Marabu

Marabu is a simple open-source music tracker built from Soundbox.

Guide

If this is your first time using a tracker, don't worry this quick introduction will cover the basics of writing a little track, and exporting it to an audio file.

The interface is divided into 3 columns, the sequencer, the pattern editor and the instrument. By default, the application launches with an active pattern, in the first instrument. There is a maximum of 16 instruments that can play at the same time.

To move the pattern cursor, use the arrow keys. Pressing the keyboard keys a,s,d,f,g,h & j will record a note in the first row of the first column. Pressing the ArrowDown and ArrowUp keys, will move the cursor up/down in the sequencer. Allowing you to fill pattern #1 with notes. Pressing space will play the pattern, pressing esc will stop.

To change the sequencer patterns, use the arrow keys while holding alt. To add notes to a second instrument, move to the second column and press alt ArrowRight, this will set the first row of the second instrument to 1, and allow you to record notes. Press alt ArrowDown to move to the second row, and press alt ArrowRight again twice, to extend the track to 2 rows, and begin adding notes to the second row of the second instrument.

To change the instrument controls, use the arrow keys while holding shift. To save your song, press ctrl s, to render an audio file(.wav) press ctrl r.

Controls

Basics

• space Play.
• esc Stop.

General

• ctrl n New.
• ctrl s Save.
• ctrl S Save as.
• ctrl o Open.
• ctrl r Export .wav.
• ctrl i Export .ins(instrument).
• ctrl t Export .thm(instrument).

Sequencer

Arrows

• alt ArrowDown Next Sequence.
• alt ArrowUp Previous Sequence.
• alt ArrowRight Increment Pattern Id +1.
• alt ArrowLeft Decrement Pattern Id -1.

Keys

• ctrl l Loopmode, see below.

Editor

Arrows

• ArrowRight Next Instrument.
• ArrowLeft Previous Instrument.
• ArrowDown Next Row.
• ArrowUp Previous Row.

Keys

• ) Increment Note Value +12.
• ( Decrement Note Value -12.
• 0 Increment Note Value +1.
• 9 Decrement Note Value -1.
• Backspace Erase Note in Row.
• / Add a Control Keyframe.
• Tab Toggle Composition Mode.

Instrument

Arrows

• shift ArrowDown Next Control.
• shift ArrowUp Previous Control.
• shift ArrowRight Increment Control Value +1.
• shift ArrowLeft Decrement Control Value -1.

Keys

• ] Increment Control Value +10.
• [ Decrement Control Value -10.
• } Increment Control Value +1.
• { Decrement Control Value -1.
• x Next Octave.
• z Previous Octave.

Keyboard

Hold shift, while pressing a note, to make chords.

• a Play/Record C.
• s Play/Record D.
• d Play/Record E.
• f Play/Record F.
• g Play/Record G.
• h Play/Record A.
• j Play/Record B.
• w Play/Record C#.
• e Play/Record D#.
• t Play/Record F#.
• y Play/Record G#.
• u Play/Record A#.

Effects

Envelope

• ATK Attack
• SUS Sustain
• REL Release
• POW Attack/Release curve

Osc

• MOD --
• MIX Dry/Wet between the 2 osc
• FRQ Frequency
• DET Detune, frequency offset between the 2 osc.

LFO

• AMT Amount
• FRQ Frequency

Efx

• LP Low-pass
• HP High-pass
• BP Band-pass
• FRQ Filter Frequency
• RES Resonance

Delay

• DLY Delay Rate
• VOL Delay Volume

Shapers

• NOI Noise Volume
• BIT Bitcrusher
• DIS Distortion
• PIN Pinking
• CMP Compressor
• DRV Drive
• PAN Pan

UV

• VOL UV Volume/Envelope
• WAV UV Wave shape

Cheatmode

Press ctrl k to activate cheatmode. Press esc to exit cheatmode.

Selection

The cheatmode will catch 3 keys, corresponding to int/hex of rate, length & offset of the selection. The / key indicates that it does not loop through the whole pattern.

• 4 Every 4th note.
• 42 Every 4th note, and the following one.
• 422 Every 4th note, and the following one, starting from the second.
• / Only the first note.
• / 44 Only the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th first notes.

Copy/Paste

• c To copy the entire pattern.
• v To paste copied notes.
• 4 c To copy every 4th note.

Insert Multiple

• 8 as This will add C5 and D5 to the 1st and 9th note.

Erase Multiple

• backspace To clear a whole column.
• 4 backspace To clear every 4th bar.
• 42 backspace To clear every 4th bar, starting at the second bar.

Modify Multiple

• + Increment each note of the pattern.
• - Decrement each note of the pattern.

Use case

To copy the first 16 bars, into the 16 following bars and play the following note.

• / F c Copy the first 16 bars.
• / F F v Paste the first 16 bars from the the 16th bar.

Loopmode

Press ctrl l to activate loopmode.

Selective play

• enter Will play from current sequencer row, for 1 track.
• / enter Will play from current sequencer row, only active instrument, for 1 track.
• 4 enter Will play from the current sequencer row, for 4 tracks.
• / 4 enter Will play from the current sequencer row, only active instrument, for 4 tracks.

Copy/Paste

• c To copy the selected sequence.
• v To insert the selected sequence.

Notes

During render, the track time is displayed in the before-last row of the Editor in the 0252 format, or 2:52.

Themes

You can customize the look of your tracks by editing the .mar file and replacing the attributes' colors.

theme: { 
  background:"#fff", 
  f_high:"#f00", 
  f_med:"#0f0", 
  f_low:"#00f", 
  f_inv:"#00f", 
  b_high:"#ff0", 
  b_med:"#f0f",
  b_low:"#0ff",
  b_inv:"#00f"
}

Development

There are currently no means to change the bpm, to do so, update the bpm value from the exported .mar file to an int between 50 and 450. Use npm start to develop locally.

TODOs

Optimisation

• Trim tracks on export.
• Load trimmed track.

Feature

• Continuous follow instead of pageview.
• Template file of just sequencer sequences.

Misc

• Cancel render with escape.

Bug

• add .wav to export(cannot replicate?)
• Clicking icon on dock, shows the application. Replicate on Left.

License

See the LICENSE file for license rights and limitations (CC).