Step-by-step Using MIDI Transform keyboard shortcuts

1 Import MIDI file

Import the MIDI file entitled ‘Shortcuts.mid’ from the Tutorial Files folder onto a Software Instrument track loaded with the Alchemy synth. Click the region to select it.

2 Open Piano Roll

Click your computer’s ‘P’ key to open the Piano Roll editor and reveal the notes in the part. Although quantised, the notes are currently all different lengths and velocities.

3 Select all

To get this sounding machine-generated, with all notes equal in length, draw a rubber band around all the notes to select them, or use the Cmd+a keyboard shortcut.

4 Drag out

In this state, if you drag a note’s right edge left or right, all the other notes also change duration, but by the same amount, retaining their respective different lengths.

5 Here’s the key

Now hold down Shift and Alt, and drag one of the notes out to the desired length. The other notes now all conform to this new length, regardless of their previous duration.

6 Snap decision

By default, the note lengths will snap to the nearest grid value. So, using the method described in the previous step, set the length of all the notes to one sixteenth-note.

7 Now slide

There are two ways to set the velocity of all notes to the same value. Hold down Shift and Alt once more and adjust the Velocity slider in the local inspector pane.

8 Tooled up

Alternatively, keep the Shift and Alt keys held down and use the Velocity tool to adjust the velocity of just one of the notes. All the other notes will follow suit.

9 Levelled out

Use either method to set all the note velocities to 100. Now we have a properly tight, uniform, mechanical-sounding part in the style of retro ’80s sequencers.