Staccato 'dot' - actually affect note length.

Cubase
#1

Hello folks

I’m on Cubase 8 and I write orchestral stuff mainly in the Score Editor.
Is it possible to assign a midi instruction to a staccato dot symbol? So that on playback a note with a staccato dot will playback with reduced duration?
I know I can create an expression map that has this kind of instruction, but then I have to specify that mapping in every expression map I build. Is there no way I can turn on this effect in a more global way?
In the same way, for example, as a dot after a note makes a note half as long again, could a dot above the note shorten a note by half?
Thanks very much.

#2

Expression Map is the only way.

You can always create an expression map with staccato and legato entries and save it to your hard drive. When you create new maps, use that map as a base to build on, rename it and save as a new map.

Not quite global, but will save some time.

#3

Thanks for the reply AposMus.
Yeah, I guess that’s the best way to go.
One minor related thing. The Expression Maps I have set up now - which have the staccato dot thing as an attribute - In the Key Editor say I’m using the Legato mapping in a phrase and which also includes the odd staccato note via the dot (So not a change of patch, just an instruction to reduce a note’s length to 60%).
In the Expression Map lane there’s an extended block for the legato part of the phrase, but as soon as a small staccato attribute block appears, the legato block does not continue on the other side of it. It is still playing back the legato patch but that is no longer visually indicated.
Is it normal that, visually speaking, Attributes don’t just interrupt Directions, they also stop the reappearance of the Direction once the Attributed note has finished?

Thanks

#4

Events on the expression lane in the key editor always interrupt each other and have to be manually continued after something like a staccato attribute.

However there is an easier way to approach this:

The top most entry in an expression map setup is always the default return position after an attribute was used or if no other expression is present in the lane. So if you drag your legato entry to the very top in the map setup, you only have to enter staccatos in the expression lane and Cubase will automatically return to legato after they were triggered. No need to put in legato instructions then. It’s a great time saver.

#5

Thanks again AposMus. Yes, a bit of googling just told me a similar thing.
So after an Attribute, the Direction returned to is the default one (top slot) rather than the previously specified Direction.
Is there any way to switch this?
In most cases it’ll be fine - as you say, have Legato as the default - but sometimes it would be good to be able to switch back to the previously specified Direction rather than the default Direction.

#6

Then you’ll have to enter it manually as it will always revert to the default.