non/timeline/doc/MANUAL.mu

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! title Non DAW User Manual
! author Jonathan Moore Liles #(email,male@tuxfamily.org)
-- Table Of Contents
: User Manual
:: The Timeline Editor
/ Timeline Editor
< tle.png
The Timeline Editor is what you first see when you start the Non-DAW. Here
you will add tracks, make captures, and arrange regions.
Before you can add anything to the timeline, you must create a new project
(menu item `Project\/New`)
/ New Project Dialog
< new-project.png
::: Display Options
The display options, found in the `Options\/Display` submenu may be adjusted
to suit your needs. Set the color scheme, widget style, and other graphic
options to your liking. These options are global and affect all projects.
::: Navigation
:::: Sequences
A sequence is focused when you click on it. Focus can be moved back and forth
between sequences with `Tab` and `Shift-Tab`.
:::: Playhead
`Shift+Left` and `Shift+Right` move the playhead backward and forward one
beat, while `Ctrl+Shift+Left` and `Ctrl+Shift+Right` move it by bars.
::::: Within A Sequence
The focused sequence accepts additional movement commands with specific
relevance. `Ctrl+Left` moves the playhead to the beginning of the current or
previous object in the sequence. `Ctrl+Right` moves it to the beginning of
the next object in the sequence.
::: Cursors
/ Cursor Strips
< cursors.png
Active cursors are displayed the the cursor strip along the top of
the timeline. The default cursors define regions of time. All
cursors can be manipulated in their tracks by dragging with the
mouse or other operations that apply to regions on the timeline.
`Ctrl+RightClick` will remove a cursor.
:::: Edit Cursor
/ Edit Cursor
< range.png
The edit cursor defines a region to apply an operation to. The edit
cursor is also used to define the region other cursors, such as
Punch and Playback, are created from.
`Ctrl+[` moves the beginning of the edit cursor to the position of
the playhead. `Ctrl+]` moves the end of the edit cursor to the
position of the playhead.
The edit cursor ends can be set individually with the mouse by
positioning the pointer over the desired location and pressing `[`
or `]`. Alternatively, both may be set at once by holding the `r`
key and left-click+dragging the selection rectangle.
:::: Playback Cursor
The Playback Cursor defines the start and stop of playback,
affecting the action of the Home and End transport buttons. Setting
the menu option 'Options/Behavior/Transport/Loop Playback' will
result in playback looping over the region defined by the Playback
Cursor.
Hitting `Ctrl+Shift+L` sets the playback cursor to the same
dimensions and position as the Edit Cursor.
:::: Punch Cursors
Punch Cursors define regions where recording will occur when
recording in Punch Mode.
Hitting `Ctrl+Shift+P` defines a new Punch Cursor with the same
dimensions and position as the Edit Cursor.
Any number of punch cursors may be defined.
::: Projects
/ Project Info Dialog
< project-info.png
A Non-DAW project is a directory where Non-DAW keeps the journal, project
specific settings, notes, some meta-data, and, last but not least, your audio
sources. A project is completely self-contained. You can rename a project as
simply as:
> $ mv Project-A Project-B
Non-DAW projects can refer to audio sources outside of the project
directory--clips dropped onto the timeline from a file-manager, for instance.
These are not copied into the project by default. This allows the efficient
use of audio loop libraries, but introduces external dependencies. Beware
that if you ever move, remove, or change one of these external sources, it
will affect the Non-DAW projects referencing them.
/ Note:
{ To import all the external sources for a project, making it suitable for
{ distribution or archiving, use the `import-external-sources` script included
{ with the program.
:::: Settings
Project specific settings are found in the `Project\/Settings` submenu.
::: Transport
/ Transport Controls
< transport.png
The transport controls allow you to control the JACK transport from the
Timeline Editor. `Home` moves the playhead to 0 and `End` moves it to the
end of the project. `Space` toggles playback.
::: Clocks
/ Clocks
< clocks.png
The clocks tell you precisely where the playhead is. There are several clock
types which can be cycled through by left-clicking. The following clock types
are available:
+ Hours Minutes Seconds
+ Timecode
+ Sample
+ Bar Beat Tick
::: Tempo Map
/ The Tempo Map
< tempomap.png
The tempo map serves a dual purpose. Firstly, it provides enough information
about the musical structure of your project for Non-DAW to perform
intelligent snapping and draw helpful measure lines. Secondly, the tempo map
is communicated to other JACK clients at playback time via the JACK Timebase
API, so that MIDI accompaniment can follow along to the tempo changes in your
song.
Clicking on an empty part of the time or tempo sequences will prompt you for
the parameters of a new time or tempo point to be inserted at that position.
Hit `Escape` to cancel the insertion. Right-click on a time or tempo point to
edit its value. Existing points can be dragged freely.
::: Tracks
/ A Track Header
< track-header.png
Add a track to the timeline by pressing the `A` key. Right-clicking on the
track header will bring up a context menu by which you can configure the
number of channels used by this track. Click on the track name to change it.
The `T`akes menu lists all the takes associated with a track. The circular
record-enable button is used to arm a track for recording. Only armed tracks
will be recorded onto when the master record-enable button on the transport
is activated and the transport is started. The 'm' toggle button is mute, the
's' button is solo. Multiple tracks can be soloed at once. `Shift+Mousewheel`
will adjust the track height. Remove a track by selecting 'Remove' from its
context menu.
:::: Recording
/ Recording onto a Track
< recording.png
To initiate recording, first arm some tracks by toggling their record
buttons, then toggle the global record-enable button on the transport.
