User Manual

STEP RECORD
268
When you are finished setting up, you will see the
Step Record window, along with one or more of the
edit windows for the track. The notes that you step
record will appear in the edit windows as you
proceed with step recording.
Setting step durations
The duration buttons are used to set step durations.
Clicking on a duration button will highlight it and
assign that duration to the step. Durations remain
set until changed, allowing you to enter a stream of
notes with the same duration very quickly.
To select more than one duration box at once, hold
down the Shift key while clicking on the desired
duration box(es). When more than one box is
selected, the step duration is equal to the sum of the
selected values.
You can also select durations using the extended
numeric keypad. (On Windows, make sure the
Num Lock key is engaged to use these keypad
shortcuts.) Press one of the number keys to select a
duration. It remains selected until you deselect it.
To deselect it, press it again.
These Step Controls are completely customizable.
See chapter 9, “Commands” (page 95).
Setting dotted durations
The dot and double dot boxes can be used to
modify the selected step duration. If the dot box is
selected, it signifies a dotted step duration, i.e. one
and one half the value of the highlighted duration.
If an eighth note and dot are selected, the step
duration will be a dotted eighth note, i.e. a metrical
value of an eighth plus a sixteenth. If the double-
dot box is selected, it signifies a double-dotted step
duration, i.e. one and three quarters the value of
the highlighted durations. If a quarter note and
double dot are selected, the step duration will be a
double-dotted quarter note, i.e. a metrical value of
a quarter plus an eighth plus a sixteenth. Only one
of the dot boxes may be active at a time.
Entering a tuplet duration
The tuplet box can be used to set the step duration
to a tuplet value, allowing you to enter triplets,
quintuplets, septuplets, etc. These values are
expressed in the standard way, x in the time of y
durations. The tuplet box, when active, actually
modifies the duration you choose in the duration
boxes (including the dot and double dot
modifiers). For example, at 480 ppq, an eighth note
duration is equivalent to 240 ticks. If the tuplet box
is set to “3 in the time of 2”, step duration
(displayed in the tick box) becomes 160 ticks, one
third of a quarter note.
Here are a few additional examples: eighth note
triplets are three equal duration notes in the time of
two eighth notes. Quintuplet sixteenth notes are
five equal notes in the time of four sixteenth notes.
The tuplet box is active when the check box next to
the word “Tuplet” is highlighted. Make sure to
deselect it when you have finished entering the
tuplet values. You may enter any number of notes in
the space of any other number. Digital Performer
does all the necessary calculations for the proper
durations; you needn’t worry about the exact
number of ticks a single tuplet duration will
require.
Specifying an exact number of ticks for a step
Digital Performer computes the number of ticks
for each duration automatically when you click on
the boxes. You can directly specify the exact
number of ticks for a step by editing the numeric
duration specified in the tick box. All duration
boxes will be deselected to indicate that you are
entering the number of ticks directly. At this time,
you can type in a new duration value. Click on any
duration box to return to specifying durations as
note values.