The editor can be accessed through the Piano Roll Node‘s full screen component. It offers sophisticated solutions for MIDI note editing, making it fair to say that it is currently the most detailed editor associated with a specific node in AudioNodes.
Note: If the aim is to create simple sequences, such as drums or repetitive rhythms, it might be worth considering sequencer-type nodes like the Sequencer Node or Drum Sequencer Node. Those nodes feature a much simpler user interface tailored for more straightforward purposes.
Adding & Editing Notes
Place note
Left-click or tap on an empty cell. If a note is selected, the new note’s duration will be the same as that of the selected note; otherwise, the current grid-size setting is used to determine the new note’s duration.
Select note
Left-click or tap on a note. Hold the Ctrl/Cmd key to add/remove from selection.
Deselect notes
Right-click or tap-and-hold on a note, then select Deselect all. You can also use Esc hotkey to dissolve selection. The option is only enabled when more than one notes are selected.
Move note
Left-click-and-hold or touch-and-hold then drag a note. If holding Ctrl/Cmd when notes are moved, they are also cloned before moving.
Note properties
Right-click or tap-and-hold on a note, then select Properties. The following options appear:
Delete note
Select the Delete option or press Del / fn - backspace. If multiple notes are selected, the operation is performed on each selected note. The Del hotkey can also be used.
Clone note
Select the Clone option or press Ctrl/Cmd-D. If multiple notes are selected, the operation is performed on each selected note. If holding Ctrl/Cmd when notes are moved, they are also cloned before moving.
Move note to end
Select Move to end option, or press End / fn - right arrow. The option is only enabled when the note is not the last element in the sequence.
Octave up
Select Octave up option, or press Shift - up arrow. The option is only enabled when the +1 octave is available for that note, with that specific music notation (for example, G10 pitch cannot be increased by a whole octave since it is the highest available here).
Octave down
Select Octave down option, or press Shift - down arrow. The option is only enabled when the -1 octave is available for that note, with that specific music notation (for example, C0 pitch cannot be decreased by a whole octave since it is the lowest available here)
Select all notes – on a specific pitch
Select Select all [pitch of clicked note like C5]. The option is only visible when every note is the selection are on the exact same pitch.
Reverse
Select Reverse option, or press R. It reverts selected notes pitch-wise or time-wise (vertical and horizontal, respectively). Functionality is customizable through the dialog opened by option “…” button click.
Chop
Select Chop option, or press Ctrl/Cmd + R. It reverts selected notes pitch-wise or time-wise (vertical and horizontal, respectively). Functionality is customizable through the dialog opened by option “…” button click.
Recording
The Piano Roll Node can record live play through its Melody input. If a source with a live Melody is connected (such as a MIDI Keyboard Node), click or tap the Record button in the “dropdown” section of the header when the Piano Roll is open. This will start recording as soon as the connected input updates (e.g. by pressing a key on a connected MIDI keyboard). When finished, simply click or tap the Record button again.
Note: melody preprocessing can be applied to the input before it reaches the Piano Roll Node. For example, to automatically record each note from a keyboard as a chord, connect your Melody source through a Component Extension Node.
Snapshots
The Piano Roll Node can also take a snapshot of non-live Melody data, such as the output of another Piano Roll, or a Sequencer Node. To do this, simply connect a non-live Melody line to the Melody input, then click on the Snapshot button in the “dropdown” section of the header when the Piano Roll is open. This will copy the source Melody into the Piano Roll. This can also be used to inspect the effect of Melody preprocessor Nodes (such as the Component Extension Node).
Note: taking a snapshot will erase any previous contents in the Piano Roll editor. The previous contents can be restored by doing an Undo.
Editor Settings
Grid size
Sets the grid size to use in the editor.
Snap to grid
When set, notes are snapped to the nearest grid cell.
Lock editing
When set, editing is disabled. This is useful to prevent accidental modifications.
Repeat
When set, shows a window that lets you define a region to repeat for the entire project duration.
Holding Ctrl/Cmd and dragging on an empty editor area can also be used to set the repeat region quickly.
Quantize
When pressed, the start time of every note becomes aligned with the grid division. The Q hotkey can also be used.
Quantization mode
It defines how the quantization algorithm aligns notes with grid divisions, observing the start timestamp. Options are:
- Nearest
- Lower nearest
- Upper nearest
Randomize velocity
When pressed, random velocity values between the pre-defined minimum and maximum (see below) are assigned to notes.
Velocity min / max for randomization
Threshold values used to define the minimum and maximum values when velocity randomization is applied.
Track name
A visual name by which the Piano Roll’s track can be identified on the Timeline.
This is purely visual.
Start recording on play
When set, recording starts along with playback.
Play note when moving
Plays notes while they are being moved / dragged.
Pitch display mode
Specifies how pitch is displayed in node components (context panel, drum line settings, etc.). Options include:
- MIDI code (e.g., 54)
- Musical note (e.g., A4)