LMMS User Manual

1 This to use this 's in LMMS of of Automation using LFO controllers ..17 Introduction to with a sound-recording LMMS Parts of look around in a feel of LMMS with a demo Main Menu Menu ..30 Tools Controls ..31 Tempo Signature and Pitch and CPU Usage The Side Instrument Plugins My Projects My Samples My Presets My Home User Manual > Contents4 The My Computer Song Song Editor with tracks in Song structure of a typical with an with Instrument the instrument track to play an audio track with with sample with Beat/Bassline with automation Context menus in Song menu for Instrument track menu for Beat track menu for Sample track menu for Automation track Piano Roll Piano Roll Editor Toolbar toolbar Length ..58 Note Panning ..59 Composing in the Piano Roll Notes with notes with keyboard ..60 The Beat+Bassline Beat+Bassline Editor Beat+Bassline Editor the volume of the pitch of different and Editing a the BB Editor works with the Song Automation in the Beat+Bassline process flow for composing a of pattern-design.

2 69 Which approach is best? ..70 The timeline in BB Steps to of Time Signature on BB Editor's Context Menu in Pattern Context Menu in Automation FX channel Effects Chain Instrument Sound controls User Manual > Contents5 The ENV/LFO tab ..80 The Func tab ..83 Chords ..83 Arpeggios ..84 The FX tab ..84 The MIDI tab ..86 The Piano Keys Automation Automation Editor about the Automation Controller a a a Controller to Target the settings of a the or Removing a LFO Controller the LFO Peak the Peak Project Notes uses of Project and Composing an existing with the Song with the Beat+Bassline with the a song from score the song-global Automation multiple the User Manual > ..125 The Triple Oscillator Booster ..132 Peak Controller ..132 Spectrum Analyzer ..133 Stereo Enhancer ..133 Stereophonic Matrix ..133B. Keyboard shortcuts ..135 Main Window (anywhere in LMMS).

3 135 Instrument Plugins ..136 All editors that include a time line ..136 Beat+Bassline Editor ..136 Piano Roll Editor ..136 Song Editor ..137 Automation Editor ..138 Project Notes ..139 File Browser (in Side Bar) ..139C. Editing the Automation Working with Used as a Melody Instrument ..143 Preparing the an instrument with the the Used as a Percussion the the percussion instrument from the the Adding Special Created With an Automation Created with the Tracks through LMMS and World of User Manual > Contents7I. What's new?..159J. this ManualThis is the user's Manual for the Linux MultiMedia Studio (LMMS), an open source digital audio workstation (DAW) software. How to use this manualThis Manual is meant for beginners who have no experience of LMMS, and no formal training in music (the Manual explains the basics). The best way to read this Manual is to read it from start to finish: LMMS has multiple windows with different controls than what you see in other software; and it would save you from much trouble if you understand these concepts in the sequence presented.

4 In fact, be sure to read the next ( Introduction ) Manual provides links to additional reference material available on Internet. Hyperlinks in this Manual are denoted with brown text (NOT as underlined blue text).DisclaimerThe Manual is presented as a free guide, on as is basis. The Manual is supposed to be a guide for the user; not an authentic reference care is taken to ensure that the Manual is accurate and matches the current version of LMMS. However, it possible that you are using an outdated version of this Manual or LMMS, in which case there would be some mismatches. If so, please send me an email and I will correct the anomaly in the next version of the author is not responsible for any loss or damages arising out of use, misuse or abuse of the information presented here; or errors in the use it at your own risk. Version NumberThis Manual will be updated from time to time, to keep up with the changes in LMMS; or to add more help material about LMMS and version number of the Manual is simply the LMMS's version number followed by a serially incremented number.

5 For example, the number means the second Manual released for LMMS version Manual will carry its version number on the front cover, so that you can easily find out whether you have the latest Manual . What's newThe latest changes in the Manual is provided in the Appendix I. If you have read the previous version thoroughly, you can simply go through these changes to understand what has changed in both LMMS and Manual is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs Unported License. Due care is taken to use non-copyrighted material in this Manual . If you notice any copyright infringement, please LMMS User Manual > About this Manual10bring it to my notice, and I will correct it cover and the LMMS logo are designed by Prasun section refers to feedback about this Manual only. To provide a feedback about LMMS (bugs, feature request or support requests), please visit the LMMS site, You are most welcome to give any suggestions to make this Manual more accurate and comprehensive.

