Playing Along with Your MIDI Instrument |
If you have a MIDI keyboard or other MIDI controller such as a MIDI guitar, then you can play along while Composer plays the song. Composer will route your MIDI performance to a MIDI output device and channel that you specify; and it will use an instrument sound (MIDI patch) that you specify. This topic describes how you can play along, or "jam", with Composer's playback of a song, if you have a MIDI keyboard or controller. If you are interested in practicing a part in the song, where you perform it rather than Composer, then see Practicing a Part Using Your MIDI Keyboard. If you want to play along, or jam, using the instrument sound of one of the staves in the song, then there is a quick way for you to select that sound, by double-clicking the solo button, as described in the first procedure below. If you want to play along using an instrument sound that is not associated with any staves in the song, then follow the second procedure below. You can also set up Composer to produce a selected sound as you play at your keyboard, even while Composer is not playing any song. Just follow the same instructions below. To play along with your MIDI instrument, using an instrument sound that is already assigned to one of the song staves:
When you double-click the solo button, it will turn to red , and a red arrow will be displayed to the left of the staff, as illustrated below. In addition, the selected staff will be muted, as indicated by the playback button in the up position.
To play along with your MIDI instrument, using any available instrument sound:
Composer will display a Select Play-Along Sound dialog box such as the following:
NOTE: Do not choose a MIDI device that has a built-in delay. Otherwise, there will be a frustrating delay between the time you play a note on your MIDI keyboard or controller and the time you hear it played. You can review the delay for a MIDI output device in the Device Properties dialog.
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