Some good (!) ideas for future Cubase update patches

Today I actually used for the VERY FIRST TIME (!) the punch-in while trying to mangle all the difficult guitar in - part by part. Even only less than a second long parts.

What RIGHT AWAY hit me was, that there seems not to be a way of using Looped-recording so that it… Well if you for example plan to record between time segment 2:30 and 2:40 and you use pre-roll (let’s, say 5 seconds) AND you activate that LOOP-button AND you want the looping so that it would ALWAYS do that pre-roll manuver (start looping from time position 2:25) AND start recording exactly at 2:30 position - and not before.

Now it seems to work so that it executes the pre-roll only initially and NOT during the second loop (or loop no. 1) and so on, but instead it return to that left locator and starts looping and recording from that!! Now may I ask, WHY??? Why doesn’t it utilize the pre-rolling again?? Now I can’t hear what I have recorded before that punch-in point (left locator) and if I move the left locator even more left;… I then STILL can’t hear what I played earlier since it records over them!

This immediately pretty much shocked me to thinking: what the he*l were they thinking in Steinberg? Or if I’m doing something wrong, please enlighten me. This really should be fixed if not intentionally done this way. And if it’s intentional, then I must be plain stupid for not understanding one bit of the logic.


The second thing that should be fixed is that when MIDI-event is double-clicked, it should open at the horizontal position equal to the point where you double-clicked the event on. It sucks searching the correct point. And yes, if you zoom out full by pressing G and then start zooming IN by pressing H, it will jump to the location where the cursor is, but first off, having to play with the zooms and feeling stupid, is in no way meaningful and can’t possible be how you planned it there in Steinberg? Can it? And the cursor position can’t be equally important as the point where you double-clicked the MIDI-event as to how people want to see their MIDI-file.


The third thing that I encountered is that one can “browse” or select the events by left/right arrows but it only starts selecting the events from the beginning of the track, like when you press right arrow and reach the end of the track’s event entries, only then it jumps to the beginning of the events on that track and selects them one by one. BUT what I would find very, very useful is to be able to use left arrow and when the left-most event on the track is selected then pressing the left arrow would also return to the last (right-most) event of that track. You know, and not ONLY vice versa. What reason there could be NOT TO enable this? I don’t wanna get into details but using the keyboard for hours and mis-hitting the space button, the cursor would jump allover the place (accidently hitting B or N etc.) and locating with the arrow buttons by selecting an event would be VERY useful.


The fourth thing is that when doing automation (by selecting multiple automation points) the otherwise just excellent automation tool could show up entry points’ info IF THERE’S ENOUGH ROOM FOR THEM. Now like when editing two volume points with the same volume, it’s frustrating having to move the cursor between to see the volume value in the Inspector. Info line shows one point only and if you have zoomed out enough, there is sufficient space for showing the entry points’ info (vertical value) beside them!


WHoah* The FIFTH thing is that Arranger Track section change terminates recording. I understand this if the sections overlap but when they don’t, it really would be nice to have the recording going on. Like I have an Arrangement on this very same project and I want to keep it active while recording (since I have arranged already the rest of the song except for the guitars) because it’s a tedious job recording those separate parts… separately. Not impossible of course, but I can’t see no reason why not to keep recording enabled by the arrangement section change if there’s no overlapping.



Well this might be enough for now.

Let me just say that I absolutely LOVE Cubase and Steinberg for bringing such a magnificent software to me and all of us. It makes my life a hell of a lot better. I’m sure that Steiny will do everything they can to make the software even better. Hope that these comments of mine have any value…

Anyone thinking alike by those notifications that I listed, btw?

I can only address the first 3 points since I do not use the arranger or automation bar MIDI.

I do a lot of recording of MIDI modules where the parts are already “played”. For that purpose it’s best not to go back to pre-roll but I agree there should be an option unless I’ve missed something too.

While we’re on the subject, it would be nice if there was a way to stop stacking takes other than to deactivate cycle mode, since once you start recording you cannot disengage cycle. By default takes are played back on “recycle” for want of a better description, which again should have a preference in my view.

As for the second point, edit view goes to wherever the project cursor is. A similar kind of annoying situation develops with pull timeline in that the project re-starts from wherever you pull on the timeline, not very helpful when all you want to do is zoom in/out without having to resort to what are arguably cumbersome zoom handles.

Regarding the third point, of course notes should go from left to right and back round, hopefully steinberg can do something about these problems soon.

Regarding cycle recording would be very useful to have independent locators:
“loop locators” and “recording locators”.
I know “a software” that allow this activating “autopunch”. Is very comfortable.

EXACTLY !!!

I’m not sure if this is what you meant but isn’t there an option on the Transport panel to adjust the way that audio loops are recorded. My Cubase is not on right now so don’t remember exactly but there are options like “Keep history” and two more from which you can choose.

I’ve always thought it would be useful to have separate loop point and punch in markers.

The way I get around this is by setting loop points to give me a few bars run in and I use the foot switch on my Alphatrack to punch in and out.

Cheers

With the new lane comping for cycled recordings, there are more possibilities now.

As a work around, if needing to loop round a small dropin point, I just setup another track to dropin on and cut out the punch in audio from the original track. Once new bit is nailed, just trim and drag it to the original track.

Yeah, that’s one work-around, but it’s not nearly as nice as it would be having separate locators for looping and the actual recording :slight_smile: Thanks anyway. I’ll try that.

Umm… What possibilities do you mean?

Nothing that resolve your (and our) needs, but in conjunction of what Split wrote, the new comping system is a new tool for better compromise.

Regarding this,
I’ve tried to do this in Logic, but fail. Recording in cycle mode with “autopunch”, only first cycle is recorded, then it switch to play mode.
I think Steinberg can do better then others in this field.

Agreed.

To start maybe they could allow one to stop cycling part way through a recording, since always I am cycling (listening) and then I launch into record mode but I only want it to record once over, so all I do is hit record and not consider whether the sequencer is cycling or not, since I’ve not normally reached the right locator at that time and often I set pre-roll anyway.

Also, when cycling, once something is recorded must it be played back by default? I like to do many takes, as actually I am practicing as well and would like to see if any thing is worth keeping at some later time not immediately after 1 attempt only.

Times are now gone that hard drives were small and you had little memory.

Instead of patches, I think they should have medals or badges.

Can you explain that a bit more, Split?

Do you have to go to C6 for each “take” to set up that other track?

Or can you somehow have it set up so you stay at the microphone and just perform take after take as Cubase loops, without having to go to Cubase to push any buttons?

Thanks -

Does anyone know - can this “Punch In/Out” be done from a Motif Classic keyboard? The Motif manual tells how to control a few specific parameters like volume/pan, etc., but I don’t know how to “assign” other controls (like Punch In/Out) to the Motif.

I also wouldn’t mind turning the click track on and off from the Motif as well …

Thanks!