# Chapter 3. Usage

# 3.1. Getting Started

If you haven't used KMidi before, you'll see the name of one of the example midi files I included in the black window. Click the play button to play it. Move the mouse pointer around from button to button to get a brief ``tooltip'' description of what each button does when clicked on.

Click on the ``KMidi'' logo at the upper left to make the bottom panel visible. There you'll see a black window, the ``channel meter'', which shows a bar graph of notes being played on the 16 midi channels. To its left is a patchset selector and a song selector. Click on the song selector to see a list of the other example midi files I included with the KMidi distribution. Click on another, if you like, to play it.

Click on the Info button to see information about the midi file you're playing and ``Karaoke'' lyrics (if the midi file has any).

Click the playlist button to look around your filesystem for midi files and compose your own list of files to play. Unless you click off the filter button, only midi files will be shown (regardless of whether they have a `.mid` or `.kar` suffix). Double click a filename on the left part of the screen to add the file to your playlist (shown on the right).

Don't be surprised or chagrined if some midi files produce little or no sound. KMidi as distributed has a pitifully small number of instrument patches. Sorry about that. Please see the section of this document on how to obtain patchsets on the net.