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Playback and Player

The Player is where Praxis shifts from organizing to practicing. It is built for fast transport, predictable queue behavior, readable charts, and low-friction control.

What The Player Does Well

  • fast repetition
  • section drilling
  • readable lyrics and tabs
  • queue-aware playback
  • hands-free control through MIDI or Praxis Remote

How Playback Starts

Playback uses the current Library view as its queue source.

  • Pick a source in the Library.
  • Double-click a song to open the Player.
  • Praxis loads the queue from that view and starts on the selected song.

If you filter the Library first, that filtered result becomes the queue.

Transport Controls

In the Player, the main on-screen controls are:

  • play and pause
  • previous and next song
  • skip backward and forward
  • repeat
  • playback speed
  • gain
  • master volume
  • lyrics edit toggle
  • font size controls

The Player also has a queue collapse button and a Helix Simple Pitch control when that feature is enabled.

Waveform And Scrubbing

The waveform is the fastest way to jump around visually:

  • click to jump to a position
  • click and drag to scrub
  • use the playhead as a timing reference when practicing hard sections

When the current tab is a PDF Score, waveform jumps also update the PDF scroll position so the document stays aligned with the song.

On track changes, playback resets to the start so the waveform and lyrics stay in sync.

Markers

Praxis supports start and end markers for focused practice ranges.

  • Set a start marker and end marker around the section you want to repeat.
  • Use repeat to loop that range.
  • Use it for intros, transitions, solos, harmony entries, or tricky timing spots.

Marker actions are available both in the UI and through keyboard shortcuts:

  • \ Toggle markers
  • [ Set start marker
  • ] Set end marker
  • Command+[ Reset start marker
  • Command+] Reset end marker

Queue Panel

The queue panel shows the active run list.

  • Click a row to select it.
  • Double-click a row to play that song.
  • Use the chevron button to collapse or expand the queue area when you want more room for the current song view.

Practice Controls

The Player keeps the most useful rehearsal tools close at hand:

  • Speed: adjust playback rate from 0.5x to 1.5x.
  • Gain: adjust the current track gain from -12 dB to +12 dB.
  • Volume: adjust master volume or double-click it to toggle between min and max.
  • Font size: make lyrics/tab text smaller or larger.

For difficult passages, combine repeat with slower speed. That is usually the quickest way to lock in timing and transitions.

Output Device Behavior

You can choose playback output devices from the Player. When you switch devices:

  • playback stops and resets to the start
  • Praxis recalls per-device volume
  • your chosen output and its volume can persist between sessions

Keyboard Shortcuts

These are the player shortcuts worth knowing first:

  • Space Play or pause
  • Left Arrow Skip back
  • Right Arrow Skip forward
  • Up Arrow Previous song
  • Down Arrow Next song
  • L Return to the Library
  • Command+Shift+H Toggle Helix Simple Pitch

The marker shortcuts above also work while the Player is active, unless you are typing in a field.

Menus And Controls

  • Use the Song menu for markers and Helix Simple Pitch.
  • Use the Output menu to switch playback destination.
  • Use Settings > Playback to change autoplay, queue, and skip defaults.

Playback Settings

Open Settings > Playback for the defaults that shape your session:

  • Autoplay on Queue Load
  • Autoplay Next Song
  • Continuous Play
  • Auto Hide Queue
  • Delay Between Songs
  • Skip Back
  • Skip Forward

BPM And Timing

BPM can be entered directly in edit-capable contexts or tapped during playback. Saved BPM stays with the song and helps keep rehearsal prep consistent.

Remote And MIDI

Praxis Remote and MIDI can both control Player actions. That means transport, queue movement, speed, gain, and repeat can be handled without touching the desktop.

Recommended Practice Flow

  1. Build or select your queue in the Library.
  2. Open the Player on the song you want to start with.
  3. Set output, volume, speed, and gain for the room.
  4. Use waveform scrubbing and markers for section work.
  5. Use repeat and queue navigation for full-run validation.

Troubleshooting

  • If songs are missing, check the Library view and any active filter.
  • If output sounds wrong, confirm the selected output device and its stored volume.
  • If keys do not respond, confirm focus is not in a text field or editor.
  • If external control is expected, confirm MIDI or Praxis Remote is configured in Settings.

See Also