Scene Sequencer
Build and safely trigger Performer scenes, or enable automatic timing in beats or seconds.
Use EDIT to add and arrange scenes, then switch to PERFORM to launch a scene by clicking its compact thumbnail row. PERFORM hides editing controls and shows each scene’s settings. Leave the header clock off for manual triggering, or enable the clock and press Play to advance automatically in beats or seconds.
Available in Performer mode — open it with the Scene Sequencer button in the control bar. The panel's DETACH SEQUENCER header button moves it into its own small window, and the full panel is also available inside the detached operator window — see Detached Controls.
How do I build a scene sequence?
Each scene in the list is a preset plus a hold time:
- Select EDIT, then click ADD SCENE, pick a preset from the dropdown, and confirm — or simply drag a preset pad from the preset grid (or the detached controls window) onto the sequencer to append it as a scene
- Set the scene's duration (1–99) and its unit — B (beats, synced to the current BPM) or S (seconds)
- Pick the scene's transition: CUT, CROSSFADE, or MORPH
- Use the up/down arrows to reorder scenes, or the × to remove one
- Select PERFORM to trigger scenes safely. For automatic advancement, enable the header clock and press Play; the active scene shows a countdown
Clicking a row in EDIT does not launch it. In PERFORM, click a row or focus it and press Enter or Space to launch it; launching does not start the automatic transport. New scenes start with FX: OFF. Choose a look while editing, or select FX: KEEP to retain the current rack. RESET SEQUENCER is available in EDIT and clears the list after confirmation.
How do I add a video chop or image scene?
In EDIT, click ADD SCENE, choose VIDEO · IMAGE, then CHOOSE VIDEO OR IMAGE. Video clips open SCENE CLIP, where you can set the section and its playback behavior. Images hold still. Each scene keeps its own settings even when several chops use the same original video.
- Choose the original file from your device.
- Adjust the visual IN and OUT handles to define the chop, or enter exact values in IN (SECONDS) and OUT (SECONDS). Use + / − to zoom, PAN to move through the enlarged timeline, and FIT to show the whole clip. SEEK previews a frame without playing.
- Choose PLAYBACK and turn PLAY CLIP SOUND on or off. A playing main audio track overrides clip sound.
- Click PREVIEW SECTION to test the chop and STOP PREVIEW to pause it.
- Click SAVE, or SAVE AS NEW CHOP to create another scene without changing the original chop.
- Switch to PERFORM and trigger the scene row.
| Playback | Behavior inside the selected section |
|---|---|
| PLAY ONCE | Play from In to Out, then hold the last frame or return to In. |
| HOLD TO PLAY | Play while the scene row, Enter/Space key, or assigned input is held; release to pause. |
| LOOP TO START | Return to In at Out and continue repeating. |
| PING-PONG | Alternate forward and reverse playback. The reverse leg is silent. |
AT END selects HOLD LAST FRAME or RETURN TO IN for one-shot playback. STOP CLIP stops an active clip, including its reverse leg. The sequence's header clock controls scene advancement separately from the clip's playback behavior.
Files stay on your device. If a saved scene asks for its original file after reopening the app, click FIX beside the reconnect message and select the original file. You can also use EDIT → CLIP → RECONNECT FILE. Reconnecting an original also reconnects its other chops. Advanced → REMEMBER DISK ACCESS, when supported by the browser, can retain access with your permission.
For HOLD TO PLAY, timer and next/previous launches cue In without playing. PREVIEW SECTION plays the chop without holding.
How do I perform video chops like a DJ?
Launch a video scene in PERFORM, then use ◀ to play the chop backward from Out or ▶ to restart forward from In. The direction stays selected until you change it. ↻ toggles looping inside the selected chop. Reverse playback is silent.
Open LOOP ROLL to reveal 1, 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 beat pads. Hold a pad with the pointer, Enter or Space to stutter that beat-sized section. Drag across the pads while holding the pointer down to change the roll length. On release, CONTINUE FROM ROLL resumes the full chop from the frame where the roll ended, preserving its direction and loop setting. Roll lengths follow the session BPM. Use each pad’s M button to learn a controller input; its binding also works with the controls collapsed. STOP CLIP stops playback and cancels the roll.
