Window Reference Editor Play Settings |

These controls let you listen to your music and sound material under the same conditions that your playback environment will use - the Beatnik MIDI Synthesizer's sample rate, bit depth, number of channels (mono or stereo), and reverb type. These settings affect all audio generation in the Beatnik Editor - playback of the current Song, notes played on The Onscreen Keyboard, notes arriving over the Live MIDI Input, and digital audio files generated with the Export as Audio... command.
Note: The settings you make here are not saved in your RMF files. These are playback settings only, and used only while working in the Beatnik Editor.
Item
Use
Bits and Channels control
Sets the playback bit depth, and whether the Beatnik MIDI Synthesizer runs in mono or stereo. Stereo sounds better than mono, and 16-bit sounds better than 8-bit. Options are:
8-bit mono 16-bit mono 8-bit stereo 16-bit stereo - for Beatnik Player for Web browsers
Sample Rate control
Determines the Beatnik MIDI Synthesizer's playback sample rate. Higher sample rates sound better. Available sample rates:
11 kHz 22 kHz - for Beatnik Player for Web browsers 44 kHz
Reverb Type control
Selects which of the available reverb types to use. Each reverb type has a different character; for descriptions, see Effects: Reverb and Chorus.
Note: Changing the reverb type here doesn't affect the reverb type stored in each Song and RMF file - see the Song Settings dialog box for details. Note: Four of the Beatnik reverb types depend on the Beatnik Audio Engine's stereo mode, and so will not be available when the Beatnik Editor is running in mono: Early Reflections, Basement, Banquet Hall, Catacombs.
Output Meter
A graph of the actual sound being generated by the Beatnik MIDI Synthesizer.
Item
Use
Output Meter
The waveform displayed is similar to what would be shown on an oscilloscope connected to your computer's audio output, updated 24 times per second.
MIDI Channels Display and Mute & Solo Buttons
Display of note activity for each of the 16 MIDI channels, and buttons to Mute (silence) and Solo (highlight) the channels independently, like you'd find on a sound mixing board. Recall that the Beatnik MIDI Synthesizer is organized as 16 MIDI Channels, each of which can independently play several notes at once using a given Instrument.
New in version 2.1: The Mute and Solo button behavior has been changed: To change multiple buttons at once, click on one button and then drag across the rest of the desired buttons. To turn all 16 Mute buttons on or off at once, click the word Mute. To turn all 16 Solo buttons on or off at once, click the word Solo. Note: The Mute and Solo buttons control the triggering of MIDI notes on the indicated MIDI channel - not the channel's audio output. As a result, when you turn a Mute button off the channel's sound will not return immediately - only when the next MIDI note occurs on that channel. In some cases this lag can be fairly long, for example in pieces using slow tempos or long notes. The lag may be especially noticeable if you're using music pre-mix samples (such as beat loops) which won't retrigger until the MIDI file loops.
Item
Use
MIDI Channels Display
Shows the number of notes currently playing on each of the 16 MIDI channels, updated 24 times per second. This includes all playing Songs, Live MIDI Input, and notes played on The Onscreen Keyboard.
Note: If a channel's Mute button is pressed, you won't see (or hear) any note activity on that channel. The Solo buttons may also prevent notes from sounding.
MIDI Channel Mute Buttons
Each MIDI channel has a Mute button. Muting a channel prevents it from playing notes. You can mute any number of channels at the same time.
Note: The Mute buttons affect all notes on the indicated MIDI channel, irrespective of source: Song playback, Live MIDI Input, and The Onscreen Keyboard. Note: If channel 1's Mute button is pressed, it'll prevent The Onscreen Keyboard from playing.
MIDI Channel Solo Buttons
Each MIDI channel also has a Solo button. Soloing a channel prevents all other channels from playing notes, so that only the soloed channel is audible. You can solo any number of channels at the same time.
Note: The Solo buttons affect all notes on the indicated MIDI channel, irrespective of source: Song playback, Live MIDI Input, and The Onscreen Keyboard. Note: Mute overrides solo - that is, even if you solo a muted channel, it won't resume playing new notes

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