Hookpad Updates: Improved Recording And New Note/Chord Preview Mode

Experiment Without Cluttering Up Your Song

Hookpad makes it easy to jot down new ideas, but sometimes you just want to experiment without cluttering up your song. Newly added Preview Mode is a long requested feature that allows you to turn off note input and play music using Hookpad engine using the band you’ve set up. When Preview is on, you’ll hear the notes and chords you play but they won’t be added to the staff.

Record With Improved Latency and More Intuitive Experience

The previous incarnation of recording in Hookpad wasn’t great. We fixed it. Here is what’s better:

The Duration of Recorded Notes/Chords is Now Controlled By How Long You Hold Down The Key

Previously the duration of each recorded note was controlled by duration tool – every note would get the same duration – terrible. Now the duration is controlled by how long you hold down the key, just like playing an instrument. Much better.

Recording Now Starts Immediately After Hitting The Record Button

Record Mode was previously a toggle; you had to first click the Record button and then click play. While playing if you entered notes they would be added at the location of the scrubber playback. Now hitting the Record button starts the playback (with pickup) immediately so you can start recording immediately, as you expect!

Keyboard Shortcut ‘r’ Lets You Access Recording Quicker

Record now has it’s own keyboard shortcut. Hit ‘r’ to start recording.

Improved Latency Helps You Stay In Time

We’ve taken care to improve the latency especially when using a midi instrument (midi entry is much lower latency than keyboard entry) so its easier for you to stay in time.

Pro Tip: Use Wired Headphones or Speakers When Recording

Most bluetooth headphones and speakers have several hundred milliseconds of latency. This can really screw you up during recording. When recording, bust out a pair of wired headphones or speakers. You won’t regret it.

The Record Button Now Turns Red

Duh! It was blue before to be consistent with other UI controls in the “on” state. But that felt so wrong – the universal standard of red for record is back.