This is the starting point for all work with Yoshimi. Referring to the image on the index page, we describe the controls and navigation routes.
Along the top is a fairly standard menu bar. Either clicking on one of the names, or holding down 'Alt' and pressing the key for the underscored letter will get you directly to that menu which will then open, closing any others that might already be open. This again is standard behaviour.
All of these are shown below as they would appear when selected.
As you can see, the majority of the menu entries are links that open other windows to perform the associated function. Back to top
Below these are the top level buttons and controls. referring to the main window...
Stop is the usual panic button. It cancels all sounding notes. However, while it does so extremely fast, it is actually a rapid fade down. This is so there isn't a sharp 'edge' that would be quite unpleasant if you are monitoring on headphones and might be damaging to some audio systems.
Mixer Panel simply opens the mixer window, described later in Part.
Vectors also opens another window, this time for combined control of up to four parts.
Reset Stops all sound (as above) and also clears almost all settings, taking you back to the startup condition. The one exception is Midi Learn. If you want to clear this as well, you have to hold down the Ctrl key at the same time.
Virtual keyboard opens the window displaying this in the same way as a first time startup.
Midi Learn opens the window for loading, saving and editing these learned controls.
Detune provides a very fine detune of the entire synth so you can match the pitch to any other synth or sound source you might be using.
Volume is the master volume control for the main audio output pair. It doesn't affect any individual part outputs you might have set (if using Jack audio).
S This button switches between stereo and mono - when the color changes to red and the letter becomes an 'M'. It only affects the output pair, and is never saved. It switches virtually silently and is very useful for checking how the music would sound on a mono system.
Shift allows you to step the overall key up or down in semitone steps as much as three octaves.
Next there is a short tabbed insert. By default this shows the System effects. These are applied to the whole of the main Left/Right audio outputs and immediately below it is the currently selected one. These are described in Effects.
The spinbox selects the effect being managed. You can have up to four of these, and the menu selects which actual effect will be used.
The On checkbox allows you to temporarily disable the effect (this setting is not saved). This is necessary, as if you set it back to 'No Effect' all settings you may have changed will be lost.
After this there is the Send To button. This opens a small window so that you can cascade varying amounts of the effects if you want to.
This shows just the Insertion effects tab. The actual effects are, of course, the same.
Here, you can have up to eight effects, and they can be sent to any individual part or the main outputs. Again, you have a menu to select the wanted effect.
There is no need of an On checkbox because you can disable an effect simply by setting its destination to 'off'.