Score Editor: How to Write Two Parts On Single Staff With Sounds from a Single Track

Cubase
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#1

Hi,

I have two trumpet( of course other parts) that I would like to write their parts into the same staff. I have converted the staff mode into polyphony and use note layers to enter notes for trumpet 1 and 2. However, I cannot get the stems trumpet 1 and trumpet 2 up and down, respectively. of course they are using the same track on arrange window and in polyphonic mode does not give me option to have voices from the same channel!

Maybe I should have used instrument tracks for each trumpet and have two instances of the same instrument loaded say my Kontakt, and entering it.

Any ideas?

Thank you,
CS

#2

The direction of stems in any voice is configurable in the Score Settings>Polyphonic tab>Stems>“up/down” column.

Just load the same trumpet in your sampler in MIDI channel 1 and 2.

#3

Ok. What should set the channel of the track to any? or use channel filtering with transfomer?

I wish it was like Finale no need for duplicate instances of instrument in VSTi.

#4

If you want the 2 trumpets to use different Instruments within a multi timberal VSTi:
Set the Channel setting for the Track to “Any” and then have the channel set to 1 or 2 on the MIDI Notes themselves.

If you want both trumpets to use a single VSTi Instrument:
Set the Channel setting for the Track to 1 and then have the channel set to 1 or 2 on the MIDI Notes themselves. This will cause the notes to be on different channels within all the MIDI Editors including Score. But during playback all notes will get converted to channel 1.

The MIDI Channel on the Note determines how it is displayed in the Score Editor.

The MIDI Channel setting for a Track determines which VSTi(s) play the MIDI data.

#5

The first method is what I was thinking to do. However, how to you do the second approach? How can we set a MIDI Channel on the Note?
I just want to do this within score editor and not switching between key editor and score editor.

Thank you,

CS

#6

Well it is basically the same in either editor. But I find it is generally easier in the Key Ed simply because it is physically easier to select multiple MIDI Notes there than in the Score Ed. Plus The Key Ed can color code the Notes based on channel number which is useful. In the Score Editor it will be easier to select notes if you are NOT using Page Mode. I’ll often have a Part open in both the Score and Key Editors at the same time so I can use whichever is easier for any specific task - but I use 4 monitors so it’s easy to tuck an extra open editor somewhere.

In any case select the Notes you want to change and then in any editor’s Info Line change the value in the Channel field.

You can also use the Logical Editor to do stuff like set the lowest note in a chord to channel 4.

Also, even for the first method (2 instruments) you’ll need to set the notes to specific channel numbers.

#7

Indeed raino pointed you to the right direction, setting the channel of the track to 1 is easier.

I’d like just to add that, In any case, you don’t need to set the channel on the notes in the Score Editor or other, as a note entered in a polyphonic staff is set to the corresponding channel of the voice to which it belongs.

#8

I know he did. I was pretty sure about what you said. But I wish cubase like Finale would let the users to add channels ( if they needed it). For instance piano VSTi are polyphonic and one does now need to have two channels for that say writing fugue or something. Does it?

Like I said in cubase, on any staff at any point in the measure, you select layer from a dropdown menu and enter your notes. You are done. If you wish and if there is a reason ( say layers/voices use different articulations not available in the VSTi) one would go ahead and add another instrument in the VSTi. Of course one can use the The Explode function later for advance automation and mixing, etc.

Another very important benefit of latter approach ( Finale) It does not use additional memory and CPU resources you stick with one instrument per staff and later with explode one can polish the music. Just a thought!

Would like to know your opinions on this.

CS

#9

I didn’t imagine all possible cases based on your idea…
But at first sight my opinion is that you could use Expression Maps for that.
You can for example set the channel of the newly added instrument into an articulation (Direction) along with its other parameters.

#10

This is step by step approach for me:

  1. I create two instances of Trumpet with all key switches for Trumpet 1 and Trumpet 2 in Halion Sonic SE instance.
  2. Created an empty MIDI event 8 bars. Opened it in Score editor
  3. Set up the Voices in Staff settings dialog for the staff. I chose Preset from Brass> Trumpet. Since my channels are 1 and 2 no need to do further changes.
  4. Select Layer/voice 1 and entered some notes.
  5. Deselect voice 1 and select layer 2 and enter notes as usual.
  1. Now still voices are like chords, to split go to Explode function Where i have key command for doing that.

Couldn’t we have cubase to split it to two voices without doing explode each time.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjiwqDA5_PgAhXRl-AKHdXjC0MQFjAAegQIAhAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvaly.1ka.eu%2FDIY%2Fsoundsystem%2F_upload_by_VeeHell%2Fknow2how%2FCubase%20VST%203.65%2FEng%2FScore.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3gAe1WR4UwI9_ef0GGDWLa

I think this was automatic in Cubase SX. It seems the option: Using Auto Move To Voice for Score Editor form Cubase SX has been removed. Also noticed the whole score function in old Staff menu is removed and one can find the “Moving notes between voices” in the context menu!

#11

I suspected there was something wrong from your first post but I thought it was because you named incorrectly Score Editor features.

Now your step by step procedure seems to confirm my suspicion:
it appears that in step 4 and 5 you select Layer 1 and 2 to enter notes in different voices.

The problem is that Layers and Voices are totally different things.
Layers (“Lock Layers”) are only used for separating score elements to facilitate their selection/edition, with no relation to Voices.

To put notes in different voices you need to use Voice Insert buttons on the left side of the extended toolbar.

Read the manual here
Score_Editor_Voices.PNG

#12

Thank you ver much, TheMaestro. What a silly mistake. I guess coming from Finale voices are called also layers I overlooked the manual.