Play software instruments

You can play your chosen software instrument using musical typing or the onscreen keyboard. You can also use a music keyboard.

Play a software instrument using musical typing

  1. Choose Window > Show Musical Typing.

    The Musical Typing window appears, showing the layout of keys used for playing notes and changing controller information.

    Figure. Musical Typing window.
  2. Select the software instrument track you want to play.

  3. Play the software instrument using the keys on your computer keyboard. Use the other keys shown in the window to perform the following actions:

    • Press Y or X to move down or up by octaves.

    • Press C or V to lower or raise the velocity.

    • Press 4 through 8 to change the modulation (mod wheel) value, or 3 to turn off modulation.

    • Press 1 or 2 to bend the pitch down or up. The pitch is bent for as long as you press the key.

    • Press Tab to turn sustain on or off (similar to using a sustain pedal).

As you play, the notes you play are highlighted in the Musical Typing window.

Play a software instrument using the onscreen keyboard

  1. Choose Window > Show Musical Typing.

    The Musical Typing window appears. In the upper-left area of the window, there are two buttons to switch between the Musical Typing window and the onscreen keyboard.

    Figure. Musical Typing window.
  2. Click the Keyboard button in the upper-left area of the window.

    The onscreen keyboard appears.

    Figure. Onscreen keyboard.
  3. To play the onscreen keyboard, click the notes on the keyboard.

    You can click when the project is playing or stopped, and record by clicking during recording. Clicking notes lower on the keys plays the notes with higher velocity, and clicking higher plays them with lower velocity.

  4. To change the range of the onscreen keyboard, do one of the following:

    Figure. Onscreen keyboard.
    • Drag the blue rectangle in the overview over the range you want to play.

    • Click an area of the overview outside the blue rectangle to move it to where you clicked.

    • Click one of the small triangles to the left and right of the keys. Clicking the left triangle lowers the range by an octave, and clicking the right triangle raises the range by an octave.