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MIDI step entry

MIDI step entry is a alternative way to enter notes into a .bax pattern from a MIDI keyboard. Notes are stepped into the editor one at a time — it is not a realtime piano-roll recorder.

The BeatBax web-lite client has no MIDI step entry. Use BeatBax Desktop.

Enabling MIDI input​

  1. Connect a MIDI keyboard or controller.
  2. Open BeatBax Desktop.
  3. Press Ctrl+, / Cmd+, (or View → Settings…), open the Editor tab, and enable MIDI input.
  4. Close Settings. Arm step entry with the record control on the transport bar.
  5. Click into a pat (or other note list) in the editor, then play keys on the controller.

Each MIDI note inserts a BeatBax pitch token at the cursor and advances, so you can build a phrase without typing note names.

Scale and lock​

If the song declares a scale and the channel has lock=…, Desktop snaps or filters MIDI step entry onto the allowed scale degrees. That matches typed notes: out-of-lock pitches warn or error according to the scale mode (warn, error, or off).