Keyboard shortcuts

To greatly improve speed and efficiency in Efflux, it is recommended you use a desktop / laptop / device-with-keyboard-attached and learn the following shortcuts. Note that apart from the generic shortcuts listed here, certain help pages will provide more contextual shortcuts.

NOTE: Certain combinations use the "ctrl"-key on Windows and the "command"-key on a Mac.

Controlling the sequencer

  1. The "Spacebar" toggles the play / pause state of the sequencer.
  2. "ctrl + R" toggles the recording state with which incoming notes are written directly into the track list.
  3. "ctrl + L" will toggle the loop state which will loop the currently active measure.
  4. "ctrl|command + left/right" will jump to the previous/next measure in the song.

State history

As composing music can take iteration (or trial and error) Efflux maintains a state history allowing you to undo / redo changes.

Using "ctrl|command + Z" will revert to the state prior to the last operation.

Using "ctrl|command + shift + Z" will restore a reverted state. Note: when performing a new operation after having undone a state, the redo history is cleared.

Upon loading / creating a new song, the entire state history is cleared.

Pattern navigation

In tracker mode

Navigating steps and slots

When in tracker mode, inside the pattern track list you can navigate vertically (switching the active pattern step) using:

  1. the "Up" and "Down" keys
  2. "Page Up" and "Page Down" to jump four steps at a time
  3. "Home" and "End" will jump to the first / last step

You can navigate horizontally (switching either the active slot or track) using:

  1. the "Left" and "Right" keys to navigate between the individual slots within a pattern step
  2. "Tab" and "Shift + Tab" to jump to the previous / next track

Tracker event selections

Inside the pattern track list, you can also create selections based on subsets of the pattern.

By holding down "Shift", you are activating the selection mode. By clicking on a step, you will create a selection that spans from both the previously selected step and channel to the ones at the clicked position. By using the keys described before, you can expand / shrink your selection across channels (by moving left or right) and across steps (by moving up or down).

Using "ctrl|command + C" you can copy the current selection. By using "ctrl|command + X" you can cut the current selection. Using "ctrl|command + V" you can paste a cut/copied selection.

When pasting, the selection will be pasted at the current step and channel position, making it possible to paste patterns across step positions and instruments.

Pattern navigation

In the jam session view

Selecting instruments

Similar to the tracker mode, you can use the Tab-key to select the next available instrument or Shift + Tab to jump to the previously available instrument. By selecting an instrument, your note entry input method of choice will use the newly selected instrument for note playback.

You can also jump directly to a specific instrument by holding down the Alt-key and a number from 1 to 8, corresponding to the instrument you wish to select.

Toggling channel state

You can also quickly adjust the state of the currently selected channel using the following shortcuts:

  • Alt + M toggles the muted state of the channels instrument
  • Alt + S toggles the solo state of the channels instrument
  • Alt + L toggles the pattern lock of the channels instrument

When the channel is locked it will keep repeating the currently active pattern and ignore any requests to switch to a different pattern.

Pattern switching

Using Alt + minus or Alt + plus you can enqueue a pattern switch to the previous or next pattern. The pattern switch is synchronised to the tempo. When the song is playing, the switch will be executed as soon as the current loop has finished playing.

By additionally holding down the Shift-key, the above pattern switch shortcuts will operate on all instrument channels at once.

The target pattern will be flashing in the UI to indicate a switch is pending.*

 

You can also target specific patterns by holding down specific modifier keys:

By holding down Ctrl + Alt + a number from 1 to 8 you can jump / enqueue a pattern switch corresponding to the provided number, for the currently selected channel*.

Similarly, holding down Shift + Alt + a number from 1 to 8 will allow to switch all channels to the selected channel*.

*as mentioned before, channels that are locked will be excluded from pattern switches.