Copying midi controller data

Cubase
1

Here’s a newbie question (I think), which I haven’t been able to find the answer to yet:

How do I copy velocity controller data from one midi track to another? For instance, if I have a violin and a cello playing in unison and I’ve edited all my controllers to perfection on the violin track, how do I move that controller data to the cello track?

Thanks,
Kerouac.

2

Range Tool- Drag and Drop.

3

Hmm, the range selection tool is not available in the midi editor, only in the main view. Is this because I have Cubase Essential 5? I don’t wish to copy the notes, only controller data such as velocity and expression.

Another way to do it would be to be able to edit midi controller data for multiple tracks simultaneously, but someone replied on another board that this wasn’t possible… I know nothing. :confused:

4

Open the Automation Lanes below the MIDI track in the Project Window and do it from there.

5

Thank you very much. I’ll try to figure out how it works.

6

(side-note for Nate :wink:… if my memory serves me correctly, you always presume that the person with a question about controllers is using Automation Lanes. But there are at least just as many people who record MIDI controllers directly into the MIDI Part, which end up in Controller Lanes inside the Key Editor… not the same thing at all :wink:. I hope you don’t mind my pointing that out :wink: )

Anyways (back on topic)…
You said “velocity”. What exactly are you trying to copy? Velocity isn’t a controller… it is part of the note-on data (but there is a way to impose it on to other existing notes… more on that later)…

If you mean “Volume”, then yes, you can copy the selected data on the controller lane, and paste it into the corresponding lane in the destination part.

Now, if it is indeed “velocity” that you mean, then the way to paste it on to other notes might seem a little surprising… it is done via “Groove Quantize”…
You can either a)

  1. From the Project window, select the part whose velocity you wish to copy.
  2. From the MIDI menu, select Advanced Quantize>“Part to Groove”.
  3. Select the destination Part.
  4. You should already be able to see, in the Quantize box at the top of the window an abbreviated name, representing the source Part. Click on it, but select “Setup” at the bottom of the pop-up menu.
  5. In the dialog that appears, adjust the three horizontal sliders, such that "Position’ and “Length” are set to the left, and “Velocity” is set to the right.
  6. Apply Quantize.

or, b)
same basic method, but from within the MIDI Key Editor…

  1. Select both the source and destination Parts before opening the Key Editor
  2. Inside the Key Editor, make sure it is the source Part that is the currently-active Part (if necessary, there’s a selection box in the extended toolbar).
  3. From the MIDI menu, select Advanced Quantize>“Part to Groove”.
  4. Make the other MIDI Part the active one in the Editor.
  5. Do as per steps #4, #5 and #6,. above.
7

I never mind a correction, only way to learn is to keep the ears open and the mouth shut. :wink: Don’t be shy correcting me in the future. As stated before, always interested to hear what you say on any given subject, vic. :sunglasses:

1 Like
8

Thank you very much for your help Vic and Nate.

Apparently the “Part to Groove” command is not available in Cubase Essential 5, not in the Project Window nor the Midi Key Editor. Perhaps there is no workaround… I now see that other essential users have encountered the same problem, so it might be time for me to upgrade. I intend to do some extensive midi editing, especially with orchestral samples. Do you think Cubase Artist 6 will be enough?

Oh, and I did figure out how to copy the continuous controllers, just not the velocity and other note data. :slight_smile:

9

Well, I have only the Cubase 6 Operation Manual to go from, but, normally, if a function is not available in Cubase Artist, then the doc usually has “(Cubase Only)” written next to it. I don’t see that written next to the Groove Quantize documentation… but maybe someone who actually has Cubase Artist 6 could let us know if Groove Quantize is indeed present in it?

10

Thanks for the excellent responses. I have a question on the same topic. I want to copy velocity levels from one section to the next section in the same part. For example, I have an exact repeat of a section, but I wanted different phrasing between the parts to spice things up a bit. However I want the same velocity levels. I attempted to use the above, but it seems to only work between two different parts, not within a single part (or event).

I guess the work around would be to plan ahead and do the velocity levels before the phrasing during the editing process. This is not a critical issue, rather I am trying to learn some of the deeper features of midi editing in cubase.

11

It’s actually simpler than that :wink:… The length of the Groove Quantize is the length of the Part that you extracted it from (let’s say it was a two-bar Part). If you apply that to a destination Part that is eight bars long, it will impose the groove four times.
So, in the case you mention, just split the source Part in into two separate Parts. Make the Groove from the first one, apply it to the second one, then you can glue the two back together again. :slight_smile:

12

Woah, awesome. Thanks for that!