How do I change an existing scene’s source?
In EDIT, click the scene’s SCENE button and choose its SOURCE. For VISUALIZER, choose a PRESET or visualizer. For CAMERA, choose the device and use REFRESH CAMERAS after granting camera access. For VIDEO · IMAGE, click REPLACE VIDEO OR IMAGE and select the new original file.
Click SAVE to keep the scene’s name, timing, effects and trigger assignment, then switch to PERFORM to launch it. Replacing a video resets its section to the full new clip while keeping its sound and playback choices. Use CLIP to trim the replacement. Other chops stay unchanged. CANCEL discards source changes.
How do I add a shader to a scene?
In EDIT, click the scene’s SCENE button and choose a SHADER. Select OFF to remove the shader when the scene launches, or KEEP CURRENT SHADER to leave the current shader unchanged. New scenes start with shaders off.
Open ADVANCED SHADER to choose PLACEMENT, BLEND, and OPACITY, then click SAVE. Switch to PERFORM and launch the scene to recall those settings. CANCEL leaves the scene unchanged. Shader rendering is currently available during live playback and recording; offline RENDER requires the shader to be off.
How do I choose a camera for a scene?
In EDIT → ADD SCENE, choose CAMERA, select the camera device, and add the scene. ALLOW CAMERAS requests permission when the browser has not listed your camera names yet. Switching to a visualizer-only scene releases the camera picture.
Quick Playlists
The QUICK row builds a complete sequence in one click:
- ALL — the first 12 factory presets with crossfades
- CHILL — ambient presets with long holds and slow crossfades
- ENERGY — energetic presets with short holds and hard cuts
- CLEAR — remove all scenes
Everything a quick playlist creates is editable afterwards.
Transitions
| Transition | Effect |
|---|---|
| CUT | Instant switch — best for beat-synced EDM and techno sets |
| CROSSFADE | Smooth opacity blend between the outgoing and incoming presets |
| MORPH | Interpolates parameters between presets |
Crossfade and morph use a short transition window — roughly half a second, or a couple of beats when BPM sync is on.
Transport & Timing
The header row holds the transport:
- Clock — enables automatic advancement; off holds a scene until the next trigger
- Play / Stop — starts and stops automatic advancement when the clock is enabled
- LOOP — restart from the first scene when the list ends
- SHUFFLE — randomize the scene order
- BPM — toggles BPM sync; switching it converts every scene's timing between beats and seconds at the current tempo
The BPM itself is the session tempo — the same readout in the settings footer, Analysis Engine, and Performer. Tap T or click that readout to override. See Tempo & Tap Tempo.
How do I assign a keyboard, MIDI, or OSC trigger to a scene?
In EDIT, click the scene’s M button, then press a computer key, play a MIDI note, move a control, or send an OSC message. Switch to PERFORM to see the assigned input beside the scene settings. The assignment follows that scene when you reorder it and works with the panel closed.
- Click the scene’s M button to start listening.
- Send the input you want to use. Reserved app shortcuts cannot be assigned; choose another key if a conflict appears.
- Switch to PERFORM and trigger the scene. For HOLD TO PLAY, release the key or note, or send zero from the assigned OSC/control input, to pause. Repeated positive control values keep the gate held.
- To remove an assignment, switch to EDIT and right-click its badge.
Play/Stop, Loop, Shuffle and BPM sync each have a small M button:
- Click the M button, then press a pad or key or move a knob on your controller — it shows
...while it listens, then the note or CC number (a note shows as N and its number, such as N40) - Right-click the M button to clear the binding
- A pad presses Play/Stop and flips Loop, Shuffle and BPM sync on each hit; BPM sync converts scene timings exactly like clicking BPM
The same controls can be learned with START MIDI LEARN and are listed under Performer Settings → MIDI → LEARNED MAPPINGS; see MIDI Integration.
The first 8 scenes are also triggerable from MIDI notes 112–119 — on an APC Mini MK2 those are the side-column buttons, and each scene row shows its note number (e.g. N112). See MIDI Integration.
