Tool Descriptions & Misc. Functions
Top tool bar
Open Disk Icon
Opens a previously saved Xx file. From here you have the option to open multiple files. All of your recently open files are kept under the Songs menu.
- Save Disk Icon
Saves the current Xx sequence.
Mode (tonality and scale) Selector
Allows you to pick from a "drop down" list of scales and tonalities with which to modify your tracks. Click and hold the arrows to drop a list down, then make your selection by releasing the mouse. The tonality is given by the choice of a fundamental in the 12 semitones space. The scale can be Major, several Minors, some predefined "Modern" scales and a User Scale.
To remove any scale and key constraints, choose the dodecaphonic (12 tone chromatic) mode. In that case the choice of a fundamental has no meaning.
The User Scale is defined in the preferences. Choose preferences from the Edit menu if you choose the User Scale option.
When you are working in a specific scale/tonality, any note values you enter from your external Midi Keyboard controller, pencil tool, or other tools will be constrained to that scale. You can also transpose in whole steps within the same scale.
Note that Xx scales are 7 steps only, but you may simulate pentatonic scales with the user's scale.
Poly/Mono Toggle
This button toggles between Poly and Mono Modes. In Poly mode, all your edits and processes will be applied globally on all "unlocked" tracks. (More on “Locks” later...)
Mono mode lets you work on the current selected track without affecting the other tracks. When selected, the other track colors dim, and all editing functions and processes apply only to the selected track. In Mono mode, the playing will "solo" the current track.
Tips : Use the Enter key to rapidly switch between Poly/Mono edit modes.
- Tracks
Tracks are delineated by color. To select a track, click on a colored square. (It will highlight itself.)
There are 16 colored squares which correspond to 16 tracks which correspond to the 16 Midi channels. Track colors are user assignable via the slightly longer box at the end of the tracks row. This box also displays the currently selected track.
The current selected track has the following global parameters:
Midi Channel
Type in a number or use the Arrow buttons.
(You can also type in the name of a track here.)
Midi Output Port and Default Midi Program Change
If you are using Midi Manager select the port on which you want your Midi data to be output to. (If the trumpet icon has a "red line" through it, the port is off.) From the trumpet icon, you can set the port (modem, printer, auxiliary) or choose the Sine synth or the Beatnik palette. Click and hold to select .
If you are using OMS the list will represent your current device bank as defined in your OMS studio setup.
Track Volume
Slider adjusts overall track volume.
Track Lock switch
Prevents transposition, modifications, and edits on the locked tracks while in Poly mode. A track is "locked" when the icon is yellow. Note that when a track is locked, it is not taken into account by the harmonization and scales recognition algorithms. For example, the notes of a drum track may be outside the given scale and you may not want its note content to influence a Edit->Smart Paste or a Edit->Smart Random; locking a track will ensure this. While a track is locked you may also transpose your music without altering the locked track (again this is especially useful with drum tracks). The lock icon will highlight if the track is locked. By clicking on the lock icon you can toggle it on or off.
Track Loop switch
This enables looping on the selected track. Xx loops tracks independently of each other, regardless of measure length. You can have non-looping tracks (which will play back only once) playback concurrently with looping tracks. The loop icon will highlight if the track is looped. By clicking on the loop icon you can toggle it on or off
- Track Template Dialog
Double clicking on any of the colored track squares brings up the Track Tenplate.
All track parameters are displayed in a list. A serie of sliders can set default channel volume. The 
Bank select column buttons allows to specify a particular synth bank. The values for MSB and LSB are synth dependant and you should consult your synth Midi Implementation charts. Most of the devices usually limit their bank to LSB value.
Save Templates and Open Templates may be used to save and load a particular channels/program change/volume configuration.
Main tool bar
Xx philosophy is to give you access to all the functionality's all the time. Important features like displacing a note or assigning a selection are always available, whatever the current tool. To move a note in pitch/time just click and drag it. To reassign the selection to a given track just press the CONTROL key while clicking in the score. This will display a track pop up menu to select the destination track. To change a note's duration, you can either CONTROL-OPTION click on the end of the note and then drag to the desired duration, or use the Duration Controller on a selection. Note that all tools now supports auto-scroll and plays while painting. After drawing the new notes are automatically selected to allow you to quickly post-process them with the real time drag controllers or other editing functions.
Marquee Selection Tool
You can select individual notes by clicking on them or select a series of notes by surrounding them with the marquee rectangle. To select a specific pitch, you can click on the graphic piano keyboard on the left. To select certain track events within a defined "current time range" (shown in blue in the measure bar at the bottom of the screen) click on the desired track color box. SHIFT-clicking and then dragging allows you to select a discontinuous series of notes. To remove notes from the selection, you can use SHIFT-OPTION. In Mono mode, all selections will be done only within the currently selected track.
A simple click sets the insertion line that will be used by Edit->Paste or Edit->Smart Paste commands.
You can drag the selection with the mouse by clicking on a selected note. If the Option key is held down, you will leave a copy at its original place. Note that displacements are always quantized to the current grid size and tonality/scale.
