Your first MIDI track (5 minutes)
In this tutorial you launch skulpton, create a single MIDI track, play a simple melody, and save the project. Total time: about 5 minutes.
Prerequisites
Section titled “Prerequisites”- skulpton is installed (Download)
- One MIDI destination is ready
- For example: the OS virtual MIDI port, an external MIDI sound module, or a soft synth via IAC / loopMIDI
- If you have no MIDI output yet, start with Set up MIDI I/O
1. Launch the app
Section titled “1. Launch the app”Launching skulpton opens an empty project. Track headers are on the left, the timeline is in the center, and the toolbar and transport sit on top.
2. Add a track
Section titled “2. Add a track”Scroll the track header list down to the bottom and click ”+ Add Track”. A new MIDI track is added.
[!TIP] The free version supports up to 8 tracks (Pricing).
3. Choose the MIDI output
Section titled “3. Choose the MIDI output”The new track header has an “OUT” dropdown. Open it and pick the MIDI port to send to.
All— send to every port (default)Off— no output (silent)- Below: every MIDI port the OS reports
[!TIP] To pick a specific port and channel (1 to 16), click the gear icon in the track header to open the per-track settings modal.
4. Create a clip
Section titled “4. Create a clip”In the track’s lane on the timeline, double-click an empty area. A 4-beat MIDI clip is created at that position.
[!NOTE] Double-clicking creates a clip only when the Select tool is active (other tools — Slice / Merge / Stamp — behave differently).
5. Place notes in the piano roll
Section titled “5. Place notes in the piano roll”Double-click the new clip to open the piano roll.
Click an empty grid cell in the piano roll to place a note at that pitch and position. Try four notes — for example C4 -> E4 -> G4 -> C5.
Main gestures:
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Left-click an empty cell | Add a new note |
| Left-drag | Marquee select / move a note |
| Drag a note edge | Resize |
| Right-click + drag | Eraser brush |
6. Play
Section titled “6. Play”Press Space to start playback. Press Space again to pause.
The transport at the top has the same Play / Pause / Stop buttons. The playhead is shown in two formats: bar.beat.tick and MM:SS.MS.
If you hear sound, you are done. If not, see Troubleshooting.
7. Save the project
Section titled “7. Save the project”Click “Save” in the top toolbar. The first save opens a file dialog so you can choose a destination and file name.
Subsequent “Save” clicks overwrite the same file. Use “Save As” to save under a different name.
[!NOTE]
Savecurrently has no keyboard shortcut. When there are unsaved changes, a ”.” appears next to the file name in the toolbar and a ”*” appears in the window title bar.
You have completed the basic loop: create a track, place notes, play them, and save the project.
What’s next
Section titled “What’s next”- Edit clips — resize, duplicate, slice, merge, stamp
- Keyboard shortcuts — full command list
- Set up MIDI I/O — IAC, loopMIDI, external synths
- Coding Note Effect overview — generate notes from clip-internal code
- Troubleshooting — when nothing plays or notes won’t stop