How to Take Advantage of Qtractor's "Hidden" Tricks

Note: I'll leave it here for a while in case all you want to add more tricks, because these are the ones I know, and maybe I forgot some.
...

There are some small features in Qtractor that aren't well-known or documented.
Let's discover them.

Define the Projects Directory

The Qtractor projects directory (the default location for projects) can be defined in templates.

Before saving the template, go to session properties: File > Properties.

In the "Directory" field, indicate the location you want to save your projects. From now on, every time you open Qtractor with that template, this will be the default directory for your projects.

Accessing Clips Below Other Clips

Qtractor allows a track to have overlapping clips.

In these cases, the clips above it prevent access to the background clips. To access them:

1. Set the "snap" to "beat."
2. Left-click and hold on the top clip.
3. Gently drag without moving the clip and release.

The top clip will move to the background, allowing you access. If there are multiple clips overlapping, repeat the process until you reach the one you want to edit.

Zoom Buttons

Want to zoom in as far as possible on a specific event or clip with a single click?
Want to zoom out as far as possible for an overview with a single click?

In both the sequencer and the MIDI editor:

• [Ctrl] + Left Click on +/- buttons: +/- 100% Zoom
• [Shift] + Left Click on +/- buttons: +/- 50% Zoom

MIDI Controller Shortcuts in the Sequencer

This allows you to trigger any Qtractor command from your MIDI controller.
(Functionality not available in the MIDI editor.)

In the sequencer, go to: Help > Shortcuts.

Select an Entire Row of Events for a MIDI Note

If you click on a piano key and drag up or down, the entire row of events corresponding to the note is selected.
If you continue dragging, all rows of the affected notes are selected.
If you press the [Ctrl] key during the process, you deselect.

Quantize MIDI Recordings

Although it is not a recommended practice, quantizing MIDI recordings can be useful for certain tasks.
The option is located in: View > Options > MIDI { Capture/Export: Quantize

Update the plugin list without restarting Qtractor

In the Plugins window:

• [Ctrl] + Left Click on the Rescan button

Precise Fast Forward and Rewind

In the "Time" toolbar, left-click on the seconds.
Now scroll the mouse wheel. This also works with milliseconds, minutes, and hours.

Sliders (Faders on: tracks, buses, and plugin properties)

• Double-click or middle-click to restore the fader to its default position.
• Clicking and holding a specific point within the father's travel will move the fader uniformly to the click point.

Emojis in Texts

Texts in Qtractor support unicode. This allows you to customize any name with icons: Tracks, Buses, Plugin Aliases, etc.

I find it useful for assigning icons to Bus functions so I can easily recognize them.

Examples of bus icons by function:

• 🎚️ Groups
• ✨ Parallel Effects
• 🎛️ Mixer
• 📤 Bus intended for export
• Etc...

Use MIDI Tracks as Text Tracks

It's not a Qtractor feature, but it's a trick that can be useful.
Add empty clips and edit their names with your annotations, sections, lyrics, etc.

...