Shortcut: The COMMAND key gives access to the selection tool at any time.
Pencil Tool
The pencil tool is used to enter single notes. A click will enter a note using the default duration. A click and drag lets you choose longer durations. The default duration is whatever value is in the "Grid Size" box, and the default velocity is set by clicking on the keyboard picture (left for low values, right for high values).
Using the pen tool with the OPTION key down will create a chord whose fundamental is set to the note you entered.
Eraser Tool
Click on individual notes to delete them. If you click in the controllers area while the option display controllers is active you can also erase individual controllers.
Shortcut: Use COMMAND+OPTION to have access to the eraser tool at any time.
You can erase groups of selected notes with the Delete key (<--). OPTION+Delete key will erase the current time range and remove the corresponding measures.
The Pattern Tool
The pattern tool allows you to enter a full motive at once. With patterns, you can quickly create complex arpeggios or enter different versions of the same motive. The pattern will be adjusted to fit in the current tonality/scale settings and will be transposed according to the y axis position of the mouse. Patterns are shown using the special velocity color coding.
Double clicking on this tool brings up a dialog box which shows the currently selected pattern. Click and hold the mouse in the pattern area to bring up a pop-up list of patterns from which to choose (any of which can be applied to your tracks). This dialog box will also let you load a previously saved pattern list, as well as create and or save new pattern lists. You can add your own patterns and set up several libraries of motives, rhythmic patterns, chords, and arpeggios. The pop up menu on the top of the dialog determine the tempo of the pattern. By default it is set to the original speed but you may choose 2X faster or 2X slower. The Preview button will loop the chosen pattern using the current track sound and the given tempo.
See also "Repeat Pattern".
Spray
Spray a random ensemble of notes. The spray is sensitive to the current mode (tonality and scale) and the current Grid Size.
. It will also "adapt" to the existing content of the tracks. Double-click to edit the spray tool parameters. Spray with "option key down" will also force randomize durations but you may set this option always true in the dialog. The Airbrush diameter ranges from 1 to 30 and is function of the given Ticks per quarter note.
Brush Tool
The Brush tool can be used to freely draw curves of notes. The default quantization is whatever value is in the "Grid Size" box, and the default velocity is set on the top of the keyboard picture.
Line Tool
The line tool is a rubber-band vector which you can use to create glissandos and arpeggios. Horizontal lines will create single notes while vertical will create chords.
- The several "Canon" tools will enter the melody you compose on several tracks with time and pitch offsets between tracks. The reversed/inverted counterpoint tools will use time or pitch symmetries for the second voice. Since you are able to see what will happen in the future for other voices, you can interactively compose a theme that will work in canon. (The display option "octave" is handy to have for an enhanced view of inter-track harmonic relations.) In Poly mode, the added voices will be inserted in the following tracks.
Canon Two Voice
Each drawn melody is repeated with pitch transposition and time offset. In Poly mode, the second voice will be on the following track. Double-clicking this tool brings up a dialog box which you can use to set up the time and velocity offsets. If the "Avoid dissonance" (which you can toggle on or off) is ON, then the second voice may be altered to remove any dissonance. With the SHIFT key down, you can freely draw the melody, like you would with the brush tool.
Reversed Counterpoint
This works similarly to the Canon Two voice, but the second voice is mirrored in pitch. With a time offset at zero, you can enter a melody harmonized by its own inverse.
Canon Three Voice
Similar to the 2 voices canon, but with 3 voices. The use of the Canon Three Voice tool is more difficult if you want to maintain total consonance between the three voices, so the option "Avoid dissonance" might be handy here.
Tips: You can use this tool for entering chords if you set the Time Offset to zero. You may choose "fifth" and "third" as the pitch offset to enter the basic triad.
Retrograde Counterpoint
The second voice will be the mirror in time, or, technically speaking, the movement retrograde.
With this tool, it's easy to design a melody that superposes nicely with its own reverse in time. The tool uses the current time range to determine where to start the reversed movement.
Keyboard Step Entry Tool
When you select this tool, your Macintosh keyboard or a keyboard controller can be used to enter notes step by step. Each note matches the current grid size length. The space bar will enter a rest while the delete key will move the entry point backward and delete the last entered note. It's fun to type your name and see what melody it makes in the current chosen mode. Note that the standard keys behavior don't work with the Step entry tool. Deletes does no longer deletes the selection but behave like in a standard text processing software and "space bar" enter a silence instead of playing the sequence.
- Grid Size
Current grid size value is displayed in "Ticks". By default, 240 ticks is a quarter-note. The minimum value is an eight of the current ticks per quarter-notes, which is 30 when 240 is used. Most of the input tools use this grid size for their note time quantization. The arrow keys (left and right) will offset the selection by the current grid size value. You can change the current ticks per quarter-notes settings in the preferences but we recommend to use standard values of 240 or 384.
Transport buttons
Play
To play starting at the current measure. When in Mono mode, only the current track is played. Use "return" to go back to the beginning of the sequence. "SPACEBAR" can be used to select play or stop if playing.