Tips
Build your scenes before your set. A great set is 80% preparation, 20% live adjustment. Create, test, and order scenes at soundcheck.
Use longer holds for ambient music and shorter for club music. Long BPM-synced holds breathe with slow material; 8-beat holds keep pace with dance floors.
Match transitions to genre. Hard cuts land with percussive music; crossfades suit ambient and melodic material. The CHILL and ENERGY quick playlists are pre-configured this way.
How do I hide controls during a fullscreen performance?
Enter fullscreen and leave the pointer still for three seconds. The footer and open side panel hide together. Move the pointer to reveal them, or exit fullscreen to restore the controls. Keyboard-focused controls stay available while you operate them. Audio playback and seeking are in the bottom bar beside tempo.
How do I trim a clip one frame at a time?
Use the ‹ / › buttons beside IN, OUT, or SEEK to move to the previous or next frame. The audio waveform follows the filmstrip’s zoom and pan, with the selected chop highlighted. Frame buttons are unavailable when the clip’s frame timing cannot be read. Use SAVE to keep your trim.
Roll assignments apply to ALL SCENES by default: learn each fraction once and use it on the active video scene. For separate assignments, open Performer Settings → MIDI → LOOP ROLL → Assignments apply to → INDIVIDUAL SCENES, activate a scene, and learn its pads. Each mode keeps separate assignments; existing scene-specific assignments remain available in Individual Scenes mode.
How do I copy, delete, or reorder a scene?
Switch to EDIT. Use the copy icon to place an independent copy beside the original, or the X to remove a scene. Drag the grip at the left of the scene name to another card to reorder. With the grip focused, Arrow Up and Arrow Down move one position. These actions do not launch scenes. PERFORM hides the editing controls. During a drag, MOVE HERE marks the destination; press Escape to cancel. After deleting a scene, use UNDO within six seconds to restore it without launching it.
How do I save scenes for another gig?
In EDIT, open SETS, enter a name, and choose SAVE AS NEW. The set remembers scene order, timing, clip sections, sound choices, effects and shaders. Paid plans also save learned trigger assignments. To recall it, choose a SAVED SET and LOAD SET. Loading stops scene playback and returns to Edit without launching a scene. Your session tempo stays unchanged. Keep the original media available; use FIX if a clip needs reconnecting. ORIGINALS checks shared media before you load the set. A check does not start playback or request disk permission. In PERFORM, the read-only READY, LOADING, or MISSING label shows whether a clip can launch. A prepared next clip can start at its saved In without replacing the currently displayed scene early.
How do I put a Studio composition over a scene?
In EDIT, open the scene’s SCENE editor and expand ADVANCED · STUDIO COMPOSITION. Select a saved Studio project and click SAVE. The next scene launch places that composition over the scene’s picture and effects, using the current Performer sound. Later Studio edits do not change this saved scene automatically.
To run the effects over the composition instead, open the FX RACK while the scene is playing and tick STUDIO LAYOUT UNDER THE RACK. The composition then becomes part of the picture: the rack's effects and TRACK act on your layout, in the preview, in RECORD and in RENDER. If VISUAL SOURCE is on, its video still sits over the picture, so turn it off when the layout should be the whole picture.
To move the layout's widgets during a set, press EDIT LAYOUT in the FX Rack. Each UI STATS widget and analysis graph shows a dashed box: drag it to move it, or drag a corner to size it, as in Studio. Press DONE EDITING LAYOUT when you are finished. While the sequencer is in EDIT, your changes are saved to the scene; in LIVE they last until the scene is launched again.
Use REFRESH PROJECTS to refresh the saved-project list, or UPDATE SNAPSHOT to deliberately replace the scene’s composition with the current saved version. OFF removes the composition. CANCEL keeps the previous scene settings. Keep the project’s original media available; if a file is missing, repair it in Studio before launching the scene.
Use RECORD for a live performance. For a video chop, trigger the scene and open RENDER: the scene’s IN and OUT become the initial render range, and the finished video includes the attached composition. QUICK PREVIEW produces a watermarked 640 px, 24 FPS MP4 without using an export allowance. Choose the output settings, click RENDER VIDEO, then SAVE VIDEO for the finished MP4 or WebM.