The Record Segment window can be opened in Mixer View or Track View with the following command:

Button	Key	Menu
	Ctrl+R	Segment-Record

It opens the selected segment in the song, so that new events can be recorded into from the Midi Input device.  This may be a piano keyboard or other Midi instrument.

The Record Segment window contains a segment sheet, and a set of controls for managing the sheet display and the recording process.  It is similar in appearance to the Edit Segment window, but with several differences.

The segment sheet displays existing or stored events in gray, and newly captured events in color.  You cannot edit events here, you can simply accept or reject the events after each capture.  To fix mistakes in the capture, you must return to the workspace.

At the bottom of the window is a piano keyboard, which shows the notes currently being received on the Midi Input.  This is the case even if you are using some other Midi instrument for input, such as a guitar.

If you are using the virtual Qwerty Keyboard provided by Songtrix for your Midi input device, the piano keyboard will also include labels to help you remember which keys correspond to which.

Depending on the scope of the track, not all keys are used.  The melody track pictured above has a scope of only an octave and a half, so only these piano keys are active and the rest are shown in gray.

Unused keys can be used for transport controls, shown above at the left of the keyboard.  With these you can start and stop recording, discard and playback captured events directly from the piano keyboard, so you don't have to keep dashing to the computer and back.

There are specific differences with recording melody, rhythm and drum segments.

Controls

V-Zoom

Controls the vertical magnification of the segment sheet.  The commands are not active for rhythm segments, where the height is automatically controlled.  Zoom To Height chooses the magnification which best fits the entire vertical scope of the segment into the available height.

H-Zoom

Controls the horizontal magnification of the segment sheet.  Zoom To Width chooses the magnification which best fits the entire horizontal span of the segment into the available width.

Snap To Grid
Grid Lines

Controls the how many grid lines are shown in the segment sheet for each quarter note of duration.

Snap To Grid selects whether event lengths and positions are snapped to the nearest grid line when being captured.

This can be a convenient way to correct timing mistakes on input, but a more flexible method is available with the Quantize window, after recording is complete.

Adjust Tempo

You can adjust the tempo that is used during recording and playback of the segment.  This is very helpful if you can't play reliably at the full speed of the song.

The tempo adjustment can vary from 50% to 150% (in 5% increments) of the true tempo of the song.

The adjusted tempo applies only within the Record Segment window.  When you return to the workspace, your recording will playback at normal tempo.

Go To Start

While editing segments, one bar always has the focus, and it appears with a lighter color background and a bold bar number.  Recording, playback and other operations begin at the focus bar.

This button moves the focus to the first bar in the segment.

Prior Bar

Moves the focus leftwards to the prior bar.

Next Bar

Moves the focus rightwards to the next bar.

Record

Starts recording at the the focus bar and continues until the end of the segment is reached, or the button is pressed again to complete the capture.

Recording is similar to playback, except the record marker is colored red, and as it sweeps across the segment, your captured events are created in its wake.

This command is also available from the piano keyboard, using the allocated transport keys (if any).

Record Loop

Starts recording at the the focus bar until the end of the segment is reached, when it immediately continues at the start of the segment, and so on until the button is pressed again to complete the capture.

Record Loop is convenient for recording complex rhythms, such as with drums, where it is not really possible to play from the whole kit at once.  Instead the drum sounds can be added in new layers with each loop.

This command is also available from the piano keyboard, using the allocated transport keys (if any).

Clear Capture

Removes the (colored) captured events from the segment, while leaving the original or stored events (gray) intact.  This allows you to cancel a capture which you are not happy with, and try again.

This command is also available from the piano keyboard, using the allocated transport keys (if any).

Store Capture

Accepts the (colored) captured events in the segment and converts them to stored events (gray).  You can then proceed to capture a new set of events which can be cleared or stored separately.

Play

Starts playback of the segment from the focus bar, and continues to the last bar in segment, or until you terminate it by pressing this button again.  Captured, stored and original events (if kept) are included in the playback.

The other tracks are also played to give the context of the track you are editing within the song.

This command is also available from the piano keyboard, using the allocated transport keys (if any).

Play Solo

Starts solo playback of the segment from the focus bar, and continues to the last bar in segment, or until you terminate it by pressing this button again.  Captured, stored and original events (if kept) are included in the playback.

Setup Track

Opens the Track Setup window, which allows you to adjust the scope or controls of the track.  The command icon and pages vary, depending on the track.

Record Options

Opens the Record Options window, where you can change several settings that affect the appearance and behavior of the recording process.

These include key mappings, transport controls, metronome and count off options.

Keep Original Events

Specifies whether you want to keep the original events in the segment that were present before you opened the Record window.  If so, they will be merged with the recorded events.  If not, they will be replaced by them.

You can turn this on or off during a recording session to show or hide the original events, and this will also affect whether they are heard during recording and playback.

However, you are committed to your choice once you press the OK button, when the final set of events returned to the song is determined.

OK

Accepts any changes made to the events in the segment, returns to the workspace and updates the song.

Newly captured events do not need to be stored first.  All original (if kept), stored, or captured events showing in the segment when OK is pressed are accepted as the new contents of the segment.

The workspace is also updated with the current focus bar and the view settings for the track, including the grid lines and zoom sizing.

Cancel

Closes the window and returns to the workspace, discarding any changes made to events, settings or the focus bar.

Help

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