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Instruments and Sampler
Miao has a built-in instrument catalog and a sampler for user-imported audio. The built-in catalog is the primary way to choose playable sounds; custom sample loading is secondary.
Open the Instrument Browser
Use one of these entry points:
- Select a MIDI track and click the small instrument shortcut in the track header.
- Open Piano Roll and click the instrument button in the MIDI toolbar.
- Click Track in the right inspector, then MIDI Sound.
The instrument browser includes search, a family filter, the selected instrument name, result count, and one compact row per instrument.
Preview an Instrument
Click the small preview button on the right side of an instrument row. Preview plays a short raw sample and does not change the current track sound.
Click the preview button again to stop, or click another preview to switch sounds.
Load an Instrument
Click the instrument name/row body. Miao loads the instrument sample into the selected MIDI track, applies the instrument envelope and tuning, and saves the selected instrument with that track if the project is unlocked.
Built-In Instrument Catalog
Current built-in instruments:
| Family | Instruments |
|---|---|
| Keys | Studio Piano, Felt Piano, Glass Keys, Tine Keys, Tonewheel Organ |
| Bass | Warm Bass, Deep Sub, Picked Bass, Rubber Bass |
| Guitar and Pluck | Nylon Guitar, Muted Guitar, Soft Pluck, Harp Pluck |
| Strings and Orchestral | String Ensemble, Solo Violin, Cello, Pizzicato Strings, Timpani |
| Brass and Woodwinds | Brass Ensemble, Soft Horn, Air Flute, Warm Clarinet |
| Mallets and World | Marimba, Vibraphone, Celeste, Kalimba, Sitar |
| Synth and Voice | Warm Pad, Air Pad, Poly Synth, Square Lead, Choir Pad, Ooh Voice |
| Drums and Percussion | Kick, Snare, Closed Hat, Clap, Low Tom, Shaker |
| FX | Riser |
Sampler Controls
After loading an instrument or custom sample, use the sampler controls for the selected MIDI track:
| Control | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Root | MIDI note that plays the sample at original pitch. |
| Gain | Sampler output gain. |
| Fine | Fine tuning in cents. |
| Start | Sample playback start position. |
| End | Sample playback end position. |
| Attack | Envelope attack time. |
| Decay | Envelope decay time. |
| Sustain | Envelope sustain level. |
| Release | Envelope release time. |
| Loop | Repeat the sample while held. |
| Reverse | Play the sample backward. |
Drum Pads
The drum pad grid shows 16 nearby notes around the sampler root. Each pad displays a compact label and MIDI note name. Press or click a pad to play. Keyboard focus supports Space and Enter for pad triggering.
Use an Imported Audio File as a Custom Sample
- Import audio in the Library tab.
- Select a MIDI track.
- Click Use as sample on the audio card.
Miao loads the imported audio into the selected MIDI track sampler and clears the built-in instrument ID from that track.
Custom Sample Restore
When reopening a project, Miao tries:
- Saved project audio.
- User reimport if the original file was never saved.
If the sampler says reimport audio, the sample file needs to be imported again.