You can assign any tool to the r.h.mouse button with [CMD} + click (Mac) by clicking on that tool with the r.h.button or [CMD] +click. E.g. you can write MIDI objects onto various windows with the assigned button of the mouse so that swapping between tools is much quicker. Right click or [CMD] click on the pencil tool and it is assigned to the right mouse button. Assign whatever tool you happen to be working with a lot.
The toolbox will appear wherever the pointer is by pressing <ESC>
Reselect the pointer tool from any other tool by pressing <ESC> x 2.
Double clicking on a MIDI sequence in the arrange window will open the score for that one sequence. BUT be careful not to keep opening windows on top of each other, remember to use screensets: 1 = arrange, 2 = event list, 3 = score, 4 = matrix (piano roll) etc. NB: In Global Preferences you can choose different editors to open when double-clicking on a sequence.
File Menu>Song Settings>Recording
The default setting is Merge only new sequences in cycle record. Cycle record will overdub, i.e. build layer upon layer of music on one sequence. Overdubbing only works if you stay in record; if you stop and start again a new sequence is created on top of the old one. Bad news.
Alternatively you can activate auto create tracks in cycle record. Instead of merging or overdubbingsecond and subsequent cycles, new tracks will be created.
Allow tempo change recording. While in record, if you alter the displayed tempo in the transport window, these tempo changes will be recorded. They can be edited of course in the tempo list.
Arrange Window (Regions menu)
Set locators by regions. Select a sequence then choose this function. The cycle zone will now cycle round the selected sequence.
Arrange Window (MIDI menu)
Normalize sequence parameters. MIDI parameters defined in the sequence parameter box will be written to the actual data inside the sequence, i.e. it becomes permanent (though of course more external sequence parameters can then be applied). This needs to be done in order for these parameters to apply to aliases.
Copy midi events. This allows you to select events within defined locators, and copy or move to a defined position. The flip menu allows you to replace or merge with data at the target position, swap etc.
Erase duplicated MIDI events. Sometimes you copy may notes on top of identical notes by accident resulting in the soundcard playing those notes twice at the same time so that they sound phased. This function will delete the offending notes.
Arrange window
It is possible to write or record one sequence on top of another. This causes strange things to happen in the score window such as two clefs at once, notes and rests at the same time and wrong notes sounding that you can’t see. To check for overlapped sequences go to Track menu> create for overlapped sequences.
Replace a recorded sequence with <SHIFT>+R (click on erase icon)
In the track list you can give the track a name. You need to enable track name in the View menu, then click to the right of the instrument name.
To select all objects (e.g. sequences) on one track, select the track (click on the track number). This does not work if a cycle is active.
If instruments are not playing the correct programme (sound) on loading a previously saved file, click on the instrument in the track list or go to Options menu > send to MIDI > Used instruments settings.
When changing the start point of a sequence you grab the left corner. Watch the info line, if you have grabbed the right spot it will say left corner, if you are too far from the corner it will say move objects as that is what you will be doing if you have grabbed too near the centre of the sequence.
Make safety copies of a sequence you are editing and park on a spare track, i.e. create a track and assign as instrument no output. To make life easy you could colour these safety sequence a particular colour, or rename orig etc.
It can often be quicker to use a screenset instead of zooming: Assign a zoomed-in version of the window you are working in to a screenset. Instead of continually zooming in and out you merely swap between screensets using the number keys.
You can mute an entire track by clicking to the left of the track number, or just selected sequences by clicking with the mute tool. (Min the toolbox)
To timestretch contents of a sequence, press CTRL and while holding it down alter length of sequence. If you double the length of the sequence, all the note lengths will be doubled and the music will play at half time. N.B. Time stretching single or multiple sequences is very useful when writing music to picture and you want the main piece to stay in tempo, but selected sequences need to start and end at certain cue points.