Software Overview
Play View
Play view is the front page of Sensory Percussion. This view is great if you want to plug and play ASAP, but also want to be able to make quick adjustments on the fly. In this view, you can adjust macro knobs, make quick changes to your layer mixes, and quickly audition samples you have assigned to different drums.
Here's a rundown of the different sections of Play view and how they can be used:
Layers Mix
This is where you can make quick adjustments to your layers. You have the option to mute/solo each layer individually, as well as adjust its volume and panning. By default, all layers in this panel are set to -6.0 dB.
Virtual Inputs
In this section, you can click the different zones on the pads to hear what samples they have assigned to them. Similarly, when you strike a particular zone on your drum, you will see that zone light up on the corresponding virtual input drum pad.
Macros
There are two types of macros available in this section: Layer Macros and Set Macros. Set Macros control parameters that affect your entire set, while Layer Macros affect only that individual layer. By default, you will see Set Macros when you first open a set. If you click on a layer in the Layer Mix panel, it will show that layer's macros. To get back to Set Macros after you click on a layer, simply click the "X" next to the name of the layer on the top of the Macros panel.
Set Styling
This area is where you can customize the look of your set. Right click anywhere in your set outside of the other sections in this list and you will see a dropdown with options to change the background image, adjust color settings, change the blend type, and more. In Sensory Percussion V2, both the look and sound of your sets are fully customizable!
Edit View
Edit view allows you to look under the hood of your set and tweak things at a more granular level, allowing you to dive deep into all the sonic possibilities Sensory Percussion V2 has to offer.
Layers
Edit view revolves around layers. Layers are made up of modules, which are the fundamental building blocks of Sensory Percussion V2, so this is the section you will be spending the most time in while building your sets. If you're starting with an empty layer, simply drag and drop any element from the library to create a new layer. From here, you can copy and paste layers and add different modules as you like. For more information on how layers work, check out the Software Concepts page.
Breadcrumbs Bar
This bar is a helpful way to navigate your set, especially if it has lots of long, complex chains of modules. It lists all of the modules that are currently visible in whatever layer you have selected, and when you right-click it, you can see a tree view of your entire set's structure! For more info on how to use the breadcrumbs bar to quickly navigate your set, check out the How to Navigate Complex Sets page.
Virtual Inputs
In Edit view, you can create/delete virtual inputs, and also change the routing between virtual and hardware inputs by changing the number next to the virtual input drum type (from snare 1 to snare 2, etc). It is also a collapsible section in this view. So, if you don't want to deal with virtual inputs at the moment and would prefer more room for your layers, simply click the "Virtual Inputs" button in the top right corner of the window to collapse this section. For more information on how virtual inputs work, check out the Virtual Inputs page.
Macros
Since your sonic layers take up most of the Edit view screen, there is no need to switch between set macros and layer macros like you do in Play view. In Edit view, all macros in this section apply to the whole set, while each individual module also has the ability to host macros. In the Macros section, you can create, delete, and assign macros. It's also a collapsible section in this view, so if you don't want to deal with set macros at the moment and would prefer more room for your layers, simply click the "Macros" button in the top right corner of the window to collapse this section.
That was a lot of information, so here's a table showing the different ways that each section works in the two views of Sensory Percussion V2:
| Play | Edit | |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Inputs | • audition samples | • create/delete virtual inputs • change routing |
| Layers | • adjust layer volume/panning • mute/solo layers | • create/delete layers • add elements to layers from the library • control routing, effects, macros, assignments, and more |
| Macros | • adjust existing macro knobs • select a layer to switch from set macros to layer macros | • create/delete set macros • assign set macros to parameters within layers • adjust set macro knobs |
| Set Styling | • right click to change background image, color gradient, or blend mode | • not available in Edit view |
Global Controls
Play View
Edit View
As you can see, these same controls are found in the same places in both edit and play view (hence the name "global").
Library/Hardware Panels
Switching between Play and Edit view does not affect the Library and Hardware Inputs panels, meaning you can always have any combination of these two panels open or closed in either view:
The hardware panel
The hardware panel contains your hardware inputs and outputs. Here, you can see all the sensors or analog inputs (like vocal mics) you have connected, as well as your stereo output mixes. You can open and close this panel by clicking the arrow on the top-right of the panel, selecting "Show/hide hardware IO" from the "View" menu, or using the ⎇ + ⌘ + I shortcut.
The library panel
The library panel is where you can access saved sessions, Sunhouse library sets and samples, or building blocks for making your own sets like modules and effects. You can open the library by selecting "Show/hide library panel" from the "View" menu, or by using the ⎇ + ⌘ + L shortcut.
