Keyboard shortcuts
The shortcut table here covers the high-frequency stuff; the full catalogue lives in the codebase + may evolve. Use the Command Palette (Ctrl/Cmd+K) when in doubt — it's how you discover everything.
Conventions
- Cmd on macOS = Ctrl on Windows / Linux. Listed as
Cmd/Ctrl+Xbelow. - Option on macOS = Alt on Windows / Linux. Listed as
Opt/Alt+Xbelow. - Shortcuts work from anywhere unless noted as scoped to a panel.
Global
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Cmd/Ctrl+K | Open the Command Palette |
Cmd/Ctrl+L | Open the AI Assistant pane |
Cmd/Ctrl+, | Open Settings |
Cmd/Ctrl+Z | Undo (active document) |
Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Z | Redo (active document) |
Space | Toggle global transport Play / Stop |
Esc | Dismiss any overlay (Palette / Settings / modals) |
Transport
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Space | Play / Stop master transport |
(More transport shortcuts — Loop toggle, Rec toggle — planned.)
Documents
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Cmd/Ctrl+W | Close the active document |
Cmd/Ctrl+Tab | Cycle through open documents |
Cmd/Ctrl+1 to 9 | Switch to the Nth open document |
Sequencer (scoped to the Sequencer panel)
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
1 to 6 | Switch active track (1..6) |
Shift+1 to 6 | Toggle track N visibility |
Cmd/Ctrl+1 to 6 | Toggle track N solo |
P | Switch to Paint tool |
S | Switch to Select tool |
Up / Down | Move selected notes ±1 semitone (Select tool) |
Shift+Up / Down | Move selected notes ±1 octave (Select tool) |
Esc | Clear selection |
Cmd/Ctrl+Z | Sequencer undo |
Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Z | Sequencer redo |
Builder (scoped to the Builder canvas)
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Right-click pane | Open node picker at cursor |
| Right-click node | Node context menu (Duplicate / Bypass / Disconnect all / Delete) |
| Right-click edge | Edge context menu (Delete) |
Delete / Backspace | Delete selected nodes / edges |
Editor (Faust / .dsp / .lib)
Standard editor shortcuts (Cmd/Ctrl+S to save, etc.) — these are inherited from Monaco underneath.
Why this table is short
We deliberately keep registered shortcuts to a focused set — discoverability beats memorization for occasional gestures. The Command Palette gets you anywhere in two keystrokes + a search. Reach for shortcuts for the things you do dozens of times per hour; everything else stays in the palette.
For AI & automation · MCP
shortcuts route through the same registry as everything else — every shortcut binding maps to an action_id. To inspect what an action_id does, palette.describe { action_ids: [<id>] }.
Where to go from here
- FaustWave — AI Assistant § 2 — the Command Palette in depth.
- § 2 (MCP actions) — the underlying action catalog every shortcut routes through.