Tutorial - Record:  use Ditty to record over the drum track

(the fun part)

After you've set up your "metronome track",
you can just play and it'll be recorded.

DrumTrak tacks on an extra blank track for recording called "piano".
   It's set up with REC.*.*> prefix meaning
      any device any channel records into this track.
   You'll see the #events column increment by 2 for each note (on+off).

When you save, the new song will be saved as:
   {MidiPath}\Compose\DrumTrak@yyyymmdd.hhmmss.day.mid
      You may want to put this file somewhere permanent and rename it :)

As you're recording (and while just listening),
   you can use Ditty's "Live Editing".



Live Editing:
   Ditty lets you edit many song parameters.
   They're all available from the midi keyboard  (no reeeeaching for the mouse)
   AND from the screen display.            (if you like reaching for the mouse)

   On screen:
      use the Edit: droplist to pick the category of what you want to edit and

      hover over the 8   << < > >>  << < > >>   buttons to find out what they do
                                               (different things per "category")
   On midi keyboard:
      Use MidiCfg to map an input control on your keyboard to send "MENU".
         This control will change the droplist to pick your editing category.
         While you're at it, map a control to "TRAK" to pick the edit track.

      hit one of the top 8 keys (8f..9c) to DO one of the editing functions.
         these 8 keys correspond to the 8 buttons on screen:
         8f 8f# 8g 8g#    8a 8a# 8b 9c
         <<  <  >  >>     <<  <  >  >>

      If you have less than 88 keys,
      you can use MidiCfg to change the max note (EditKey:) to something other
      than the 9c default value.

   There are SHORTCUTS:
   - click on a track in the display to pick it (see the > to it's left now?)
   - click the sound to choose trkSound editing
   - doubleclick a trackname to edit the track's name/sound in a dialog
   - click the time to pause playback


   There's a full listing of the live editing capabilities in ditty's reference:
   GORY DETAILS

   So you could try this:
      pick the "Time" edit category.
         press the <  key to "rewind"
         press the << key to "rewind 8 bars"  (faster)
      pick "TrkEdit" edit category.
         press < or > key to pick the prev/next track.
      pick the "TrkSound" edit category.
         press the >  key to use the next sound of the bank
         press the >> key to hop to the next "sound group" (dir of sounds)
      pick the "PLAY edit keys" category
         to turn editing keys off (to play and record em, etc)
________________________________________________________________________________

Recording from scratch:
   Recording is enabled per track.
      (Use TrkEdit: NewDrum/NewMelo to add a track)

   Pick a track by clicking on it.
   Pick TrkRecord edit category.
      Use the <<,>> buttons to pick input device
      Use the  <,>  buttons to pick midi channel
      device=* and channel=* will record any device or any channel.

   If you're recording into a drumtrack,
      new tracks will be created automatically as you play new drum notes.

   When done recording,
      use TrkRecord: Save to save the song as the next revision.
         An @yyyymmdd.hhmmss.day will be tacked onto the previous song name.
            (so you don't have to bother with a file save dialog)
         A completely new song defaults to
            {MidiPath}\Compose\@yyyymmdd.hhmmss.day.mid
________________________________________________________________________________

Using your pc keyboard as a crappy midi input device:

   WARNING - Most keyboards have a fixed number of keys that can be held down
             simultaneously.  You'll likely not be able to play 4 note chords
             with a pc qwerty keyboard.
             Come on.  Buy a REAL one.  You know you want to ;)
   AS LONG AS keyboard input is ON,
      (Tab to or click the little "in" control to make it GREEN)
      you can use your pc keyboard as a (fixed velocity) midi input device.
   Here's the key mapping:

      2   3       5   6   7       9   0       =   bsp    upper octave (octave 5)
    q   w   e   r   t   y   u   i   o   p   [   ]   \    q is middle c
                     ||
                     \/
      c#  d#      f#  g#  a#      c#  d#      f#  g#
    c   d   e   f   g   a   b   c   d   e   f   g   a
    _________________________________________________

      s   d       g   h   j       l   ;   '              lower octave (octave 4)
    z   x   c   v   b   n   m   ,   .   /                z is low c
                     ||
                     \/
      c#  d#      f#  g#  a#      c#  d#  e#
    c   d   e   f   g   a   b   c   d   e

    cursor left   moves everything down an octave (slide left on piano keyboard)
    cursor right  "     "          up   "  "       "     right " "     "
    cursor up     increments the velocity (which defaults to 100 of 1..127)
    cursor down   decrements "   "         "     "        "  "   "  "

    F1..F8        do the main toolbar buttons in order
    F9..F12       do the value editing toolbar rightmost set of 4 buttons
    shift F9..F12 "  "   "     "       "       leftmost  "   "  " "


Next up, editing in Tinker.