---
layout: default
title: MIDI Track Controls
---                        
  
<p>A typical <dfn>MIDI track header</dfn> looks like this:</p>
<img src="/ardour/manual/html/diagrams/typical-midi-track-controls.png" alt="midi track controls"
  />
  
<p>
  To see the full set of MIDI track controls, you need to increase the 
  <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/track-height/">track height</a> 
  beyond the default. MIDI tracks show only a few of the control elements 
  when there is insufficient vertical space.
</p>
<p>
  A MIDI track has the same basic
  <a href="/working-with-tracks/audio-track-controls">controls as an audio track</a>, 
  with the addition of two extra elements. The set of buttons below the main track 
  controls the <dfn>MIDI channel</dfn>(s) that will be visible in the editor. A MIDI track's 
  data may span any number of the 16 available MIDI channels, and sometimes it is 
  useful to view only a subset of those channels; different instruments may, 
  for example, be put on different channels. Clicking on a channel number toggles 
  its visibility.
</p>
<p>
  To the right of the MIDI track controls is a representation of a piano keyboard 
  called the <dfn>scroomer</dfn>. This performs a couple of functions. 
  The scrollbar controls the range of pitches that are visible on the
  track, as visualized by the piano keyboard.<br />
  Drag the body of the scrollbar up and down to display higher or lower
  pitches.<br />
  Drag the scrollbar handles to zooms in and out and increase and decrease the 
  range of visible pitches.<br />
  clicking on the piano plays the corresponding MIDI note for reference. 
</p>
<p>
  To edit the contents of a MIDI track see <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-midi/">Edit
  MIDI</a>.
</p>