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[jerkemy]

Hi, i tried really hard to find the answer myself before cluttering up the board with noob questions, but I can't find this anywhere: in milkytracker, how do I erase an entry without "zapping" the entire pattern? It can't possibly be that one typo and you have to completely start again! But i've systematically tried literally every key on the keyboard and nothing will erase an entry.

thanks.

is there a basic instruction manual/list of basic functions and commands anywhere? I've been searching all day and haven't found anything but YouTube tutorials, which are great to a point, but the drawback is I can't see what keys are being pressed and in what combination.

[Kmuland]

how do I erase an entry without "zapping" the entire pattern?

With the EDIT mode activated (press the SPACEBAR key and the middle horizontal line will turn red) use DEL or BACKSPACE keys. They delete in different way so try the way according your need

[raina]

is there a basic instruction manual/list of basic functions and commands anywhere?

Indeed there is. One came with your tracker download, it's called MilkyTracker.html. Also available on our website, in the Documentation section. You can even print out a quick reference chart of keyboard shortcuts and effect commands. Didn't think this stuff was that hard to find. Well, I guess YouTube is easier..

[klez]

how do I erase an entry without "zapping" the entire pattern?

With the EDIT mode activated (press the SPACEBAR key and the middle horizontal line will turn red) use DEL or BACKSPACE keys. They delete in different way so try the way according your need

just to give further help
DEL will simply erase what you selected, Backspace will delete what's before the row where you are and carry up everything next to where you are in the current track

[jerkemy]

thanks for the advice everyone

i've looked through the milkytracker.html and it has a lot of info about keyboard shortcuts and note parameters and effects and stuff like that, but it doesn't seem to define a lot of the features; for instance, how do you make a note that just plays once instead of a constant tone, or what it means that instruments can seemingly have multiple samples (whch i haven't figured out the purpose of yet). Is that stuff considered common knowledge; should I just be looking for info on beginning tracking in general?

[raina]

In a way it's considered common knowledge since MilkyTracker basically copies the features of Fasttracker II, a DOS program released in the mid-90s. But we don't want to alienate newbie users either, by no means. A user manual is planned, we are very much aware that the current manual doesn't cover that area. But you could do a lot worse than checking out the old Fasttracker II manual, also available on our documentation page. It should explain the basic usage and features available in Milky as well.

Multi-sample instruments can be used to create a more authentic sound of a real-life instruments, a piano for example. Sampling multiple notes from a piano and mapping them on the instrument editor keyboard correctly creates a more natural sounding instrument than simply playing just one piano sample at different pitches. Another use is drum kits where you often use each sample at one particular pitch throughout the whole song. Grouping the whole kit under a single instrument may or may not seem logical to you, it's a personal preference if anything. Using multi-sample instruments also makes it possible to use other note scales than the typical western one.

[jerkemy]

thanks for the replies, i totally appreciate it.

i'll check out the FastTracker manual.

also, the more I play with MT on my own, the more I learn; I just tend to get frustrated when I can't figure things out right away.

[knapkin]

Deleting: I'm using a macbook...and there is NOT a backspace AND delete key. (only delete)

I need to be able to get rid of entries w/out moving everything else!

[pailes]

Deleting: I'm using a macbook...and there is NOT a backspace AND delete key. (only delete)

I need to be able to get rid of entries w/out moving everything else!

Interesting. My Macbook has only got a backspace key, delete can be achieved by pressing  fn+backspace. When searching for "macbook keyboard" on google, I can see that this "backspace" key I got is sometimes called "delete" key which seems to be a language dependent naming issue. Anyways, press fn and that delete key, it might solve your problem.

[Tr4ck3uR]

(...) for instance, how do you make a note that just plays once instead of a constant tone (...)

Well as far as I know there are various methods to do that. Maybe the simplest is by pressing "the key right Left-shift" (in my case is "<") to enter a key-off "note" which cuts the sound off. Another may be playing with the volume (setting it to 00)...