How to create custom instrument configurations in Flat

A custom instrument in Flat is an instrument configuration you create and save directly to your Flat account. Once created, these instruments can be used when starting a new score or when changing instruments in existing scores, so you never have to set the same staves, transposition, tuning, or percussion mapping twice.

How do I create a custom instrument?

You can manage your custom instruments from the Score Library when creating a new score. Here's how to get started:

Your custom instruments will now be available whenever you're creating or editing a score!

Below, you can learn how to create the configurations for:

• Pitched instruments
• Unpitched instruments

What can I configure on a pitched instrument?

Custom pitched instruments allow you to create a complete configuration of your instruments: a base instrument to start from, the staves and clefs, the transposition mode, the tablature and its tuning, the playback sound, and the default part name and abbreviation. Each one is a step in the editor.

1. Base instrument

You can choose first a base instrument to build your custom instrument. Choose a base instrument to quickly re-use all the settings from an instrument and only change the settings you want. For example, if you only want to have a custom name, always use a specific tuning on your TAB, or create an instrument with a different transposition mode.

2. Staves and Clefs

Choose the staves and clefs of your instrument.

3. Transposition mode

Choose then the transposition mode: the note and octave. If your instrument is non-transposing (plays in concert pitch), choose C and 0.

4. Tablature configuration

You can then completely configure the tablature of the instrument. Choose first how many strings your plucked string instrument has (at this time we allow from 4 to 14 strings), its complete tuning and capo.

5. Sound

Choose finally the sound of the instrument for our playback.

6. Part name and abbreviation

Set the default part name and abbreviation that will be printed on your scores.

What can I configure on an unpitched instrument?

Custom unpitched instruments (in beta) include the staves settings, different percussion elements, their mapping and keyboard shortcuts to use them. You start from a base instrument, choose how many lines the staff has, then place each percussion instrument on its own line with its own notehead.

1. Base instrument

You can choose first a base instrument to build your custom instrument. Choose a base instrument to quickly re-use all the settings from an instrument and only change the settings you want. For example, if you want to make small changes to our preset drumset, you can start your custom drumset from our configuration.

2. Number of lines for your staves

Choose if your unpitched part will have staves with 1 or 5 lines.

3. Percussions instruments for your kit

You can then choose all the percussions instruments you want to include in the part:

• Pick up a percussion instrument in the list
• Set the staff line from 0.5 to 5.5 for 5 lines (0 is at the bottom, 5 at the top), or 0.5 to 1.5 for single-line staves.
• Choose the note head you want to assign to the instrument.
• Optionally, you can set a custom keyboard shortcut for the instrument. For example, if you choose "X" for a closed hi-hat, when you will press "X" while editing the notation of the part, it will insert a note for the closed hi-hat with the chosen line and note head.

Here are the different heads you can use for your kit:

Preview	Name
	Normal
	X
	Circle X
	Diamond
	Slash
	Triangle
	Back Slashed
	Slashed
	Square
	Cross
	Inverted Triangle
	Arrow up
	Arrow down
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