Piano Roll

The Piano Roll is an additional feature of MIDI Locator full version.

The Piano Roll window can only be opened for one track at the same time, but all events of this track even of different MIDI channels are shown.


Piano Roll window

1. Switch to "Pen mode" for insert/delete notes
2. Switch to "Selection mode" for creating selections
3. Cut events of a selection
4. Copy events of a selection
5. Paste events of a selection
6. Play button (loop visible area of Piano Roll)
7. If checked, if you copy selected notes into copy buffer, also controller, NRPN and pitch events in that time area are copied
8. If checked, you can insert controller events in the controller area (18.) by mouseclick
9. If checked, note's positions are quantized to the nearest 1/16 position when moved or created
10. A new created note gets this velocity/volume value.
11. A new created note gets this notelength
12. A new created note gets this MIDI channel
13. Visual representation of a Note On event if there are other MIDI channels in that measure.
14. Selection which covers 2 Note On events
15. Note On event
16. Right edge/end of a Note On event
17. Button for switching type of controller events that are shown in the lower Piano Roll window part
18. Controller events or Note On's velocity/volume values
19. Note On's velocity/volume


There are two main modes inside the Piano Roll. One for creating/deleting MIDI events (1., 15.,19.) and one for creating selections of MIDI events (2.,14.).


Create/delete MIDI event mode

Press the pen button (1.) to change into create/delete MIDI event mode. Now you can insert single Note On (and controller events if you marked also create controller events..., (8.)) by pressing the left mouse button in the larger, upper 'Note On window area' in a free space. A new created Note On event will get the currently visible for new notes - values of velocity (10.), notelength (11.) and MIDI channel (12.).
. You can delete Note On events by pressing the right mouse button.

If you click on an existing Note On event, MIDI Locator does not create a new Note On there, instead it takes the values of the touched event into the for new notes fields and you can move the touched event, directly.

As long as you haven't marked also create controller... (8.), you can use the mouse to change a Note On's velocity or controller event's values in the bottom area (18.).

So the bottom area (18.) displays either

1. Note On's velocity/volume values
2. Controller events
3. NRPN events

or

4. Pitch events

Select what the bottom should show with the controller type button (17.)

If you have marked the checkbox also create controller events with mouseclick, also controller-, pitch- and NRPN-events are creatable (like Note Ons) if you press the mouse button at the bottom. Please note the defaultly selected controller type Velocity doesn't display controller-, pitch- or NRPN-events at the bottom, it displays velocity values of the upper Note On events, so you can't create them no matter if you checked also create....

Selected 'Velocity' displays that Note On events belonging velocity (volume, MIDI event data 2) value. Which can't be created or removed at the bottom. A velocity value is strong connected to a Note On event and can't be removed but the Note On event itself will be removed. So a mouse click will only lead to change velocity values of displayed Note On events, like without checked also create events with mouseclick.

Press (17.) to make MIDI Locator show controllers, NRPN or pitch events, where also create... can take affect.


Selection mode

The selection mode allows you to define a selection area (14.). This selection allows you to use the Cut, Copy and Paste function (3.)(4.)(5.), if you have covered Note On events with it.

As an additional feature you can directly change the Note On event's positions of your selection if you click inside the selection after it has been created - then move it (drag & drop). That means you don't need the functions Cut, Copy and Paste if you just want to move more than one Note On event at the same moment.

Release a selection with ESC on your PC's keyboard. Or by clicking and releasing the mouse at one and the same point outside your selection.

Cut, copy and paste

If you have copied MIDI events with the copy button (4.) you can paste it with the paste button (5.). The MIDI events are not directly inserted, they appear as a ghost selection, which can be moved before you lay the MIDI events down at the desired place.


Ghost representing MIDI data after 1. paste button click

If you want also to copy controller or pitch events, which are spreat over the same time area of your selection just mark the checkbox selections care also controllers (7.). This can be necessary if you got controller events which controll the selected notes, e.g. pitch-wheel events of a saxophone. Please note that if you mark this checkbox, not only the visible controllers in the bottom are affected - all controllers whose positions lie inside the selection.

If you click paste by mistake and want to remove the ghost, just press DEL on your PC's keyboard.