Cubase uses an inappropriate algorithm for chord inversions

Cubase
#1

Experimenting with inversions in the chord editing tab in the inspector, I have a midi track for background vocals assigned to four different midi channels to trigger four different female voices in Kontakt. If I want another chord inversion and press the down arrow to get this, the uppermost voice will turn into the lowest voice. Hence the soprano now sings the lowest note of the four women.

Actually, even if it is just a plain piano chord you have recorded to a single instrument, the same thing will happen. So if for instance you have accentuated the lowest note with with more velocity, it will now be the second lowest that is accentuated.

It may be simpler for a programmer to just move the uppermost note down to be the lowest when doing downward inversions. From a musical point of view, however, it only makes sense to move all chord notes one step down. It may require a couple of extra lines of code to do this, but please fix it, Steinberg.

#2

Since no actual algorithm is involved in the inversion function, the commands simply take the highest note and transpose it down, or vice-versa.

(If there are voices currently assigned to the notes, at some point in the process you assigned them, possibly via Chord Track functions.)

Cubase provides the keystroke command: Chords>Assign Voices to Notes, which sets, from top to bottom, the SATB voices. (The keystroke is not set by default.) The command is also available from the Project>Chord Track menu, and via the right-click context menu in the midi editors under Chord Track.

As far as keeping the articulation, accent or other note-attached parameters goes, Cubase provides the means to make that happen via the Logical Editor. Check it out, particularly the Context Variable filters. Keystrokes can be assigned to L.E. presets.

While the functions you’re requesting are core to your workflow, they would not be so for many others, so when considering these options keep in mind that this is how Cubase and Nuendo manage, (brilliantly, imo) to provide customized advanced functions to an extremely diverse user base.