User manual
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English Current (1.3.x)
English Current (1.3.x)
  • Welcome to LMMS
  • Getting Started
    • FAQ
    • Installation
    • Settings
    • Troubleshooting
    • Reporting a Bug
  • Navigating LMMS
    • Interface Overview
    • Main Menu Bar
    • Toolbar
    • Sidebar
    • Instrument Window
    • Song Editor
    • Pattern Editor
    • Piano Roll
    • Automation
    • Mixer
    • Project Notes
    • Controller Rack
  • PRODUCTION
    • Safety
    • Jumping Right In
    • Instruments: Samples & Presets
    • Creating a Track
    • Using MIDI
    • Using VSTs
    • Exporting a Song
    • Your First Song with LMMS
  • Instruments
    • AudioFileProcessor
    • BitInvader
    • FreeBoy
    • GIG Player
    • Kicker
    • LB302
    • Mallets
    • Monstro
    • NEScaline
    • OpulenZ
    • Organic
    • PatMan
    • SF2 Player
    • sfxr
    • SID
    • Triple Oscillator
    • Vibed
    • Watsyn
    • ZynAddSubFX
    • VeSTige
  • Effects
    • Effects Prologue
    • Amplifier
    • BassBooster
    • Bitcrush
    • Compressor
    • Crossover Equalizer
    • Delay
    • Dual Filter
    • Dynamics Processor
    • Equalizer
    • Flanger
    • Multitap Echo
    • Peak Controller
    • ReverbSC
    • Spectrum Analyzer
    • Stereo Matrix
    • StereoEnhancer
    • Waveshaper
    • LADSPA Plugins
  • Resources
    • Glossary
    • Key Mappings
    • Video Tutorials
    • Sample Resources
    • SoundFont Resources
    • VST Resources
    • Music Making Resources
    • Miscellany
  • Legal
    • License
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On this page
  • Window Controls
  • Tempo Control
  • Timer
  • Time Signature Controls
  • Master Volume and Pitch Controls
  • Oscilloscope and CPU Usage Display

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  1. Navigating LMMS

Toolbar

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Last updated 2 months ago

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The toolbar is located at the top of the LMMS interface underneath the Main Menu bar.

The toolbar has four sections:

  • On the left hand side are two rows of buttons which can be controlled by clicking and keyboard shortcuts.

    • The buttons are arranged in 2 rows. The bottom row are the window controls and they toggle the different windows of the LMMS GUI.

  • In the center are three numerical displays for the tempo control, playhead position, and time signature controls.

  • To the right of the numerical displays are two sliders, one for master volume and the other for master pitch.

  • To the far right is the Oscilloscope and Cpu usage display which shows the current audio waveform being played and the CPU usage.

Window Controls

The seven buttons in the second row show or hide various workspace windows. These are toggle buttons for the workspace windows, allowing you to work in a tabbed GUI. They bring focus upon a defocused window while bringing it to the front, or hide a focused window.

The toggle buttons are:

In addition to these toolbar controls, all windows have a title bar from which a Context Menu can be opened by right-clicking or by clicking on the window's icon on the top left. It has the following actions.

  • Stay On Top keeps that window on top of all other windows.

  • Maximize displays that window in fullscreen if possible.

  • Move makes the window follow the cursor until the left mouse button is pressed.

  • Size resizes the window (following the cursor) until the left mouse button is pressed.

Tempo Control

The tempo control displays the current tempo in BPM of the song. The tempo can be adjusted by dragging vertically from, scrolling over, or double-clicking on the value.

The tempo can also be automated like any other parameter.

Timer

The timer shows the time from the beginning of the song to the current position of play-head. Clicking on the timer toggles it to instead show how many bars, beats, and ticks from the beginning of the song to the current position of the play-head.

Ticks subdivide beats, depending on the time-signature you have chosen.

Time Signature Controls

The default time signature is 4/4. You can change the time signature by holding the left mouse button down on the value you wish to change and dragging up or down with the mouse. You can also double-click to open a window which will allow you to type in a new value.

The top number dictates the number of beats per measure, and the bottom number dictates the value (eighth, sixteenth, etc.) of each beat.

Master Volume and Pitch Controls

To the right of the tempo control are the master volume and pitch controls.

The Master Volume control sets the master volume for the entire project.

The Master Pitch control transposes all instruments except those with the Master Pitch toggle disabled.

Both are controlled by holding the left mouse button down on the slider and dragging it up or down with the mouse.

Oscilloscope and CPU Usage Display

The CPU display shows the current CPU usage of LMMS.

The Oscilloscope shows the current waveform being played. You can turn the oscilloscope off or on by left-clicking it. When it is disabled, it will read "Click to enable". For the waveform display color:

  • Green indicates no clipping

  • Orange indicates clipping is a risk

  • Red indicates clipping

The first six buttons in the top row deal with opening and saving files, and they have corresponding buttons for the same actions in the . The seventh is the metronome button.

The Create New Project button creates a new project.

The Create New Project From Template button creates a new project using a selected template.

The Open Existing Project button opens a file explorer dialogue box allowing you to open an existing project file. By default it points at the LMMS working directory.

The Recently Opened Project button lists files that you have opened or saved recently. You can then choose a project to open from this list.

The Save Current Project button saves the current project. If you have yet to save the current project, you will be asked to name it and select a directory to store it in.

The Export Current Project button is a shortcut to export the current project as a .wav, .ogg, .flac, or .mp3 file.

The Metronome button toggles the metronome on or off.

The Song-Editor toggle button shows/hides the Song Editor.

The Pattern Editor button shows/hides the Pattern Editor.

The Piano Roll Editor Window button shows/hides the Piano Roll Editor. (Must be opened via a Piano Roll segment to be used)

The Automation Window button shows/hides the global-song Automation Editor window.

The Mixer toggle-button shows/hides the Mixer.

The Project Notes button shows/hides the Project Notes window.

The Controller-rack toggle button toggles visibility or focuses on the Controller-rack.

These buttons perform the same actions as the corresponding buttons in the

File Menu of the Main Menu Bar
View Menu in the Main Menu Bar.
The Toolbar
Timer