Skip to content
GKM Volunteer Resources

Arrangement View Basics

3. Arrangement View Basics (Click, Pads, Loops)

Section titled “3. Arrangement View Basics (Click, Pads, Loops)”

Arrangement View provides a horizontal timeline view of the entire set, offering more precise control, especially when using tracks.

  • Toggling Views: Press the Tab key to switch between Session and Arrangement View.
  • Setting Tempo:
    • Right-click the Master track tempo at the top and select Show Automation.
    • The pink automation line appears. Set the tempo range (min/max BPM for the set) using the values next to the automation lane.
    • Click on the automation line to create nodes (breakpoints). Drag these nodes up or down to set the tempo for different sections/songs. Holding Command (Mac) or Ctrl (Windows) while dragging allows for finer adjustments horizontally.
  • Setting Time Signature:
    • Right-click in the timeline ruler area above the tracks where you want the change to occur.
    • Select Insert Time Signature Change and enter the desired signature (e.g., 6/8).
  • Using Locators (Markers):
    • Markers divide the set into songs or sections.
    • Press s (the key assigned earlier) to set a marker at the playhead position.
    • Right-click a marker to rename it (e.g., “1 Glorious”, “2 Soli Deo Gloria”).
    • Assign number keys (1, 2, 3…) to markers for quick song navigation: Click Key in the top right, click the marker, press the desired number key, then click Key again to exit mapping mode.
    • Use the assigned comma (,) and period (.) keys to jump between previous and next markers during playback.
  • Adding Pads:
    • Drag pad audio files onto an audio track (“Pads”) at the start marker for each song.
    • Adjust the length of the pad clip to roughly the expected song duration (5-6 minutes is often sufficient) by dragging the end of the clip. You can see the duration while dragging.
    • Apply reverb to the “Pads” track for smooth tails as described in the Session View section.
  • Adding Loops:
    • Drag loop audio files onto an audio track (“Loops”).
    • Ensure loops are warped correctly to the project tempo.
    • Copy and paste (Cmd+C/Cmd+V or Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V) the loop clip to fill the desired duration of the song section.
    • Consolidate: To make managing repeated loops easier, select all the pasted loop clips for a song (click the first, Shift-click the last) and press Cmd+J (Mac) or Ctrl+J (Windows) to consolidate them into one continuous clip.