Play Selection
To play the current selection only (shown in yellow). If tracks are looped, they will continue to loop inside the selection.
Shortcut : COMMAND + SPACEBAR : Record, SPACEBAR again to stop
Stop
Stops the playback.
Shortcut : SPACEBAR when playing
Record
Starts Midi recording. Incoming Midi will be redirected to the current track .
Xx assumes that the incoming Midi is on channel 0 (or 1 if you number them 1-16). Other channels inputs are mapped to corresponding tracks. That is if Midi comes in in channel 2 the data will be send to track 2. This allows multi track polyphonic input, a situation that usually happend only when you use another software to send midi to Xx.
Shortcut : OPTION + SPACEBAR : Record, SPACEBAR again to stop
See Also: Midi thru enabled in the Preferences dialog
Real Time Capture
This special play button will turn on the recording of all your edits and note input values while you listen to the sequence.
How to use it: Work in the first segment of the piano roll. Choose the pen tool. Select a couple of bars in the measure bar area to determine the looping time, then click on the Real Time Capture icon. Enter notes as time elapses. All edits will be recorded, including transposes, durations, and velocity changes.
Press stop and Xx maintains a record of the extended sequence. Excellent for live interaction. Jam along, then go back and find your favorite sections, or keep the whole thing.
Tempo in BPM
The current tempo in beats per minute (BPM).
Display Options
At any time you can change perspective and select a different way to look at your sequence. These display options do not change the music but simply show you additional or alternate information.
- Velocity
Displaying velocity will color notes according to their velocities, with yellow representing the maximum and blue the minimum.
- Octaves
Select octaves and Xx fills the screen with a hypothetical octave transpose that shows how your notes correspond to one another. This is invaluable when composing and entering new notes in order to know how they relate to the existing music
- Controllers
When on, Midi control information is viewed in a subwindow. You can enter values manually by clicking in the subwindow. The real time drag controller buttons change to a specific bar for Midi controllers manipulations. A pop-up will give you the choice between the most standard Midi controllers. In Poly mode, all chosen controllers are shown in their respective track color.
- Show grid
When Show grid on, a note and measure grid is drawn behind the notes. There are 3 different style of grid that can be chosen in the preference dialog.
- Show all
With Show all on, all the tracks are displayed. If you need to solo a track for a moment, click on it.
Navigation tools :
Located along the bottom left of Xx’s screen. The cursor will indicate if the tool requires a drag (<-> ) or a simple click.
Real Time Drag Controllers:
These control functions allow you to increase/decrease note durations and control general velocity settings, level, and contrast. All real time controllers can be used while the music is playing. They apply to the current selection region, shown in yellow within the tracks. If no selection is present, they will apply to the current measure selection shown in blue.
- Velocity controls:
As with all edits they apply to every track or only the selected track depending on the Poly/Mono toggle value.
- Velocity fade-in (click)- Applies a fade-in to selected data. Shortcut : "<"
- Velocity fade-in/out (drag)-- Applies a fade-in and fade-out on selected data.
- Velocity fade-out (click)- Applies a fade-out to selected data. Shortcut :">"
- Velocity contrast (drag)
Adjust the contrast color of velocity data by holding and dragging. Drag left to decrease velocity or right to increase. At minimum contrast, all velocities will be set to 64.
- Velocity level (drag)
Adjust velocity of highlighted notes by holding down and dragging. Drag left to decrease velocity or right to increase.
- Controller controls
When the display option "Controller" is active, an alternate set of buttons appears in the control bar. With them you can modify the value of the selected controller data within the current time range. Use Edit->Select All if you need to modify all controllers at once.
- Fade-in (click)
Multiplies the current data by a fade-in ramp
Smooth (click) Use it to remove any brutal change in the controller curve.
- Fade-out (click)
Multiplies the current data by a fade-out ramp
Contrast (drag)
Increase or decrease the dynamic of controller values.
Offset (drag)
Adds or subtract to the controller values.
Quantize (click)
Quantizes the controller data to the current grid size.
Erase (click)
Erase the controller data located within the current time range.
Notes Duration (drag)
Adjust duration of highlighted notes by holding down and dragging. Drag left to decrease duration or right to increase.
Invert Keys (click)
Invert in pitch, within the current tonality. You may use the transpose key after inverting pitches.
Revert Time (click)
Inverts (reverses) time of highlighted data within the current time range.
Harmonize (click)
Not only does Harmonize map any data into a the current tonality/scale, but it also removes any dissonance from the tracks by comparing all notes that are simultaneously playing. (Edit Menu->Harmonize)
Randomize (click)
A click here will randomize pitches and velocities within the current selection. With OPTION key down only notes velocities will be randomized. You may use the Harmonize button after a randomize to fix any unwanted dissonances.
Transpose (click)
Increases or decreases harmonic note value in whole steps of selected data. The transposition will be done within the current scale. For a chromatic transpose (one semitone) use the "dodecaphonic" (12 tone chromatic) mode.
The Measure Bar Area
You can click in the measure bar area to select one or more whole measures. This sets the current time range along measure boundaries.
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