Use the notebook prompt to inspect a value, transform a pattern or audition an idea alongside your song. Keep a successful experiment as a named definition.
Held from the first release. Bench (the declaration notebook and the Patch Bay board) has no menu, header or shortcut entry in this release; the piano roll it hosts still opens from a track's Edit notes.
The rail#
The notebook's left rail lists the song's chapters and definitions in order, with each definition's name, kind, type, warnings and estimated cost. Click a name to jump to its cell; hover to highlight references. Macro rows show a draggable value, running tracks show small meters, and patterns show playback position.
The rail appears when the window has enough room beside the cells. The outline control hides or shows it; in a narrow window the same control opens a searchable outline of chapters and declarations, as does Cmd/Ctrl+P.
The prompt#
Cmd/Ctrl+J opens the prompt drawer. Enter an expression using the song's names and imports, then press Enter. The result depends on what you entered:
| Expression | Result |
|---|---|
A static value, such as 2 + 2 | Its value and type |
| A pattern | An event lane and first-cycle event list |
| A sound, patch, track or song | A Play control for a short audition |
| A control signal | A curve showing how its value changes |
| An invalid expression | An error pointing into your input |
| An expression that cannot be evaluated here | The expression and its type |
Evaluation does not replace your song. Keep inserts a named definition after the definitions it uses and updates the song. Wait for analysis to settle before keeping an answer. Mixer, bus and group blocks cannot be addressed from the prompt.
Auditions that depend on live audio inputs or other tracks' live signals hear silence for those inputs; the answer card explains this restriction.
Prompt intelligence#
Completion, signature help and hover descriptions work in the prompt. Enter submits even when completion is open; use Tab or click to accept a completion. Shift+Enter adds a line. Up and Down at the first or last input line browse the last 20 submissions; Down past the newest restores your unfinished input.
Use :doc name to look up a command or song definition. A command's try control puts its example into the input. it refers to the previous successful answer. :clear clears the displayed conversation with the prompt.
Watch expressions#
Choose watch on an answer, or enter :watch expr, to pin it above the input. Up to eight watches refresh when the song's analysis changes while the drawer is open. A broken expression can become valid as you add its missing definition. Audible watches wait for you to press Play; refreshing never starts audio.
it in a watch keeps the answer it referred to when pinned. Use a watch's close control or :unwatch to remove it. Watches last for the session; input history is remembered between sessions.
Control-signal curves#
Envelopes, LFOs and macro calculations show a two-second curve with minimum, maximum and final values. Envelope curves include a note release; free-running signals continue across the whole window. Macros use their knob values and live inputs are silent. If a curve cannot be evaluated, the answer falls back to its expression and type. Control-signal cards do not have audio playback.
Next steps#
Use Edit music in the notebook to edit patterns and sounds visually, or Bring a sound to life to put a control signal to work in a song.