Tutorial 1: Starting to Play Notes

Starting to Play Notes with Anklang

Welcome to Anklang, an open-source digital audio workstation for live music composition and audio synthesis. This tutorial will guide you through the basics of creating a new project and adding your first sounds.

Step 1: Create a New Project

To start, navigate to the 🖿 "File" menu and select New Project. This will create a fresh canvas for your audio creation.

Step 2: Add a Track

To see the track menu, right-click into the track area, e.g. on the "Master" track and select Add Track to create a new track for your project. This will be the foundation for your audio composition.

Step 3: Add a Device

In the lower left corner of the window, click the "Show Device Stack" icon. This will display the device stack for your track. Click the + menu icon to create a new BlepSynth device in the track. BlepSynth is a built-in synthesizer that will generate sound for your track.

Step 4: Access the Piano Roll Editor

In the lower left corner, next to the "Show Device Stack" icon, click the "Show Piano Roll Editor" icon. This will open the piano roll editor, where you can create and arrange notes for your track. You can also use the ^ hotkey to toggle between the "Show Device Stack" and "Show Piano Roll Editor" modes, depending on what you need to work on.

Step 5: Draw Notes

In the piano roll editor, click the piano roll tool menu and select ✎ Pen 3 or press the 3 key on your keyboard when inside the piano roll. This will allow you to draw notes directly onto the piano roll. Use mouse clicks to add notes to the current clip. Experiment with different pitches and durations to create your melody.

Step 6: Play Your Creation

Click the ▶ playback button or press the Space bar to hear your composition come to life. The same button can be used to stop playback when you're done listening.

Step 7: Experiment with Sound

Click the "Show Device Stack" icon again to return to the device stack. During playback, tweak the knobs of the BlepSynth device to explore different sounds and timbres. Adjust the parameters to shape your audio and create unique textures.

That's it! You've just started creating music with Anklang. Feel free to explore the interface, add more tracks, devices, and clips to develop your project further. If you encounter any issues or have ideas for improvement, please don't hesitate to report them or join the discussions.

Happy creating!