I’ve been exploring the Chord track and the creation of chord events.
I like to leave “Acoustic Feedback” enabled for 2 main reasons:
- …so I can hear the chords as I use the cursor keys to go thru the progression
- …so I can hear what the chords sound like when I use the mouse to choose new variations in the chord editor box.
However, I like to use MIDI Input, which allows me to play the chords “live” on the keyboard and see what chords those are (since the chord editor will translate what I play into a visual). Great learning tool too, since the Key Editor does not display the chords we play live, only the ones recorded and played back.
PROBLEM IS: I’m hearing DOUBLE chords. One chord “as played” when the keys are pressed down, and one chord “as interpreted” by the chord track upon release of the keys. Here’s what’s happening…
When I press down the keys to create the chord, the white rectangles position themselves accordingly in the Chord Editor and I hear real-time what I just played. But the resulting chord does not yet get printed as a chord event on the track. I think this is because (by design) Cubase allows us to add other notes to the chord and change it around until we release the keys and “commit” to the chord we have decided upon.
So then when I do finally release the keys, 2 things happen: I see the chord I played update the chord event on the chord track (giving me the information I’m after -which is what chord is this?-, but THEN, something undesirable happens: I hear it played again but as interpreted by the current chord track settings.
So everytime I MIDI input a chord, I have to hear it TWICE. Once played as is while I press the keys, and once played as interpreted by the chord track when I release.
Is there any way to prevent this undesirable behavior? A preference that can be set somewhere? (hint hint Steinberg)
The only work around I see is to turn off Acoustic Feedback but I don’t see that as much of a workaround as it is a feature I like to keep activated for the ablity to quickly review what the progression sounds like so far.