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[nondaw.git] / timeline / doc / MANUAL.mu

! title         Non DAW User Manual
! author        Jonathan Moore Liles #(email,male@tuxfamily.org)
! date          June 20, 2008

-- 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.

:::: Range

/ Selecting a range
< range.png

  `Ctrl+[` moves the left range cursor (P1) to the position of the playhead.
  `Ctrl+]` moves the right range cursor (P2) to the position of the playhead.

  The range cursors 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 `R` and left-click+dragging the selection
  rectangle.

::: 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.