Sorry, i used the special little arrow keys to specify
the RIGHT -key,but they and characters within them won`t display in the text
after upload, so here it is again:
Hi, this is a bit longwinding but i couldn`t describe it shorter.
TL,DR: Make the step input cursor advance on note ONs instead of OFFs,
let Cubase recognize chords automatically on the current step (wait x ms) ,
no extra confirmation with RIGHT, and, by the way, make a “Set step cursor to part start”
key command.
Only drawback was that you couldnt`t make notes shorter any more with
LEFT, but thats a matter of post-edit.
And yes: I got over it already, but it still would be nice, for me
and the ones who didn`t.
Long Version:
Being a guitar player originally, i started producing with a Commodore C-64
in stone age. It gave home to a Steinberg Cart32 Cartridge , featuring Midi Jacks
and running the Steinberg Pro-16 Software, a for this time state-of-the-art early DAW.
There`s a small hint in my username that i liked it very much.
It had a step input function that i never found again in any other DAW, which
i sadly encountered later on (Man, that C-64…get an Atari etc).
I can play the keys okish these days, and could use a guitar to midi system or
launchpad for inputting notes , which i do accordingly.
But i still miss this special step input method, and i discovered, that some element
of it has returned in C13: the ability to hold notes of a chord while letting others go,
i.e. you hit a C and E note, hit 4 times let go the C (4 grid units long now),
the E still sounding etc. With this, you can step input eg. realistic piano
arpeggios with a mixture of short and long notes or like typical guitar pickings.
But what annoys me is the way chords, have to be" confirmed".with the RIGHT key.
This allways breaks the stride for me.
In Cart32 you hit a note or a chord and the cursor went on one Grid Unit (lets say 1 quarter ).
So C E G on 1st, cursor automatically advances 1 unit, hold the C, let go E and G, hit RIGHT ,
hit an A while still holding the C, cursor advances automatically, hold C, let go A, hit RIGHT,
let go C, hit RIGHT 4 times.
Result: 2 Bars of
C (C) (C) (C) - - - -
E - - - - - - -
G - - - - - - -
-
-
A - - - - -
-
The old style cursor advanced on note ON events,detecting chords automatically,
the current cursor advances on note OFF events and you have to confirm chords
with RIGHT.
With the old method inputing notes, monophonic or polyphonic, was as easy
as tapping beats with 2 hands (and very often you could use both hands on the keys
without needing one to hit the cursor key with every chord). Here is what i mean:
chord note note rest rest note note rest
gives you 8 events-8 taps bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam, as you would
drum it on a deskplate.
Current method :
Chord RIGHT note note rest rest note note rest
gives you 8 events-9(!) taps: bam WAIT A MINUTE bam bam bam WHERE AM I …start again…and again…rinse and repeat. Breaks the flow big time.
The funny thing was when you input an event in CART32, you could
hear all the notes on all other tracks advancing too, quite cacophonic
at first, but if you for instance muted everything save the drums you
actually had a cue of where in the song you were playing your eg. Bassnotes.
So i think actually the step input messed around with the midi clock, which
forced the whole sequencer to advance the number of ticks to achieve the grid unit.
So i tried once to programm a midi module that would show as midi input
in cubase and would treat my note input like above and then advance Cubase
n-clock ticks to the next event position but alas: Cubase won`t slave to Midi Clock.
AND: My programming skills arent (ahem) that great.
TL,DR again: Make the step input cursor advance on note ONs instead of OFFs,
let Cubase recognize chords automatically on the current step (wait x ms ) ,
no extra confirmation with RIGHT, and by the way make a “Set step cursor to part start”
key command.
Thanks for reading