Keys Mode
Play software instruments alongside your guitar rig. Keys Mode adds a second, parallel chain, a MIDI instrument plus its own effects, that runs at the same time as your guitar signal and shares the same output.
Guitar and Keys Chains
Standalone runs two independent chains:
Guitar - your audio input → guitar effects → output
Keys - your MIDI controller → software instrument → keys effects → output
Both play through the same MASTER output at once. You don't have to switch back and forth to use them together - switching modes just changes which chain you're editing.
Enabling/Disabling Keys Mode
Open Settings (⌘,)
Go to the Audio tab
Enable or Disable Keys Mode
Keys Mode is enabled by default
Switching Between Guitar and Keys
Click the Guitar / Keys mode toggle switch to choose which chain you're editing
The interface picks up a color tint in Keys Mode so you always know which chain is in front
Your plugin windows stay open across the switch
Each Mode can be muted by clicking on the icon next to the toggle. If the icon is red, it is muted.
You can also Mute/Unmute each mode with a key command
GUITAR MODE MUTE/UNMUTE: Shift + M
KEYS MODE MUTE/UNMUTE: ⌘ + M
Loading an Instrument
The first slot in the Keys chain holds your software instrument; the slots after it are effects.
Switch to Keys mode
Click the first slot and choose a software instrument
Add effects in the following slots just like the guitar chain (see Working with Plugins)
Playing with a MIDI Controller
Connect your MIDI controller (see MIDI for setup)
Switch to Keys mode and play - notes are routed to the loaded instrument
Set a specific Channel if you want Keys to respond only to certain messages
Note: Standalone keeps three independent MIDI lanes - Controls (app functions like mute, tuner, looper), Guitar Mode (guitar plugin MIDI + guitar preset Program Change), and Keys Mode (notes to the instrument + keys Program Change). This lets a guitar footswitch and a keyboard coexist without stepping on each other.
Keys Presets
Presets are organized per mode, so your Keys sounds stay separate from your guitar rigs.
Guitar and Keys presets each have their own section in the preset menu and the menu-bar list
Each section has its own ★ starred default
Selecting a preset switches to its chain automatically, so the window shows what loaded
Changes are saved automatically per mode (if auto-save is enabled in Settings)
Program Change
In Settings > MIDI, Keys Program Change Loads Standalone Presets controls what a Program Change does in Keys Mode
On: Program Change loads your saved Keys presets
Off: the raw Program Change is forwarded straight to the loaded instrument, so it changes the instrument's own patches
Muting
Mute Guitar
M or speaker icon
Mute Keys
Shift + M
Master Mute
Mutes both chains
Held notes are flushed when you mute Keys, so nothing rings back when you unmute.
For MIDI control, map Keys Mute and Mute All in the MIDI mapping panel. The existing Mute control stays guitar-only. See MIDI (Beta).
Volume
The MASTER control sets the final output volume for both chains together. There are no separate per-chain volume faders — balance the instrument's own output level against your guitar tone.
Separate Outputs (Optional)
If you want the guitar and keys chains on different physical outputs:
Open Settings and find the output routing options
Assign the Guitar, Keys, and Practice Track sources to the outputs you want
This is off by default and your choice is remembered. See Settings.
Looper & Practice Integration
The Loop Recorder captures whichever chain is active, so you can record Keys parts as well as guitar
You can link a Keys preset to a Practice Track, the same way guitar presets link - load the track and the linked sound loads with it (see Practice)
Tips
Keys Mode is on by default - if you don't use it, turn it off in Settings to keep the interface focused on guitar
Set a specific MIDI Channel for Keys if your controller also drives other gear
The tuner and app controls stay available in both Guitar and Keys views
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