Mix console

Use the mix console to:

• Change the instruments

• Adjust channel settings: volume, reverb, chorus, panoramic, transposition, velocity offset

• Mute or solo channels

• Add user tracks

• Load/save .mix file

• And more: change Midi channel, use special Midi commands, export to Midi file, etc.

JJazzLab uses the mix console information to send the relevant Midi messages to the output synth. This is done each time you make a change in the mix console, or when you start the playback.

Midi has only 16 Midi channels. That's why usually a song can't have more than 2 rhythms.

Mix console toolbar

• Master volume: this increase or lower the Midi volume messages

• M: Mute or Unmute all tracks

• S: Switch off all Solo tracks

• Panic: Send a Midi Panic message, switching all notes OFF

• Add a User track: see User tracks below.

Mix console menu bar

Menu File

• Load/Save Default Rhythm Mix

  Update the current song mix by loading the default rhythm mix file. Or save the current song mix as the default rhythm mix file: it will be reused by default each time you create a song which uses the same rhythm. Learn more about default rhythm mix files.

• Import Mix...

  Note that this will import settings only for the instruments which are common between the current mix and the imported mix.

Menu Edit

• Reset channels

  Restore each mix console channel (instrument, volume, panoramic, effect) to its default rhythm setting .

Menu Midi

• Enable/Disable all Midi parameters

  By default all Midi parameters are enabled. Use Disable all Midi parameters if you want to control the mix yourself directly on the output synth: in this mode JJazzLab only sends Midi note messages, it does not send Midi messages related to bank/program changes, volume, panoramic or effects.

• Send GM/GM2/XG/GM mode ON message

  This lets you send special Midi initialization messages to turn your output synth in the desired mode.

Change instrument

Click on the instrument name in the channel. Note that this is also where instrument transposition can be adjusted.

Channel settings

Use the channel settings to:

• Add a Midi velocity offset to all notes played on this channel

  Note that this is slightly different from adjusting the volume.

• Disable sending specific Midi messages

  Probably because you control the parameter yourself directly on the output synth.

• Enable a drums channel with a Midi channel different than 10

  If you use a basic GM output synth, it can play drums only on channel 10. If drums/percussion are used on other channels in your mix, you need to activate drums rerouting on these channels. Note that JJazzLab may activate this option for you if it detects, based on the current output synth information, potential issues.

Midi channel

Each Midi channel can be changed manually, just click on the channel number.

User tracks

A user track lets you add your own Midi content to your song: a melody, horn riffs, percussion, etc.

If you want to customize a rhythm phrase only for a song part (e.g. the 2nd verse of your song), you might better use the Custom phrase rhythm parameter.

Adding user tracks

Add one or more user tracks using the Add user track button, as show below. This will also open the notes editor.

Add user track button

You can also clone a rhythm track as a new user track, using the + sign in the track overview, as shown below. The original rhythm track will be automatically muted.

If you select a drums or percussion instrument for the user track, and your output synth is a basic GM-compatible synth: set the user track channel to 10, and if channel 10 is already used by another track, activate the Drums rerouting to channel 10 (see Channel settings) in your User track.

Edit a user track

Edit the user track by clicking on the upper left icon in the user track overview component, as shown below.

This will open the notes editor.

A user track has always the same length than your song.

If you edit a user track, then make the song shorter (e.g. by removing a song part), the user track will be trimmed to the new song size.

Export to Midi file with mouse drag & drop

You can export the full backing track to a Midi file by mouse-dragging from the empty area of the mix console. Note that this is the same as the menu File/Export to Midi file, except it's more convenient when you work with another software such as a DAW.

To export a single track, start the mouse-drag from the track icon or track overview component.

Export a single track with mouse drag & drop

Multi-rhythm songs

When a song uses 2 or more rhythms, a popup is displayed in the upper left corner of the mix console to select the rhythm you want to display.

Note that some commands such as menu Edit/Reset channels will not be applied to the hidden rhythm(s).

Mouse shortcuts

Selection	Mouse	Action
channel volume slider, knobs	double-click	Input value with keyboard
channel volume slider	shift + mouse-drag	change volume of all channels