# 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.
{% hint style="danger" %}
Midi has only 16 Midi channels**.** That's why usually a song can't have more than 2 rhythms.
{% endhint %}
Each mix console track has a bottom **overview component** that represent the track notes.
## 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](#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](https://jjazzlab.gitbook.io/user-guide/songs/song-and-mix-files#default-rhythm-mix).
* **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](https://jjazzlab.gitbook.io/user-guide/editors/broken-reference).
* **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](https://jjazzlab.gitbook.io/user-guide/editors/broken-reference) 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.
{% hint style="info" %}
If you want to customize a rhythm track only for a song part (e.g. simplify the style's bass phrase for the 2nd verse of your song), you need to use the [Custom phrase rhythm parameter](https://jjazzlab.gitbook.io/user-guide/song-structure#rhythm-parameters).
{% endhint %}
#### Adding user tracks
Click the + button in the mix console toolbar to add a new user track. This will also open the [notes editor](https://jjazzlab.gitbook.io/user-guide/editors/notes-editor) to edit this user track.
Add user track button
You can also clone a rhythm track as a new user track using the + sign in upper right corner of a track overview, as shown below. The original rhythm track will be automatically muted.
Clone a rhythm track as a new user track
{% hint style="warning" %}
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](#midi-channel) to 10, and if channel 10 is already used by another track, activate the *Drums rerouting to channel 10* (see [Channel settings](#channel-settings)) in your User track.
{% endhint %}
#### 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](https://jjazzlab.gitbook.io/user-guide/editors/notes-editor).
A user track has always the same length than your song.
{% hint style="danger" %}
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.
{% endhint %}
## 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.
## 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 |
