Tutorial #2 · 1:49 · Getting started
Make Your First Sound in Atomik Rack
Add a Poly Synth, make a one-bar clip, write four notes in the piano roll and press play: your first sound in Atomik Rack in under two minutes.
What you'll learn
- Create a Poly Synth with Ctrl+I
- Set SNAP to Bar so a double-click makes a one-bar clip
- Write notes in the piano roll with the pencil (W)
- Play and stop with the space bar, and undo any step with Ctrl+Z
Overview
A one-bar clip played by a synthesizer, with four notes you write yourself. You will add a Poly Synth, set the snap so a clip is one bar long, write notes in the piano roll and press play.
Step by step
1. Add a synthesizer
- Start from a new project. The rack only has the audio output and the Master, which has the main level and eight empty send slots.
- Press Ctrl+I to open the instrument list. It has eleven instruments.
- Double-click Poly Synth. Atomik Rack adds the synth, a mixer channel for it and a track in the arrangement, ready to record.
- Press Esc to close the list.
The synth sits below the Master. Click the rack navigator on the right to see it, with its mixer channel right underneath.
2. Make a one-bar clip
- A double-click makes a clip one snap step long, and the default is a sixteenth, which is only a sliver. Scroll the mouse wheel up over SNAP until it says Bar.
- Double-click the empty lane. You get a clip exactly one bar long.
- Double-click the clip to open it in the piano roll.
3. Write four notes
- Pick the pencil by pressing W. The PEN button lights up.
- Click on the grid to add notes, one click for each. Higher up is a higher pitch.
- Keep the notes inside the bar: notes past the clip’s end stay silent. The colour of a note shows its velocity.
- Close the piano roll with the X at the top right.
4. Press play
Press the space bar to play, and again to stop. The playhead sweeps your clip, and you hear your notes through your computer’s audio output. That is your first sound.
Shortcuts from this tutorial
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+I | Open the instrument list |
| Esc | Close the list |
| W | Pencil tool in the piano roll |
| Space | Play and stop |
| Ctrl+Z | Undo the last change |
| F4 | Piano Keys, to play the armed track from your computer keyboard |
Tips and common mistakes
- W types letters instead of picking the pencil. If the instrument list is still open, W goes into its search box. Press Esc to close the list first.
- Undo any step. Ctrl+Z undoes the last change: a note, a clip, even a new instrument.
- No MIDI keyboard? Press F4 to open Piano Keys, a small window that lets you play the armed track from your computer keyboard.
Next: play, loop and set the tempo.
Shortcuts shown are for the Windows/Linux default profile. On macOS, Cmd replaces Ctrl.
Read the full transcript
Let's make some sound. We'll add a synthesizer, write a few notes, and press play. Start from a new project. The rack only has the audio output and the master, which has the main level and eight empty send slots. Press Control I to open the instrument list, which has eleven instruments.
Double-click Poly Synth. Atomik Rack adds the synth, a mixer channel for it, and a track in the arrangement, ready to record. Press Escape to close the list. The new track is waiting. The synth sits below the master, so click the rack navigator on the right to see it, with its mixer channel right underneath.
A double-click makes a clip one snap step long, and the default is a sixteenth, a sliver. So scroll the wheel up over SNAP until it says Bar. Now double-click the empty lane: you get a clip exactly one bar long. Double-click the clip to open it in the piano roll.
Pick the pencil by pressing W. The PEN button lights up.
Common mistake: W types letters instead? If the instrument list is still open, W goes into its search box. Press Esc to close the list first.
Now click on the grid to add notes, one click for each. Higher up is a higher pitch. Keep them inside the bar: notes past the clip's end stay silent. Their colour shows velocity. Close the piano roll with the X at the top right.
Tip: Undo any step. Press Ctrl+Z to undo the last change: a note, a clip, even a new instrument.
Press the space bar to play, and again to stop. The playhead sweeps your clip, and on your computer you hear the four notes. That's your first sound.
Tip: No MIDI keyboard? Press F4 to open Piano Keys, a small window that lets you play the armed track from your computer keyboard.
You've made music. Next, we'll look at playing, looping and tempo.
Try it yourself
Atomik Rack is a free, open-source DAW. Download it and follow along.
More in Getting started
Atomik Rack is made by the producer behind Atomik Circus. Hear the music