6 In future versions, I will be adding more music-related text, so any suggestion or contribution in this aspect are also send a mail to Please begin the subject line with the words LMMS Manual , so that your mail does not get filtered by my spam known issue is that some information is still missing in the Manual , Unfortunately I had to leave some blanks in the Manual because that information was simply not available. If you have any related information, please share it, so that all readers can exploit the full power of all plugins. Thanks in advance!Basic ConceptsThis Manual uses some terms and concepts that may not be known to you. Understand them TermsThe terms used in the discussions throughout the Manual are explained list is not presented in alphabetical order: The foundation concepts are explained first, and then higher-level concepts based on them are explained general terms are covered in the Mouse ButtonRMBR ight Mouse ButtonClickPress the LMB momentarily and release it the RMB momentarily and release it the mouse till the pointer is on the target object, but do not click LMB or menuWhen you hover the mouse pointer on various parts of LMMS interface and press RMB, you get a pop-up menu.

7 The options available in this menu change based on the current context (combination of all applicable factors). Hence this menu is called a context scrolling wheel of the mouse, located between LMB and the mousewheelTurn the mousewheel up/downMiddle-clickClick on the mousewheel as if it is a button (just like LMB/RMB). Drag with mouseClick LMB on a control, and without releasing the LMB, move the mouse.(Release the LMB when done).Right-drag with mouseClick RMB on a control, and without releasing the RMB, move the mouse.(Release the RMB when done).Middle-drag with mouseClick MMB on a control, and without releasing the MMB, move the mouse.(Release the MMB when done).Draw with mouseClick with LMB, hold down and draw a shape with the mouse pointer. When done, release musical piece being created/edited in LMMS is loosely called song , even if there is no singing in it. (Also called an LMMS project , see below)ProjectAny music composed in LMMS is called a project.

8 LMMS stores data pertaining to the composition in a project file. You can save this project file and reload it in LMMS User Manual > Basic Concepts12 TermMeaningPluginAn independent software that adds some capability to LMMS. For convenience, we divide LMMS plugins into three classes: InstrumentsEither imitate a real-life musical instrument (such as a piano, guitar, or flute) or play a synthesized sound. Plugins that play MIDI or audio files are also included in this class. FiltersFilter the sound to impart a different character. Typically, filters in LMMS are dynamically changed during each note. EffectsAdd special effects to the soundSynthesizer(= Synth )A software that produces a sound that can be used in creating synths can imitate real-life melody instrument (piano, organ, flute, violin) or a percussion instrument (drum, hi-hat, symbals, xylophone, marimba) or a bassline synths produce a sound that does not resemble any real-life musical synths are specifically designed to imitate sounds from a popular arcade instrument in LMMS is actually a synthesizer that is capable of producing a wide range of sounds depending upon the settings of its controls.

9 While this range is good for creativity, you would find it extremely difficult to re-create the exact sound that you liked in the last session. That's why LMMS allows you to save the instrument's settings as a preset. LMMS also provides you several ready-made presets to get can also tweak a preset to suit your own taste and save it under a different file can copy this file in different computers to reproduce the same are files that have the digitized sound of actual musical are used to create music in a three-step the actual sound of a musical instrument ( piano, guitar, flute, etc.), the sound sample, and the sample to produce (almost) original only one pitch is recorded and digitized, the playback can simulate the sound of the instrument over several octaves, by reading the digital sample at different speeds (to produce a higher pitch, the sample is read at a faster speed).The sound of some instruments changes its timbre significantly at different pitches.

10 In such cases, more samples are taken at different pitches, so that the synthesizer can produce realistic sound in all octaves. The file that stores the table of waveforms is called a wavetable. A given file may have tables for one or more musical mutually incompatible technologies exist for creating (and using) the wavetables. Each technology has its own file format for storing its wavetables ( SF2, GUS or GM). LMMS can use all these formats using different plugins. BeatA beat is a short low-pitch sound, typically created with unpitched percussion instruments (such as the ones used in a drum kit).For another use of this term, see bassline is low-pitched repetitive pattern played by a rhythm section instrument such as the bass guitar, bass violin or a keyboard instrument (piano, Hammond organ, electronic organ, or synthesizer). Use of bassline is more common in some musical User Manual > Basic Concepts13 TermMeaningTrackA track is a unit of the GUI1 that displays the for the sound; typically mute, solo, volume and pan display of a sound against time OR an automation graph against are two examples of tracks used in LMMS (we will see other types of tracks soon): in Song Editor in Beat+Bassline EditorPatchThe term patch is derived from the old days of modular synthesizers, when different modules had to be interconnected using patch cords (short pieces of cables with connectors at both ends).