Workspace Tour

Miao uses a dense desktop DAW layout. The first screen is the working surface, not a marketing page.

Top Transport Bar

The transport bar contains:

Area	Purpose
Project title	Shows the current demo or project name.
Undo/Redo	Global edit history for region and MIDI edits.
Play/Stop/Record	Starts playback, stops playback, and controls recording.
Time readout	Shows minutes/seconds by default; bars/beats appears when the ruler is in bars.
Command palette	Opens searchable commands.
Meters	Shows realtime input and output level.
Audio menu	Monitoring, metronome, count-in, MIDI connection, and audio errors.
Project menu	Create, unlock, save, export, history, clean unused files, copy link, and manual.

Use the Audio menu for monitoring, metronome, count-in, MIDI connection, and audio errors.

Use the Project menu for saved project actions, export, history, links, cleanup, and the manual.

Timeline

The central timeline contains the ruler, chord lane, track lanes, regions, comments, markers, remote playheads, and the playhead. Master automation appears as an extra row under the Master track when a Master FX parameter is being automated.

Use the timeline to:

• Select one or more regions.
• Drag regions along time.
• Move regions between compatible tracks.
• Draw a marquee selection rectangle.
• Trim region edges.
• Use region loop handles.
• Adjust fades.
• Right-click for context actions.
• Scroll horizontally through the project runway.

The ruler can show either time or bars. Right-click the ruler and choose Show time or Show bars.

The arrangement overview sits over the lower edge of the timeline when the project has regions, chords, or markers. It shows a compact map of the song, the visible viewport, and the playhead. Click or drag the overview to jump through longer arrangements without hunting through the horizontal scrollbar.

The arrangement overview is a compact map of regions, chords, markers, viewport, and playhead.

Chord Lane

The chord lane sits directly below the ruler. It contains beat-based chord blocks that help sketch harmony before turning it into MIDI.

Use the chord lane to:

• Add chords at the playhead with the + button in the left Chords header.
• Add chords by clicking empty chord lane space.
• Select chord blocks.
• Drag chord blocks to move them in time.
• Drag the right chord handle to change duration.
• Preview a chord by double-clicking it.
• Right-click for chord actions.
• Use the empty chord lane prompt to add a single chord or a pop progression.

When a chord is selected, the Notes inspector shows project key/scale controls, chord fields, preview, chord-to-MIDI actions, duplicate, and delete.

The chord inspector also includes progression presets: Pop, Classic, Jazz turn, Rock, Minor pop, and Blues.

Track Headers

Track headers sit on the left of the timeline below the Chords header and stay vertically aligned with track lanes. Each track has:

• Track color.
• Track name.
• Track kind: audio, MIDI, bus, or master.
• Mute M.
• Solo S.
• Record arm, where supported.
• Input monitor, where supported.

Bus and master tracks cannot record. Input monitoring is for audio tracks.

Right Inspector

The right inspector is context-aware and has four main tabs:

Tab	Use
Notes	Chord edits, region edits, MIDI note edits, clip gain, fades, takes, and selected context.
Track	Track controls, instrument picker, instrument settings, Track Effects, and master effects.
Library	Imported audio files and actions for placing or sampling them.
Markers	Ideas, timeline comments, and markers.

The Track tab has sub-tabs:

• Track Mix: selected track routing, volume, pan, sends, and Track Effects.
• MIDI Sound: built-in instrument browser and sampler controls for the selected MIDI track.
• Master FX: output chain and master limiter.

The Library inspector is where imported audio becomes timeline material or sampler source material.

The Annotations inspector keeps reusable ideas, comments, replies, resolution state, and markers in one place.

Bottom Panel

The bottom panel changes with the bottom bar selector:

Mode	What Opens
Tracks	Arrangement timeline is the main focus.
Piano Roll	MIDI note editor, instrument keyboard, and MIDI devices sub-tab.
Mixer	Mixer console strips.

The bottom utility bar also contains timeline zoom controls, fit timeline, follow playhead, selection status when a region or MIDI note is selected, save/collaboration status, and audio failure status when needed.

Automation stays hidden until there is a current Master FX automation lane or you are working in Track > Master FX. For the most direct workflow, open Track, Master FX, then click A beside the parameter you want to automate.

Command Palette

Open the command palette with Cmd+K or the command icon in the transport bar. Type to filter commands. Use:

• ArrowDown and ArrowUp to move.
• Home and End to jump.
• Enter to run.
• Escape to close.

The command palette contains project, transport, timeline, chord, track, Library, edit, MIDI, and mix actions. Musical commands include adding common chord progressions, creating MIDI/arpeggio/bass from chords, regenerating chord-generated MIDI, humanizing groove, and fitting notes to the current scale or chord lane.

Open Cmd+K, type a few letters, and run commands without hunting through panels.

Context Menus

Right-click relevant areas to discover actions:

• Region: split, duplicate, delete, move, trim, move to track, loop, fades.
• Chord block: preview, create MIDI, create arpeggio, duplicate, delete.
• Chord lane: add chord here, create MIDI, create arpeggio, create bass, add progression presets.
• Track header or lane: mute, solo, record arm, monitor, add tracks, delete track.
• MIDI note: duplicate, delete, quantize, humanize, strum, make musical, triads, seventh chords, transpose, velocity, arpeggio, select all.
• MIDI grid: add note, select all, quantize/humanize/strum, make musical, triads, seventh chords, arpeggio.
• Automation lane or point: add/delete Master FX points, interpolation shape, enable/disable automation.
• Comment or marker: go to, resolve/reopen, delete.
• Library audio: place at playhead or use as custom sample.
• Timeline ruler: show bars/time and move playhead.
• Empty timeline: move playhead, add chord, create MIDI region, add marker/comment, place audio, add tracks.

Right-click a region for split, duplicate, delete, move, trim, loop, fade, and track move actions.

Right-click neutral workspace areas for global add-track, project, and export actions.

Realtime Meters

Miao shows compact meters for input and output in the transport. Mixer strips also show track metering. Input meters are most useful when an audio track is selected, record-armed, or input-monitored.