timing
  • The lowest note becomes the highest, and vice versa
  • Useful for creating inverted melodies
  • Horizontal (Time): Reverses the time order while maintaining pitches
  • The first note becomes the last, and vice versa
  • Useful for creating retrograde patterns

Chop Notes

Splits selected notes into smaller segments based on a frequency setting.

  • Chop Frequency: Defines how many segments each note is divided into
  • A frequency of 2 splits each note in half
  • A frequency of 4 splits each note into quarters
  • Notes shorter than the chop interval remain unchanged
  • All resulting segments maintain the original note’s pitch and velocity
  • Useful for creating staccato patterns or rhythmic subdivisions

Glue Notes

Combines multiple selected notes into a single continuous note.

  • Requirements:
  • At least 2 notes must be selected
  • All notes must have the same pitch
  • Notes must be within a threshold distance (configurable)
  • Result: Creates a single note that:
  • Spans from the earliest note’s start to the latest note’s end
  • Uses the average velocity of all combined notes
  • Maintains the common pitch
  • Glue Threshold: Maximum gap between notes that can be glued together (default: 0.1 beats)
  • Useful for connecting separate note events into sustained notes

Move to End

Moves all selected notes to the end of the project timeline.

  • Notes are repositioned while maintaining their relative spacing
  • Respects grid snapping if enabled
  • Useful for clearing space at the beginning of a sequence

Duplicate/Clone

Creates copies of selected notes immediately after the originals.

  • Keyboard Shortcut: Typically Ctrl/Cmd + D
  • Duplicated notes are automatically selected
  • Maintains relative timing and spacing
  • Respects grid snapping if enabled

Transfer Notes

Transfers selected notes to a new node.

  • Creates a new Piano Roll Node or MIDI Sequencer Node (if applicable)
  • Copies all selected notes to the new node
  • Original notes remain in the current node
  • Useful for organizing or splitting sequences

Cut

Removes selected notes from the piano roll and copies them to the clipboard for pasting elsewhere.

  • Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl/Cmd + X
  • Unlike Delete, the notes are preserved on the clipboard and can be pasted back

Legato

Extends each selected note so it reaches the start of the next note on the same pitch, eliminating gaps.

  • Keyboard Shortcut: Alt + L
  • Only affects gaps between notes; overlapping notes are not modified
  • Useful for creating smooth, tied phrases from separately placed notes

Invert Selection

Deselects all currently selected notes and selects all others.

  • Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + I
  • Useful for selecting everything except a specific group of notes

Select All Following

Selects all notes that start at or after the position of the latest selected note.

  • Keyboard Shortcut: Shift + End
  • Requires at least one note to already be selected
  • Useful for quickly selecting the tail of a sequence for editing or deletion

Overlap Correction

Trims or removes notes that overlap with the following note on the same pitch.

  • Keyboard Shortcut: Alt + O
  • Requires at least 2 notes to be selected
  • Only processes overlaps between notes of the same pitch
  • Useful for cleaning up recordings or imported MIDI with note length errors

Split at Playhead

Splits selected notes at the current playhead position into two separate notes.

  • Keyboard Shortcut: S
  • Only notes that intersect the playhead position are affected
  • Both resulting notes retain the original pitch and velocity

Transpose

Shifts the pitch of selected notes up or down by a specified number of semitones.

  • Keyboard Shortcut: T
  • Opens a dialog to set the number of semitones (positive = up, negative = down)
  • 12 semitones equals one octave

Invert Pitch

★ With AudioNodes HD

Mirrors the pitches of selected notes around their center pitch, turning the melody upside down.

  • Keyboard Shortcut: Alt + I
  • Requires at least 2 notes to be selected
  • The highest note becomes the lowest and vice versa, relative to the midpoint of the selection
  • Useful for creating contrary motion or harmonic variations

Set Fixed Length

★ With AudioNodes HD

Sets all selected notes to the same specified length.

  • Opens a dialog to set the target length in beats
  • All selected notes are resized to the same length regardless of their original lengths
  • Useful for creating uniform rhythmic patterns

Quantize Note Length

★ With AudioNodes HD

Snaps the length of selected notes to the nearest grid division.

  • Keyboard Shortcut: Alt + Q
  • Opens a dialog to configure the quantization grid and rounding mode
  • Note start positions are not affected, only lengths

Set Velocity

★ With AudioNodes HD

Sets the velocity of all selected notes to a specified value.

  • Opens a dialog to set the target velocity (0–100%)
  • All selected notes are set to the same velocity
  • Useful for normalizing dynamics or creating accents

Humanize

★ With AudioNodes HD

Applies subtle random variations to the timing and velocity of selected notes to simulate a more natural, human feel.

  • Keyboard Shortcut: H
  • Opens a dialog to configure the amount of timing and velocity variation
  • Higher values produce more pronounced randomization
  • Useful for reducing the mechanical feel of programmed sequences

Strum

★ With AudioNodes HD

Offsets the start times of selected notes progressively to simulate a strummed chord.

  • Requires at least 2 notes to be selected
  • Opens a dialog to set the strum speed and direction (bottom-up or top-down)
  • Notes are spread out in time based on their pitch order
  • Useful for giving chord patterns a guitar-like or harp-like feel