The process of recording events to rhythm segments involves most of the standard recording controls and options.

However there are a few aspects which are specific to recording rhythm events.

Easy To Play

Rhythms are remarkably easy, and great fun to record, even if you have never touched a piano keyboard before.

All you have to do is lay out your chord sequence first.  Because the Rhythm track works in partnership with the Chords track, the actual notes to be recorded are already known.

When recording in rhythm segments, the piano keys are not assigned to notes, but to tone lines, which represent different pitches for each chord.  At each change, the keys are automatically reassigned, so it sounds as if you are playing a new chord, even though the piano keys are the same.

You may be surprised to discover how easy it is to make up a professional sounding accompaniment when you can just play the rhythm, and not worry about chord formations!

Key Mapping

Because input keys are mapped to the tones lines of rhythm segments, the actual choice of keys is quite arbitrary, and you can choose whichever feels most comfortable.

The Key Mapping option, found in the Record Options window, offers several formations based on common chord intervals, depending on the number of tones.  You can select the Start Key for the formations to begin with.

White Keys - simply uses adjacent white keys for the minimum hand stretch.

Alternate Whites - uses every second white key for a wide hand stretch.

Major Chord - forms a pattern from the degree series 1-3-5-7-9-11-13

Minor Chord - forms a pattern from the degree series 1-b3-5-b7-9-11-13

Dominant Chord - forms a pattern from the degree series 1-3-5-b7-9-11-13

In addition, there are four mapping options provided specifically to support input from a Midi guitar.  By allocating the tones lines to the tuned pitches of each guitar string, rhythm events can be recorded by using open or barred strings of the guitar without needing to make chordshapes.

Guitar Open - uses the pitches E3-A3-D4-G4-B4-E5 so each tone line is accessed with an open string.

Guitar Fret 1 - uses the pitches one semitone up from open tuning, so each tone line is accessed with a string held at the first fret.  This allows you damp notes by relaxing the finger that is barring across this fret.

Guitar Fret 2 - same as above but placed at a higher fret for a less forceful hold on some guitars.

Guitar Fret 3 - same as above but placed at a higher fret for a less forceful hold on some guitars.

Midi Controllers

Note On and Note Off events received through Midi Input during recording are normally captured as single-tone Chord events in the rhythm segment.

However, there are three Midi controllers which can also be captured, and if they are present during recording they will be incorporated into the following advanced rhythm events:

Midi Events	Rhythm Event
Pitch Bend	Bend Chord
Mod Wheel	Vibrato Chord
Sustain Pedal	Sustain Chord

Multitone Events

Normally rhythm events are created as single tone events on separate tone lines, because this is how they are received as Midi events.

If you prefer to have single tone events joined together to form multitone events wherever possible, you can activate this feature in the Record Options window.

Where the timing is compatible between several events on adjacent tones they will be merged in to one multitone event across the lines.

Because real performances almost always involve slight timing differences between events, even when seemingly played at the same time, this can usually only happen when locations and durations of events are normalized with Snap To Grid in the Record Segment window.