Keyboard Shortcuts - Meiji Sampler

Every action in Meiji Sampler is a keypress. This page documents the main shortcut surfaces by context. All arrow key navigation supports h/j/k/l as alternatives:

Vim key	Arrow equivalent
`h`	`Left`
`j`	`Down`
`k`	`Up`
`l`	`Right`

These work everywhere arrow keys work: browser, pads, loops, scenes, mixer, editors, modals, and settings. Some contexts previously used h, j, k, or l for other actions — those have moved to shifted variants. See Upgrade And Migration Notes for details.

Global

These work broadly across the app.

Key	Action
`Tab`	Cycle focus (Create: Browser → Details → Mixer; top-level: Create → Perform → Settings when Perform is enabled, or Create → Settings when it is not)
`?`	Open or close help
`,`	Open Settings tab
`/` or `Ctrl+F`	Open fuzzy search
`a`	Toggle autoplay
`b`	Open bounce modal outside Trim view
`Ctrl+R`	Open audio recording
`Ctrl+S`	Save project
`Ctrl+Shift+S`	Save project as
`Ctrl+O`	Open project
`Ctrl+N`	New project
`Ctrl+I`	Analyze samples / ML classification flow
`q` or `Ctrl+C`	Quit

Function keys are reserved for the terminal and operating system. Use Tab for tab navigation and , for Settings.

Create tab

The core sampler workflow lives here.

Key	Action
`Up`/`Down` or `k`/`j`	Move selection
`Enter` or `Right` or `l`	Enter directory or confirm
`Backspace` or `Left` or `h`	Go up to parent
`Space`	Preview selected sample or cue scene depending on context
`1-9`, `0`	Trigger pads, control loop slots, or cue scenes depending on row
`Enter`	Open editor, details, or source-selection flow depending on context
`m`	Mute selected channel, loop, or track depending on context
`Esc`	Close modal, exit sub-mode, or cancel current operation

Browser-focused controls

Key	Action
`Space`	Preview selected sample
`*`	Toggle star
`/`	Search
`Enter`	Open folder or confirm selection
`Shift+1` through `Shift+0`	Assign selected sample to a pad
`Shift+L`	Toggle loop mode for the selected file

Pads row

Key	Action
`1-9`, `0`	Trigger pads
`Shift+1` through `Shift+0`	Assign selected sample to a pad
`Left`/`Right` or `h`/`l`	Change channel
`Up`/`Down` or `k`/`j`	Change row
`Space`	Stop pad audio, or stop active loop transport
`Enter`	Open channel detail or source selection
`m`	Mute channel
`s`	Solo channel
`w`	Swap channels
`c`	Enter chop mode
`t`	Open trim workflow
`Shift+J`	Toggle pad jump mode
`Del`	Reset selected channel with confirmation

Channel detail

Key	Action
`Left`/`Right`	Adjust focused control
`Up`/`Down`	Move between controls
`1-9`, `0`	Trigger pads
`Esc`	Close channel detail

Trim view

Key	Action
`Left` and `Right`	Move playhead
`Shift+Left` and `Shift+Right`	Fine-move playhead
`Space`	Play or pause
`p`	Play from the last location where `Space` started playback
`r`	Restart playback from beginning
`s`	Set trim start at playhead
`e`	Set trim end at playhead
`Shift+S`	Clear trim start
`Shift+E`	Clear trim end
`o`	Toggle loop mode
`0-9`	Set or play from chop marker
`Delete` or `Backspace`	Clear active chop marker
`+` and `-`	Zoom in and out
`[` and `]`	Scroll waveform
`Shift+[` and `Shift+]`	Snap playhead to the previous or next transient point
`a`	Autochop the first ten transient markers to `1-9,0`
`Alt+[` and `Alt+]`, or `<` and `>`	Lower or raise transient snap sensitivity
`b`	Cycle transient snap band: All, Lows, Mids, Highs
`{` and `}`	Legacy terminal fallback for transient snap seek
`Enter`	Confirm and exit
`Esc`	Cancel and exit

Higher transient snap sensitivity shows more ghost markers and accepts softer hits. Lower sensitivity keeps the snap points stricter. The snapping workflow is inspired by Cool Edit Pro’s bracket-key playhead movement, while the marker sensitivity model is inspired by ReCycle-style transient slicing. See Chopping And Slicing for the workflow guide.