Recording will begin when you press play. During recording, the timeline
darkens and refuses normal input. Regions being captured are colored bright
red. The viewport will automatically follow the playhead as the recording
progresses. Recording stops when you stop the transport or toggle the global
record-button.
::: Sequences
Sequence is the generic term used to describe all distinct sequences of
objects on the timeline.
::: Regions
Regions are the most common object on the timeline. Each region represents
some portion of an audio source placed at some position in time. Since
Non-DAW is non-destructive, regions only *represent* the source--altering a
region does not affect the audio source in any way. Deleting a region does
not delete the source--as other regions may still refer to it.
/ Note:
{ If you decide, for whatever reason, that you no longer wish to retain unused
{ sources, run the `remove-unused-sources` script included with the program.
Try this one-liner to clean up many projects in parallel and reclaim disk space:
> for i in ~/projects/*; do remove-unused-sources "$i" & done
:::: Editing
::::: Split
Position the mouse pointer where you would like the region split and perform
`Shift+Middle-click`. This will divide the region at the mouse pointer.
::::: Duplicate
Drag a region (or selection) with the mousse while holding the `Ctrl` key to
duplicate it.
::::: Delete
`Ctrl+Right-click` removes a region or selection from the timeline.
::::: Trim
Hold down `Shift` and click on part of a region with the left mouse button.
This trims the region start to the position of the mouse pointer. Continue
holding `Shift` and drag to continuously trim the region start point. Do the
same with the right mouse button to trim the region end.
::::: Pan
Hold `Ctrl+Shift` and drag the region. Instead of moving on the timeline, the
region will remain stationary as the audio source /behind/ it is panned
forward or back. This operation is particularly useful in conjunction wiht
looped regions.
::::: Normalize
Hit `N` while a region is focused to normalize it (or `Ctrl+Middle-click`).
Normalizing a region means automatically setting its gain as high as possible
without exceeding the standard floating point audio dynamic range of +1 to -1
(corresponding to 0dBFS). Any peaks exceeding this range at this stage will
appear in bright red.
::::: Fade
/ A Region with Fades
< fade-in-out.png
Each region has fade in and out curves. Position the mouse pointer over the
desired fade-in end location and hit `F3` to set the fade-in duration.
Position the mouse pointer over the desired fade-out start location and hit
`F4` to set the fade-out duration. Right click on a region to bring up its
context menu, then choose the type of curve for each fade. The following
curves are available:
+ Linear
+ Sigmoid
+ Logarithmic
+ Parabolic
::::: Loop
/ Looped region
< looping.png
Instead of requiring you to duplicate a small region 100 times to achieve a
looping effect, Non DAW supports looping directly. First, adjust the region
duration to cover the amount of time you would like it to loop for. Then,
position the mouse pointer over the first place the loop should repeat (i.e.
the first bar line after the start of the region) and hit `L`. This will set
the loop point for this region, which will be indicated by two white arrows.
At playback, the portion of the region before the loop point will loop for
the duration of the region.
::: Annotation
/ Annotations
< annotations.png
Add an annotation sequence to a track by right-clicking on the track header
to bring up the context menu, and choosing /Add annotation/. Any number of
annotation sequences may be attached to each track. Click on an empty space
in the sequence to add a new annotation point. Right click on the annotation
point to rename it. Hold down shift and drag with the right mouse button to
create a new annotation region of a given duration. Again, right click to
edit the text. Only the first line of annotation region text will be
displayed on the timeline. Annotation regions are useful for containing
lyrics or other cues which have a definite duration. Annotation points are
more appropriately used to denote points of interest or change.
::: Automation
/ Control Sequence
< automation.png
Each track may have any number of control sequences attached to
it. A control sequence comprises a series of points in time (X axis)
and intensity (Y axis). Add a control sequence to a track by picking
/Add control/ from its context menu. A control sequence may be named
by right clicking on it to bring up the context menu, then picking
/Rename/. The output of a control sequence can be set to one of two
modes /Control Voltage \(JACK\)/ or /Control Signal \(OSC\)/.
{ NOTE:
{ Since release 1.1.0, Control Signal is now the default output mode for Control Sequences.
{ If you have existing projects and wish to continue using Control Voltage output,
{ you must set the mode to Control Voltage manually.
Click anywhere on the control sequence to add a new control point. Control
points can be dragged around and selected just like other objects on the
timeline. They can even be part of the same selection as regions, permitting
you to move regions and control points together in lock-step.
:::: Output Mode
::::: Control Voltage
/Control Voltage/ is similar to control voltages generated by analog
equipment. Setting the Control Sequence mode to Control Voltage will
create a JACK output port whose contents simulate an analogue
Control Voltage signal. This mode can be used to control anything
that accepts CV style input. Useful targets include the Non-Mixer,
and SpiralSynthModular.
::::: Control Signal
The /Control Signal/ mode uses a signal routing layer on top of the
OSC protocol to intelligently and automatically discover and control
any module parameter in Non-Mixer. The output of one Control
Sequence may be connected to any number of Control Signal inputs
available in Non-Mixer.
Control Signals are more efficient than Control Voltages when a
large number of parameters are being automated.
/ Control Signal Connection
< control-signals.png
:::: Interpolation Mode
/ Effect of Interpolation Mode
< control-points.png
The interpolation mode controls how the relatively small number of
Control Points is transformed into a continuously varying
signal. The options are /None/ and /Linear/.
When its Interpolation mode is set to /None/, a Control Sequence
will output discrete jumps in value upon the playhead passing each
Control Point. This can be useful when instantaneous changes in
value are required, such as sudden muting, or changing the modes of
plugins.