Cubase/Nuendo 14.2 Score Editor - Step input problem

Hi there, holding off doing the exciting stuff like importing a Dorico project - trying to suss out the simpler stuff first. I tried a little step input test today . Chords of minum and crotchet rhythmic values seem ok - soon as I go to semi and demi semi rhythmic values the chords seem to bunch up in notation and the input caret seems to get stuck. I set the quantize level to 128.
Btw is there a keyboard shortcut to move the note input caret around - like rhe one for the green playback head using Alt-shift-click (Win 11)?

The same simple test in Dorico 5 does not give a problem - but of course no quantisarion involved.

i realise there are quite a few different quantisation settings in the Cubase 14 score editor - just wondering whether there are any other global q settings external to the score editor.

Many thanks if anyone can help.

Hi,

How does it look like in the Key Editor, please? Isn’t it result of the Display Quantize setting?

Arrow Right

Alt-shift click should work now.

So is the processing sequence slightly different to Dorico then? i.e as it says the score editor manual Cubase 14 score is basically a midi editor using quantisation techniques to provide a visual representation of score. Dorico ā€˜seems’ different, at least for direct input via mouse, keyboard or step input, i.e. starting with notation symbol set and translating this into midi, musicxml or whatever else. (I’m assuming recording in Dorico sequencer style, by pressing record + play on the transport bar, is midi recording with translation back to music notation.)

So is the Cubase 14 score editor always using quantisation, albeit setting it to the lowest possible rhythmic values e.g 128 or 256? -even when using step input? Doubtless looking hard at key editor data will help me understand it more :grin:

Studying the well written cubase score manual at present :grin: My questions make me sound a bit dumb Cubasewise but while I have used Cubase for years - I have never much liked using quantisation esp when it was a cruder feature in earlier versions of Cubase.

Shows what a huge development task this has all been for the Cubase 14 score team.

Thanks again

Hi,

Display Quantize is always applied (and always was) in the Score Editor. However it doesn’t affect the source MIDI data. It just simplifies the score sheet reading.

@PaulWalmsley
Thanks very much Martin. I guess I’d be interested as well in Paul’s comment - if he has time - about the differences between the cubase score editor and Dorico in the way they process input.
Thanks

Hi,

Sorry, I’m not a Dorico expert at all. But the ā€œCubase score editorā€ doesn’t process input. The input is processed and stored by Cubase itself. This behaviour hasn’t changed. Then, every editor (Key, List, Drum, Score) displays the MIDI data in the given way. Other editors show the exact position and length. The Score Editor tries to simplify the view to make it readable for musicians.

Dorico and Cubase have completely different ways of representing MIDI data.

In Dorico, all notes are entered at defined Rhythmic Positions which are a multiple of a power of 2 (1/4 note, 1/16 note, etc), or powers of 3 in a triplet, etc. So if you enter notes in Step Time Input then you have defined the exact quantized position of the note. If you record notes via MIDI then Dorico does quantization to work out the notated position of each note and the tuplet structure, but then is able to store the small position variations from the recording so that the performance can be replayed.

Cubase is the other way around. All notes in Cubase are stored, unquantized, in the positions they were recorded. It’s effectively just a stream of unprocessed MIDI data. When you open the score editor then it uses the same algorithms as Dorico to work out the quantized positions to use that would result in the cleanest notation (so it find the best voicing, removes small overlaps, fills in small rests that add noise to the notation). Cubase doesn’t store these positions though – they are worked out dynamically when the score editor is open.

There is a difference between Quantization and Display Quantization. Quantization moves the position (and optionally ends) of the notes so that they play back aligned with a metrical grid. You use this if you want to tighten up the timing of a performance.

Display Quantization doesn’t affect the playback of MIDI events: it only changes how they are shown in the score editor.

For your example, I suggest that you go to the Score menu and choose Instrument Settings > Display Quantize and set it to Auto, Regular: 1/32, Tuplets: 1/16

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Many thanks I’ll try that. I’ve tried a few different quantisation settings so far. All seems to work down to the semiquaver level. Below at the demisemi and hemidemisemi level the notes bunch up vertically when I play a scale for example. I’m also not sure if i should use step mode with draw tool selected or object select tool - if with object select i only get crotchets anyway with the input.

Update Great that seemed to work anyway got the demis and the hemidemis to work :+1: it’s quite a different way of thinking to Dorico. - I never did that much with the old score editor on cubase - although I appreciate how much work went into that tool as well

I’m assuming the acoustic feedback only works with object select tool enabled. Need to check Dorico but I thought you could audition notes there as you inputting them. This kind of happens with step input on cubase - but with the simple note input mode with draw tool the acoustic input won’t work properly for me as it just transmits everything as you move the mouse around.

Many many thanks.

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I would suggest having the key editor opened and zoomed in to ensure that the expected note durations are being created.

Yup updated my post -got it working ok now
Big thanks