Chop mode

Key	Action
`1-9`, `0`	Trigger chop segments
`g`	Toggle gate mode
`Shift+J`	Toggle pad jump mode
`c` or `Esc`	Exit chop mode

Loops row

Key	Action
`Left`/`Right` or `h`/`l`	Select loop slot
`Up`/`Down` or `k`/`j`	Change row
`[SPACE]`	Start cued or armed loop transport, start the only stopped loop when exactly one recorded loop exists, or stop active loop and overdub transport
`1-9`, `0`	Select the loop slot. Empty slots arm, idle stopped slots cue, idle cued slots stop, playing slots queue `STOP+`, and `STOP+` slots stop immediately
`[R]`	Open First Loop Setup before the first loop; later, arm recording or punch into overdub
`Enter`	Open sequence editor
`q`	Open quantize
`m`	Mute loop
`s`	Solo loop
`d`	Duplicate loop
`e`	Extend loop
`Shift+H`	Shorten loop by half
`u`	Undo last loop edit
`Del`	Clear loop

Sequence editor

Key	Action
`Up`/`Down` or `k`/`j`	Navigate tracks
`Left`/`Right` or `h`/`l`	Navigate within track
`m`	Mute or unmute the selected track; when a running loop is muted, un-mute the loop, solo the selected track, and restart that track; or in ALL TRACKS view toggle loop mute, clearing all mutes if already muted
`s`	Solo the selected track; press again to un-solo
`Del`	Delete track events
`Esc`	Close editor

For the full mental model behind channel mute versus loop and track mute, see Muting And Soloing.

Scenes row

Key	Action
`Left`/`Right` or `h`/`l`	Select scene
`Up`/`Down` or `k`/`j`	Change row
`1-9`, `0`	Jump to and cue scene
`Space`	Start, cue, uncue, or stop the selected scene depending on scene state
`Enter`	Open scene editor
`c`	Copy scene
`Del`	Clear scene

Scene editor

Key	Action
`Up`/`Down` or `k`/`j`	Navigate loop list or auto-advance row
`Space` or `Enter`	Toggle loop membership or auto-advance
`1-9`, `0`	Quick-toggle specific loops
`Left`/`Right` or `h`/`l`	Switch scene or adjust auto-advance cycles
`Esc`	Close editor

Mixer

Key	Action
`Left`/`Right` or `h`/`l`	Select channel
`Up`/`Down` or `k`/`j`	Adjust selected parameter
`Enter`	Open channel detail
`m`	Mute channel
`s`	Solo channel
`w`	Swap channels

Perform tab

Key	Action
`[←/→]`/`[↑/↓]` or `h`/`j`/`k`/`l`	Move focus between Bank slots and the FX Library
`[1]` through `[9]`, `[0]`	Trigger assigned fixed PerformFX slots, or assign the focused FX Library preset to an empty slot
`[ENTER]`	Open FX Params for the focused slot or FX Library preset
`[DELETE]` or `[BACKSPACE]`	Clear the focused assigned slot after confirmation
`[B]` unshifted	Toggle PerformFX bank
`[Q]`	Cycle PerformFX quantize mode
`[SHIFT+A]`	Select A/B lane A, current PerformFX
`[SHIFT+B]`	Select A/B lane B, permissive CLAP candidate
`[SHIFT+N]`	Start a note for the last triggered A/B target
`[SHIFT+S]`	Export PerformFX A/B feedback JSON
`[SHIFT+K]`	Kill all active PerformFX effects

FX Params

Key	Action
`[←/→]`	Move between FX, Timing, and Params columns
`[↑/↓]`	Select a row
`[1]` through `[9]`, `[0]`	Choose the target slot
`[ENTER]`	Save, or edit the selected Params row
`[R]`	Reset the current target slot settings to the selected preset defaults
`[DELETE]` or `[BACKSPACE]`	Clear the selected slot after confirmation
`[S]`	Save the current settings as a custom preset
`[ESC]`	Cancel when unchanged; save and close after slot edits

MIDI tab

Key	Action
`Left` and `Right`	Switch between Mappings and Monitor sub-views

Mappings sub-view (Listening phase)

Key	Action
`Up` and `Down`	Navigate mapping list
`Enter`	Edit selected mapping
`Delete` or `Backspace`	Remove selected mapping
`Esc`	Leave MIDI tab

Mappings sub-view (Assigning phase)

Key	Action
`Up` and `Down`	Navigate menu
`Enter`	Drill into category or confirm action
`Esc`	Go up one menu level, or return to Listening from top level (except during Keypress capture, where it assigns `[ESC]`)
`Ctrl+Esc` in Keypress capture	Cancel Keypress capture and return to the action menu
any supported key in Keypress capture	Assign that exact key, including case-preserved letters such as `[m]`/`[M]` and `[ESC]`
`Delete` or `Backspace`	Remove this control’s mapping, return to Listening
`Shift+Delete`	Clear all mappings, return to Listening

