TRY
BUY

LIQUID RHYTHM USER MANUAL

Orientation and Setup

3.1 Nomenclature

The purpose of this guide is to show you how to use every available feature in Liquid Rhythm. Depending on your experience with audio software, some of the language used to describe those features might be unknown. To get the most out of the instructions in the following chapters, please read this chapter. It outlines common lingo and terminology you will find throughout the rest of this book.

The above as well as the below are taken from the Liquid Music manual instead of the Liquid Rhythm manual, as the contents are very similar, though slightly updated for Liquid Music, so I thought we’d just use the LM one and replace “Liquid Music” with “Liquid Rhythm”, though before publishing we should do a comb-over and see if there’s anything done better originally in LR.

3.1.1 macOS and Windows Keyboard Commands Terminology

In the Liquid Rhythm User Manual, keyboard shortcuts will be presented using a combination of modifier keys and keyboard keys.

For your reference and convenience, modifier keys will always be presented in the order of [macOS]/[Win], where [macOS] refers to Apple keyboards and [Win] refers to Windows keyboards.

Note that Apple and Windows keyboards have different names for modifier keys that serve the same function in Liquid Rhythm. All this means is, for example, to copy something on macOS you use the [command]+[C] keyboard shortcut, the same copy command on Windows can be achieved using the [ctrl]+[C] keyboard shortcut. This example would appear in this manual as [command]/[ctrl]+[C]. Similarly functioning modifier keys have been paired accordingly. Modifier Keys are:

  • [command]/[ctrl]
  • [option]/[alt]
  • [shift]
  • [control] **macOS only**

3.1.2 Mouse Terminology

  • Click: single-click with the left mouse button.
  • Double-click: double-click (in rapid succession) with the left mouse button.
  • Right-Click: single-click with the right mouse button. Right-clicks typically open pop-up or pull-down menus for that specific clickable object.
  • Drag: to click on an object and hold down the mouse button while moving the mouse. To stop the drag from occurring, release the mouse button.
  • Drag-and-Drop: to click on an object it, hold the button down while moving the mouse, and releasing the mouse button to complete the action.

3.1.3 Music Terminology

  • Do we want to have anything here? The LM manual has this section though the LR manual does not; that said, the LM manual definitely needs it to define the music terms which may or may not be familiar to music software users

3.2 Welcome Screen

A Welcome Screen greets you when you launch Liquid Rhythm. When you’re new to any software, tools like this provide useful tips and guides; when you’re more familiar with the software, you might want to hide this screen. That’s ok! This window has no feelings, and we totally understand.

  • Read Liquid Rhythm Quickstart Guide: Reference the Liquid Rhythm quickstart PDF to get acquainted with some of the features in Liquid Rhythm quickly.
  • Watch Liquid Rhythm Quickstart Video: Watch an informative quickstart video featuring Liquid Rhythm basics; accompanies the above guide.
  • Show on Startup: Check / uncheck this to show or hide this window on startup.
  • Close: Make the welcome screen go away.

(image)

3.3 Settings

The adjustable parameters in the Settings menu are meant to make Liquid Rhythm suit your workflow best. Use the options in the Settings window to configure your sound card, to change the look of a specific UI element, or to customize the feel of the Harmony panel. Access the Settings window by either:

  • Using the application menu:
    • macOS: in the menubar, go to LiquidRhythm > Preferences …
    • Windows: in the application menu, select Help > Preferences …
  • Using the [command]/[ctrl]+[,] key command.

3.3.1 Audio

When you launch Liquid Rhythm for the first time, default driver and audio input/output settings will be loaded.

(image)

  • Audio: This option turns audio output on and off.
  • Driver: Lets you select the audio interface you prefer to use.
  • Input Device: Lets you select the audio interface you prefer to use for audio input.
  • Output Device: Lets you select the audio interface you prefer to use for audio output.
  • Sample Rate: All the instruments in Liquid Rhythm are recorded at 44100 Hz, so unless you are looking for a very specific sound, best not tinker with this option.

TIP: In the event that your audio interface or MIDI device doesn’t appear, it may be possible you haven’t set up your device’s drivers yet. Consult the manufacturer’s website for details on installing drivers.

3.3.2 Look and Feel

Half the fun of setting up new audio software is customizing its appearance. In Liquid Rhythm, Look and Feel can be customized from the Settings window.

Try playing with these settings to see which configuration works best for you or use our Low Quality Presets and High Quality Presets buttons to quickly swap between contrasting visual experiences.

(image)

3.3.3 Library

Assign a path to install the Liquid Rhythm library.

One of the first things you’ll want to do is download all the available drum kits featured in Liquid Rhythm (you’ve already paid for them, after all)! Click the Download Additional Instruments button in the Library tab to select and download them all.

(image)

3.3.4 Diagnostics

Turn on diagnostic mode, disable error reports, or activate Alternative Playhead Redraw using the options in this menu.

3.3.5 Clip Mode

A variety of options regarding how the Max for Live plugin behaves.

(more to do here??? this section is from the LM manual, LR manual wasn’t updated to include any info on this tab despite this tab being in LR too; we should also maybe update LM too?)

3.3.6 Devices

A list of the hardware devices connected to your computer and recognized by Liquid Rhythm.

  • Device Names: Device Names is a list of all the external (or internal) MIDI devices recognized by your computer.
  • Options: Use the Options adjacent to the Device Names list to set the behavior of the connected MIDI devices:
    • MIDI Hit: Means that incoming MIDI Note messages (the kind drum pads or the keys on a piano send) will be received.
    • MIDI Mapping: Means that any MIDI control change (MIDI CC) messages (the kind that a fader or knob on your MIDI controller send) will be received.
    • A good way to distinguish between the two is this:
      • MIDI Hit = A note being played
      • MIDI Mapping = A UI element on Liquid Rhythm being controlled.
    • Note that you can also set the behavior to Both or None.

(image)

3.4 How to connect a MIDI Device to your computer

There are two ways to connect a MIDI device to your computer:

  1. Connecting an external MIDI device directly via USB:
    1. Many new MIDI devices connect to your computer with a USB cable and have their own drivers. Make sure your MIDI device is connected to your computer and recognized by your operating system before launching Liquid Rhythm.
  2. Connecting an external MIDI device through a MIDI interface:
    1. Once you’ve connected your MIDI interface, make the following physical connections between your external MIDI device and MIDI interface:
      1. The MIDI Out on your external device is connected to the MIDI IN on your MIDI interface.
      2. The MIDI IN on your external device is connected to the MIDI OUT on your MIDI interface.

Tip: To ensure you have followed all the necessary steps and installed all the necessary drivers to enable compatibility between your computer and MIDI interface, please reference the MIDI interface manufacturer’s documentation or website.

3.4.1 Testing Your External MIDI Controller

The MIDI Note and Vel indicators to the right of the toolbar will display MIDI values Liquid Rhythm receives from an external device. With your MIDI device connected and turned on, press a key on your MIDI keyboard, drum pad or control surface to test connectivity and monitor it using the indicators.