On Feb 2, 2005, at 10:00 AM, Carl wrote:

(And since I have anything but unlimited time to spend on my music hobby, time-saving is extremely important!)

A couple pre-saved templates can save startup time-- sort of like blank manuscript paper or TAB sheets. Save a 4/4 template (and a 3/4 and a 6/8 and a 5/4 or whatever else you commonly use) with four blank bars, fully expanded out so you don't have to go through these steps each time you start a new song. Most music notation programs have keyboard shortcuts (of widely varying effectiveness) and I grew very comfortable/dependent on this in college. I've found that taking the time to set up an ergonomically "realistic" keyboard shortcut pattern for my DBkits saves a LOT of time on input (much less mousing around), and I can build a pattern (or at least the framework, without a lot of special hits or odd drums) almost as fast as I can type anymore. I use the numeric keypad* for most setups: 0 as the bass drum (with . as a variant, like a feathered bass hit), 5 as the snare (and 2 often as a regular snare variant, like cross-stick or rimshot), 4 and 1 as open and closed hi-hat (sometimes 7 in there as well if I use a sizzle hat a lot in a pattern), 6 as ride, 3, + and - as toms, 7,8,9 as cymbals, and =, /, * as anything else regularly grab (like cowbell, wood blocks, stick clicks, etc.). You don't HAVE to assign a key to every drum... but... If you use a much more complex kit, I think the KB shortcuts can be set up for separate small and CAPS letters, although I've never tried it. That way you could just hold shift to switch to a variant. *Most of you that use your right hand for the mouse will probably find it easier to build your kit on the left side of the keyboard instead... I like having the snare on a key with a "nub" on it as a tactile reference, so that'd mean building around F or D depending on the style of keyboard you have. Just hit the shortcut key, click where you want it, then hit the shortcut key for the other drum, click where you want it, etc. Very economical mouse movement involved. Also, this lets me use my keyboard as a basic drum pad, because when you hit the shortcut key it plays that drum's sound... especially useful when trying to play along or transcribe a beat from a recording. "Oh, that's 55 33 ++ -- 0 5 "... (name that fill!) Again, I hope this is helpful to y'all. DC