Step Recording - note extension by right arrow

When doing Step Recording you currently need to set the note length before you do your note input. So you will need to pause the input to change the note length back and forth, again and again… frustrating.

A much more fluid approach would be to simply press the right arrow to extend all notes for the pressed keys a step further. Right now the right arrow moves a pause step. The only difference would be that if any keys are pressed then those notes are extended a step (if no keys are pressed the right arrow moves a pause as now).
The left arrow would shorten the notes back for pressed keys, or just move the input cursor to the left if no keys are pressed.

As described here (and how it works in Ableton Live):

In Live you input MIDI and any MIDI notes that have not yet received a note-off message will be input when you press the left/right arrow keys. > THIS IS BRILLIANT. > It’s simply astonishing how easy it is to input MIDI like this. Press piano keys, move arrow keys. … Notes can be extended by playing with the cursor inside the note and moving it to the right.

The distance that the arrow key moves the note is determined by the current grid size. Since Live has an auto grid that adjusts based on your zoom (controllable with +/- keys), you can program MIDI leads and 1 handed chords with absolute ease just using your MIDI and computer keyboard.

… I’m simply blown away by how useful this is!

The problem with a computer keyboard assist is that your fingers are often otherwise occupied. But your feet are not. Here’s a solution I proposed a while back. I think it has a whole lot of merit:

Ok, your suggestion is to use the sustain pedal instead of the right arrow button. That could be an alternative if you have both hands occupied, as you say. That could be an additional option.

+1
to any system that is less clumsy than the current method. And the Input cursor should follow project cursor.

However, there is definitely potential for a system that involves holding the note for the required duration in relation to a click. In the thread that dmbear linked above, I outlined how the program would work. Now Steiny just need to write it. :unamused:

exactly, that would be great.

I support this thread.

A year later… giving a bump up.

  • This would improve workflow greatly for anybody using Step Recording.
  • This should be very light on resources to implement.

Actually, there could be one additional method of Step Recording input.

A) The suggestion earlier in this thread would mean to first entry the notes directly, with a set length, and then that length could be prolonged in several steps with the right-arrow button.

B) An alternate option could be that the notes are actually not input directly, but first when the right-arrow button is clicked. That would mean that one could play around freely with the pitch until decided where to put it, then hit right-arrow button (one time, or several times for prolonged notes) to input the decided notes.

This would be variant of “Pitch before Duration” (similar to that feature implemented in Dorico 3.5), in contrast to the current method “Duration before Pitch”.

It would be great to have an option to change between these different Step Input methods (directly in the Key Editor toolbar + key commands, not in preferences).