Monitor sub-view

Key	Action
`Space`	Pause or resume monitor display
`c`	Clear monitor history
`f`	Cycle monitor filters
`Up`/`Down` or `k`/`j`	Scroll or navigate

Trim view

Key	Action
`Left`/`Right`	Move playhead (coarse)
`h`/`l`	Move playhead (coarse, same as arrow keys)
`Shift+H`/`Shift+L`	Move playhead (fine)
`s`	Set start point
`e`	Set end point
`Shift+S`	Clear start point
`Shift+E`	Clear end point
`o`	Toggle loop mode
`-`/`+`	Zoom out/in
`Shift+[`/`Shift+]`	Snap to previous/next transient point
`a`	Autochop the first ten transient markers to `1-9,0`
`Alt+[`/`Alt+]`, or `<`/`>`	Lower/raise transient snap sensitivity
`b`	Cycle transient snap band: All, Lows, Mids, Highs
`{`/`}`	Legacy terminal fallback for transient snap seek
`Space`	Toggle playback
`Enter`	Accept trim
`Esc`	Cancel

Transient snap lands on useful hits and refines to a clean edit point when possible. Use the band mode when a sample is dense and you want to move through only lows, mids, or highs. Use a after sensitivity feels right to turn the first ten visible transient candidates into playable chops.

Audio recording

These shortcuts are available inside the audio recording flow (Ctrl+R).

Key	Phase	Action
`Space`	Idle	Arm recording
`Space`	Armed/Recording	Stop recording and enter review
`Space`	Review	Replay the recorded take
`N`	Review	Toggle peak normalization
`U` or `Backspace`	Review	Undo and discard the take
`Enter` or `K`	Review	Keep and save the take
`Esc`	Any	Discard or close

Modals

Key	Action
`Up`/`Down` or `k`/`j`	Navigate options
`Left`/`Right` or `h`/`l`	Adjust values
`Enter`	Confirm or select
`Esc`	Cancel or close

Key	Action
`Up`/`Down`	Navigate options
`Space`	Toggle selected option
`Left`/`Right`	Cycle WAV bit depth (on the WAV Audio row, when WAV is enabled)
`Enter`	Start bounce
`Esc`	Cancel (stops an in-progress bounce)

Settings tab

The Settings tab uses a two-pane layout: sidebar (categories) and content (fields). Sidebar:

Key	Action
`Up`/`Down` or `k`/`j`	Switch category
`Enter` or `Right` or `l`	Enter content pane
`Esc`	Return to previous tab (saves automatically)

Content pane:

Key	Action
`Up`/`Down` or `k`/`j`	Move between fields
`Left`/`Right` or `h`/`l`	Adjust value or go back from project picker
`Enter`	Confirm action, open picker, or activate button
`Space`	Tap tempo (on the Tempo field — tap rhythmically, then `Enter` to apply)
`Esc` or `h`	Return to sidebar

Metronome

Key	Action
`[M]`	Open the metronome controls dialog
`[SPACE]`	Start, stop, or count in transport while the metronome controls dialog stays open

Lowercase m still follows the active mixer context, such as channel or loop mute, where that binding already exists.

First Loop Setup

This dialog appears when [R] starts the first loop in an empty project.

Key	Action
`[ESC]`	Cancel and return to the previous view
`[↑]`/`[↓]` or `[K]`/`[J]`	Move between setup fields
`[←]`/`[→]` or `[H]`/`[L]`	Adjust the selected field
Digits and `.`	Type a BPM while Tempo is highlighted
`[SPACE]`	Tap tempo with a click from any field, switch to Fixed mode, and focus Tempo
`[ENTER]`	Apply the selected mode and arm recording

​Vim-style navigation

​Global

​Create tab

​Browser-focused controls

​Pads row

​Channel detail

​Trim view

​Chop mode

​Loops row

​Sequence editor

​Scenes row

​Scene editor

​Mixer

​Perform tab

​FX Params

​MIDI tab

​Mappings sub-view (Listening phase)

​Mappings sub-view (Assigning phase)

​Monitor sub-view

​Trim view

​Audio recording

​Modals

​Bounce modal

​Settings tab

​Metronome

​First Loop Setup

Vim-style navigation

Global

Create tab

Browser-focused controls

Pads row

Channel detail

Trim view

Chop mode

Loops row

Sequence editor

Scenes row

Scene editor

Mixer

Perform tab

FX Params

MIDI tab

Mappings sub-view (Listening phase)

Mappings sub-view (Assigning phase)

Monitor sub-view

Trim view

Audio recording

Modals

Bounce modal

Settings tab

Metronome

First Loop Setup