Recording

Melony can record from three places: a MIDI keyboard plugged into your computer, your computer's own keyboard, and a microphone. Each has its own setup, so this page walks through them one at a time.

Before you record: arming a track

Recording only ever targets tracks that are armed. An armed track is one whose record button (the small red circle in the track's header) is lit up.

A few rules to keep in mind:

You can arm as many tracks as you like. Recording will create a clip on each of them at once
Muted tracks are skipped. If a track is armed but muted, Melony will ignore it
If any track in the project is soloed, only armed tracks that are also soloed will record
Each track has an Input setting in its controls. It is recommended to leave them set to All inputs and All channels unless you want to restrict the track to a specific device. If you're recording from the computer keyboard, you can also set it to Computer keyboard, so the track only listens to your computer keyboard

If recording doesn't start Melony will show a message in the status bar explaining what's missing

Recording from a MIDI keyboard

Connect your MIDI keyboard by USB, then open the settings dialog and go to the Input tab. Select your device from the dropdown and click Connect MIDI.

To capture those notes into a clip, arm the track you want, move the playhead to the bar you want to record into, and click the Record button in the transport. Melony creates a clip at the playhead and begins capturing. Play your part, then click Record again to stop.

The clip grows in length as you play, so you don't need to stop at a bar line. When you stop, the clip stays at its final length and can be resized later like any other clip.

Recording from the computer keyboard

If you don't have a MIDI keyboard, you can play Melony with the keys on your computer keyboard, and even with the mouse. If playing with a computer keyboard doesn't work, make sure that it is enabled. To enable this, go the settings dialog, under Input, by turning on Computer keyboard.

Notes are mapped to the middle row of your keyboard. The A, S, D, F, G, H, and J keys play the white notes, and the keys above them play the black notes, the same layout as a piano.

Two controls sit in the piano roll heading that adjust how the computer keyboard plays:

Octave - the < and > buttons shift which octave the keys play in. You can also use the Z and X keys from your keyboard
Velocity - sets how hard each note plays. Adjust the value in the field to change the dynamics

Count-in

If you'd like a moment to prepare before recording actually starts, Melony can play a short count-in using the metronome. Open the settings dialog and go to the Playback tab, then choose 1 bar or 2 bars from the Count-in before recording dropdown.

With count-in enabled, pressing Record plays the chosen number of clicks before the transport rolls. Your recording starts exactly on the beat you selected.

Recording live audio

Melony can record live audio from any device your computer recognises as an audio input. That includes microphones, and it also includes USB audio interfaces, so if you have a guitar, a bass, or any other instrument plugged into an interface, it can be recorded the same way.

Live audio is only ever recorded onto an audio track. If you don't have one, click Add track and choose Audio track from the menu.

Once the audio track exists, set its Input to the device you want to record from. The dropdown lists every audio input the system reports, such as your built-in microphone, any external mics, and any audio interfaces you have connected. If your device isn't listed, click inside the dropdown to refresh it.

Monitoring If you'd like to hear your input while you record, click the headphones button on the audio track's header. Be careful with speakers, since it can cause feedback. Headphones are safer.

Capture Notes

There's a third way to record that doesn't commit to a full take. The Capture Notes button in the transport starts listening and remembers what you play, without creating a clip or moving the playhead. You can improvise freely for up to two minutes.

When you're finished, click Capture Notes again. Melony will ask where to put the performance: as a new clip on the selected track, as a new clip on a new track, or discarded entirely. If you keep it, the notes you played are dropped into a clip at the current playhead position.

This is useful when you're experimenting and you stumble onto something worth keeping. Instead of recording a formal take and dealing with the aftermath, you just turn Capture on, play around, and keep the good bit.

If recording doesn't work

You can't hear what you play, but the notes are being captured. Check that the track's volume slider is up, and that it isn't muted.

Nothing is captured at all. Make sure the track is armed, has an instrument loaded, and isn't muted. If you're using MIDI, confirm the device is connected in the settings dialog.

The computer keyboard types into a text field instead of playing notes. This is intentional. When you click into a track name, tempo field, or any other input, Melony stops treating your keystrokes as notes so you can type. Click somewhere empty first, or press Esc to leave the field.