Transport keys, metronome and loop region in Loop by Zaweba
Space to play, Home to go back, M for the metronome, L for a loop region, R to record and Esc to stop all sound: the transport in Loop by Zaweba.
Making music is mostly listening, and the faster you can start, stop and repeat what you are listening to, the more you get done. The transport in Loop by Zaweba is built round a handful of single keys so you rarely need the mouse to control playback.
Space plays or pauses. Home goes back to the start. M turns the metronome on or off. L turns a loop region on or off. R records. Esc stops all sound. The same commands are in the Play menu.
Play, pause and back to the start
Space is the key you will press most. Tap it to hear the song from where the playhead is, tap again to pause. When you want to hear the whole thing from the top, Home and then Space.
A useful habit is to listen to the song from the start every so often, not just the section you are working on. Transitions between sections only make sense when you hear what leads into them.
The metronome
M toggles a click on each beat. It helps whenever you play or record a part yourself, from the on-screen keyboard, your computer keys, a MIDI keyboard or a microphone, because it gives you something steady to lock to. Recording also has a count-in of 0 to 2 bars with the metronome, so you hear the tempo before you need to come in.
The metronome and loop previews are never exported. You can leave the click on while you work and your WAV or MP3 will still be clean.
The loop region
L switches on a loop region, a stretch of the song that repeats over and over instead of playing through. It is one of the most useful tools in any music program. Loop the four bars where the lead comes in and you can adjust its notes, level and effects while hearing the change each time round. Loop a section while recording and you can keep trying a part, with each pass saved as a take.
The loop region matters for exporting too. File > Export can render the whole song or just the loop region, which is handy for making a short preview clip or a loop to use elsewhere.
Esc: the panic key
Sometimes a note hangs, a sound keeps ringing or you just want silence now. Esc stops all sound at once. It is worth remembering for the moment something goes wrong mid-session.
Recording
R records. Before you press it, check which track is armed and that the count-in and metronome are set as you want. Record audio from a microphone or line input onto an audio track, or notes onto an instrument track. Every pass over the same place becomes a new take, so pressing R again on the same bars is safe.
Working rhythm
A good rhythm for most sessions goes like this. Turn on a loop region round the bit you are working on. Press Space and let it cycle. Make a change, listen, make another. When it feels right, press L to turn the loop off, Home to go back, and Space to hear it in the context of the whole song.
F1 lists every keyboard shortcut in Loop by Zaweba if you forget one, and the Play menu is always there for the mouse.
