Any instrument with green-coloured regions is MIDI-based and can have its
notes edited using the Piano Roll Editor, displayed via the Editor panel (E).Step-by-step How to manipulate MIDI notes
1
Green tracks
Start or open a project with at least one
software instrument track added. These tracks
contain green regions that can be software
instrument Apple Loops or recorded MIDI.2
Show Editor
Select a green track by clicking its header
and visit View>Show Editor or press E to show
the Piano Roll Editor. Here you’ll view a close up
of the track to edit the region.3
Picking notes
The Piano Roll is a grid that plots note
pitch to a vertical keyboard scale (x) and timing
horizontally. Notes are rendered as small
opaque blocks you click for selection.4
Multi selection
Select a note and shift-click another, or
drag around to enclose several. This grabs
multiples for editing, with notes of a certain
pitch also selectable via the keyboard.7
Pitch shifting
Dragging selected notes up or down the
Piano Roll keyboard will raise or lower their
pitch. Notes will sound and guides will show as
you move the mouse to assist the shift.5
Adding notes
Notes can be ‘drawn’ into the region by
holding the Cmd key. The pointer becomes
a pen that adds a note of default length and
velocity where you click into the Piano Roll.8
Timing tweaks
Dragging selected notes left or right
moves them within the Piano Roll to manually
alter timing. They move in tiny increments for
incredibly fine changes inside the region.6
Note length
Conversely, the delete key removes
selected notes. But here we’ll edit the new
note’s duration by hovering over the right edge,
clicking and dragging sideways to adjust.9
Copying notes
Holding the Option (Alt) key and dragging
selected notes will actually move a facsimile of
them to the new mouse pointer position within
the Piano Roll, dropping them into place.