S:A:T:A:N Tutorial: #4 - Making some noise!

We have so far learned how to add machines and how to connect them to create a network. Still, we haven't heard a beep! That's what we want, right? Good...

Head on to the Compose view:

What is this?! CONFUSION?! Fear not! This is the sequencer, this is a place where we can tell machines what to play. At this stage, assuming you have been following the previous tutorials, you should have one row on the top. You see the text "2:gr" in the first button on the row, that's the beginning of the name of the machine. The complete name is something like "m#2:grooveiator". You also see a purple stripe on that box, that means that specific sequence row is ACTIVE, i.e. not muted.

The following buttons on the row each represent a loop entry, and now all loop entries are empty. We want to add a loop to the first entry. To do that, tap on it:

That should put a cursor on that loop entry. Next, tap on the button with a zero in it, on the bottom:

That will set the loop entry to zero, and move the cursor to the next entry. Then, long press, or "press and hold" on the first loop entry to get to the loop editor:

The loop editor looks like this:

On the left you see a column of white and and black buttons with some text on them; these represent the keys on a piano. I will assume you know how a piano works. At the top you see a row with consecutive numbers, these are positions on the time scale. To place notes, just tap one of the empty buttons. I suggest a pattern like this:

That's three short sounds followed by one long. They are all playing the same tone, D#3. The tones cover the six first positions in the current loop.

To erase a note, tap and hold it and it will disappear.

To make a note longer or shorter, drag the tail of it.

Satan will by default play the loops first 16 positions, but we only see the first six positions. To see the rest, drag the top row to the left like this: