Key signature & Accidentals in midi editor

Cubase
,
1

Hey,

I would like to be able to set the key signature and/or switch the accidentals from Sharp(#) to Flat(b) and vice versa in the midi editor.
I am working on a project in F minor and accidentals in the midi editor shows only Sharps… This is really annoying when working with midi.
I know, as the external moderator Steve told me, that you can trick Cubase using chord track and inserting a minor chord in a midi track to show Flats and if you have “Enharmonics from chord track” turned on in preferences but let’s be honest, it just sucks…

Am I wrong to say that other DAW’s can do that easily??

Hope my prayers will be heard,
Regards

2

Agree 100%

3

+1

4

+1

5

Just want to pop in here to say a single chord entered on the chord track gives the result you are after.

Also, if you use the the score editor the notes are displayed with accurately spelled accidentals based on the key entered there.

6

Yes, the score editor, not the midi editor.

Workflow. If we can trick Cubase creating a Chord track and dragging it a minor chord, why could we just choose accidentals to show in the midi editor…

7

You insist that it’s a trick, and you’re entitled to your opinion.

However, it is the designed functionality, which also includes coloring notes by scale and chord pitches. Also this method gives a high level of granular control. by providing different enharmonic spelling depending on chords.

I’m curious to know what would happen if you used this function for a few projects.

8

You tell me. Did you research that?

9

Ok let’s say I use this but what about already created tracks?? I will not start all over again to create new midi container with the right key dragged from the chord track??

Could we not just choose the key in the midi editor?

10

I don’t have Logic but I have seen in and with Reaper which I use you have the “Key snap” in the midi editor which allow you to choose the scale and chord meaning that you can switch from Sharp to Flat. I thought that Cubase would have done the same with Scale correction but it does not?

11

The problem is just that you don’t understand how it works, and seemingly don’t want to try.

Once you activate Enharmonics from Chord Track, You literally have to do one thing. Put a chord on the chord track. That’s all. Nothing else, zilch, zero, nada, niente, nichts, hech, niets. :wink: :laughing:

12

Yes steve I understand and I did it as you explained, it’s just the way to do this… If I do that way I can’t use the chord track for another purpose and if I remove the chord track all flats returns to sharps.

13

You’re perfectly free to campaign for your request, but how exactly would it help you?

You present a problem that already has a solution, and you’re saying that it’s no good for you because you want to use the chord track for another purpose.

What activity done on the chord track would conflict with the correct spelling of the notes?

What would necessitate removing the chord track?

14

+1, definitely missing in cubase.
We have (tempo) Signature tracks, which is great, Tempo track which is great, and we just need a Key Signature track to make it perfect (and which would change the midi editor representation),
or alternately, perhaps more on the workaround side, a way to make the notes of a midi editor match a custom key signature configuration (like right click on a cogwheel next to the midi keyboard in the midi editor, and choose which scale we want to work in).

The need for this is quite obvious for classically trained musicians (ie Bb IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE SAME as A#), or should i say those who know classical harmony theory.

I’ve tested the chord track, but it doesn’t seem to affect how the notes are represented in the midi editor.

I’m currently transposing a vocal quatuor score to 4 tracks, and i love the combination of the key editor with the step input, that really works great for those kind of transcribing work.

The only thing that bugs me (and makes me loose some time) is to see the notes in the editor represented wrongly (ie not the right scale).
I’m loosing half a second every time i need to focus on a particular note.
Not the end of the world, but definitely something Cubase could improve upon in my opinion.

I assume people know about musical harmony theory, but for those who don’t, it’s equivalently annoying as if an english speaker was writing the word “Shin” instead of “and”, and “Poun” instead of “all”.

Then he would write:
“I’ve played Poun summer Shin it was great”.

And obviously when you read it it’s easy to translate back to
“I’ve played all summer and it was great”.

However you just loose a little time everytime you stumble upon those special words.

Same for A# that has usually nothing to do in the F minor scale, and so you need to internally convert A# to Bb in your head (that is if you’re using classical harmony theory, which probably lots of composer do) in order to make sense of what you are reading, thus loosing a little time, which ultimately compounds to some bigger time…

So hopefully this gets fixed by Cubase team.

15

I’m loosing half a second every time i need to focus on a particular note.
Not the end of the world, but definitely something Cubase could improve upon in my opinion.

Exactly! Not a huge detriment in individual cases, but it total, the disconnect takes a toll. What a simple fix, in anycase. A simple “denote as flats/denote as sharps” toggle would be all that’s required. This is truly not much to ask for.