The Controls page appears in the Song Setup property window.

It lets you modify a wide range of properties that affect the behaviour and appearance of the song.

Most of the properties appear in the Properties list, divided into groups.

Controls

Volume

Sets the master volume of the song, which affects the loudness of all sound tracks.  This control is also available on the mixer panel.

Master volume is displayed as a percentage, or as a Midi value, depending on your preference.  Volume changes can be placed throughout the song.

Tempo

Sets the master tempo of the song, which affects the playback tempo of all tracks.  This control is also available on the mixer panel.

Master tempo is displayed as quarter notes per minute (qpm), and can vary from 30 qpm to 240 qpm.  Tempo changes can be placed throughout the song.

Ticks Per Qtn

Sets the number of ticks per quarter note (Tpq) of duration throughout the song.  This affects the precision with which event positions and lengths can be specified.

Typically a Ticks Per Qtn of 144 is adequate, but it can be increased to 960.  The current setting is shown in the status bar.

Time Signature

A time signature must be selected for new bars when they are inserted.  This option specifies which time signature to present as the default choice.

This option does not affect the existing bars in the song.  To change the time signature of existing bars, you must use the Convert Meter window.

Key Signature

Specifies the default key signature for song.  This applies from the start of the song until the first section marker with  a key change.

Key signatures affect the generation of staff symbols for staff sheets and reports.

Pickup Length

Specifies whether the song has a pickup section, and if so, whether it is one or two bars in length.  Pickup bars are indicated with roman numerals i and ii,before the start of bar 1.

Line Length

Specifies the length of the lines in work sheets, measured in quarter notes.  This effectively controls the horizontal sizing of work sheets.

A typical value is 16 Qtn, which fits four 4/4 bars per line.  Other values may work better for other time signatures, for example a line length of 18 Qtn would fit six 3/4 bars per line.

Cell Height

Specifies the vertical sizing of the tracks in work sheets.  It can vary from 50% to 200% of the normal height.

Count Off

Specifies how many bars of metronome count off should be sounded before playback begins at the start of the song.

Count off does not apply when playback begins in the middle of the song.  It can be controlled separately for recording or exporting songs.

Metronome

Specifies whether the metronome should be heard during song playback.  The metronome automatically follows any time signature changes, and its level and voice can be adjusted with the Sound page.

The metronome can be turned on or off during playback with Song-Metronome or the transport bar.

Global Reverb

Specifies the level of global reverb which should be added to the playback of the song.  This is different from the Reverb settings which apply separately for each track.

This setting is provided primarily for the benefit of the Microsoft Synthesizer device, which supports global reverb, but not channel-level reverb effects.  With most other midi devices it has no effect.

Apply To

Determines how styles can be selected for the tracks in the song.

All Tracks - only a single style is selected and used for all tracks.  This is the easiest mode to use and the default for new songs.

Each Track - a different style can be selected for each track.  This offers much more variety by allowing a combination of styles to be used in the song.

This setting affects the behavior and display of style controls on the Tracks page and the transport bar.

Song Settings

Specifies whether, when a style is selected, the song is updated with the same master volume,master tempo,staff resolution and bar sizing settings that the style was designed with.

Where Apply To is set to Each Track, the song may be using several styles, so this option is disabled.

Track Setup

Specifies whether, when a style is selected, the track is updated with the same setup (voice, level, reverb, etc) as the source track in the style, to retain the same sound it was designed with.

Where Apply To is set to Each Track, this happens separately for each track.

Track Scope

Specifies whether, when a style is selected, the track is updated with the same scope (note range, drum kit, etc) as the source track in the style, to retain the same range (or drums) it was designed with.

Where Apply To is set to Each Track, this happens separately for each track.

Compound Time

Specifies how style event timing is generated when the song uses a compound time signature (eg. 6/8, 9/8, 12/8).  Most styles are designed in 4/4, so Songtrix needs to decide whether to map each style beat to a single song beat, or to a song triplet.

Simplify - Maps each style beat to a song triplet.  This is usually the best option, and works particularly well when the style has a swing feel (which matches the triplet base of the song's timing).

Retain - Maps each style beat to a single song beat.  This places more emphasis on each individual beat of the compound time (rather than just the first of each triplet) and makes the style events occur three times faster.

Stream Prefix

Inserts a small time delay (measured as a fraction of a quarter note) at the start of playback, after sending the Midi controllers to setup the channels, and before playback actually begins.

Some Midi output devices require a delay after the setup is changed before they are ready to receive note events.

Control Timing

Specifies the time intervals (measured as a fraction of a quarter note) at which Midi controllers are generated when translating segment events such as Bend Notes.

A smaller interval gives a smoother effect, but generates more Midi events in the output stream.

Partial Notes

Specifies what should happen during playback when a note extends beyond the range being played.  This most often happens when auditioning single bars from the song, or when playback is looped.

Overlap - plays the whole note length regardless

Truncate - plays only the part of the note which falls within the playback range

Ignore - only plays notes which fall entirely within the playback range

Loop Pickup

Specifies whether the segment events in the pickup section are merged with the end of the playback range for looped playback.

If the pickup bars contain a few notes of lead-in for a melody that loops, you probably want to Enable this.

If the pickup bars contain a full arrangement, or a one-time intro, you probably don't.