Editing Your First MIDI Track

Next we will edit and loop the high-hat track. Remember, the sample Drum Loop 120 is a 2 bar loop.

Let's modify the high-hat track so that it plays as a 1 bar loop:

  1. Double-click the name of track 3, 'high-hat 16ths,' to view it within the Graphic Editor window.

  2. Choose Select All from the Edit menu to select all of the data within track 3.

  3. Press the Shift key and click Bar 1 in the time line of track 3 within the Graphic Editor. This deselects Bar 1 from the active selection.

  4. Choose the Delete from the Edit menu, or press the Delete key, to delete the active selection. This shortens the high-hat track to a length of 1 bar.

  5. Click the Loop field in the track's titlebar to activate track looping. The track length should already be set to 1 bar.

Track 3 is now set to a 1 bar loop. Looping is an effective compositional tool, which, among other things, allows you to set up unique cross rhythms and motifs that cycle in and out over time.

Now let's Quantize your high hat part so that it plays in perfect sync with the 120 BPM drum loop sample:

  1. Within the Tracks window, double-click the track 'high-hat 16ths' to view it in the Graphic Editor.

  2. Choose Quantize from the Options menu.

The Quantize dialog box appears.

  1. Enter 120 in the Quantize to field. 120 clocks represents a 16th note value when Metro is set to 480 clocks per quarter note.

Quantization shifts individual MIDI notes and events within the selection to the nearest beat boundary that you specify, 16th notes in this case.

  1. Click OK to close the Quantize dialog box and process the selected MIDI data.

Click the Play button in the Transport or press the spacebar to audition the quantized high hat part in tandem with the drum loop. Notice how the Quantize operation added machine-like precision to the feel of your high hat part. Quantization has mathematically perfected the rhythm of your high hat part. This is an example of quantization in its most raw and basic sense. Metro features other variants of the Quantize operation, such as Swing Feel, Strength and Groove Quantize (not available in Metro SE), which we will explore in the second part of this tutorial.

The next step in your first session is Recording a MIDI Bass Line.

Editing Your First MIDI Track