Hi,
I would like to suggest something very important about the “follow chord track” function.
I have noticed that the “follow chord track” function is destructive.
That means, when you set a midi track to “follow chord track” this will affect the midi data contained in the track IN A DEFINIFIVE WAY. (same goes to an audio track with “follow chord track”)
Each subsequent modification applied to the chord progression will affect the midi data more and more, which tends to progressively “destroy” the original midi information.
This is quite annoying in the compositional process.
In order to prevent that, I always need to copy my original midi track somewhere else and constantly replace the track in order to keep the original information.
In my opinion, Cubase should apply the new chord/scale changes always referring to the original track.
But the entire purpose of the Follow Chord Track function is to actually move the notes. Once you have initially done that if you don’t want subsequent edits of the chord track to affect your midi data, turn the function off.
Also instead of copying your original MIDI Track you could use Track Versions to save and recover different versions. FYI, the Chord Track also supports Track Versions making it easy to compare different variations of progressions. You can also use Track Version ID’s to link different versions of your Chord and MIDI Tracks
Yes but that is the intent. It’s like saying the pencil tool is destructive - it is meant to work that way. You turn the Follow function on when you want it to modify your data and off when you don’t want it to make any further changes. If at any point weather it is with your initial midi data or anytime after it has subsequently been modified and you have a track that you want to maintain, save that as a version and you can always & easily get back to it. And because you can link Chord & MIDI Track Versions, you can keep and use as many variations of combinations as you like.
In general the Follow Chord Track function is best left off most of the time. Then when you want to make the midi data conform to the Chord Track, turn it on and let it move the data and then turn if off. If the results are a keeper you are done. If they are a maybe then save it by making a duplicate version. Then edit the Chord Track with any changes and turn the function on and off. Repeat as needed to generate as many variants as you want to explore and finally select the one you want to use. It is an easy way to make and compare different options, but it is dependent on the midi data actually being “destructively” modified.
Ok thank you! Will take into account. Personally the follow Chord track is a bit confusing. Why am I presented with two options? 1. To synchronize first with Chord track and 2. Follow directly. I never got the difference between the two. Personally this tool is more like a filter to me (like in photoshop) when you dont want it, you remove it, and when your happy make the changes final.
Yeah, if you think of it like a Photoshop filter it doesn’t work like you’d imagine.
According to the manual (pg 828) Follow Directly is for use when all (or some) of the notes already match the chords. Where Analyze Chords is for when the notes and chords don’t have a prior relationship. In practice they both move wrong notes so they are in the chords, although they seem to generate different voicings (sometimes, depending on ???). I just rather arbitrarily picked one to use (Analyze), since the resulting voicings are not predictable as far as I can tell, and I’m gonna change the voicings to what I want anyway. To me it is just a quick way to get to a starting point. I’ll use one chord to block out the rhythm and repeat that over the entire part. Then make the part conform to the chord track. After that I can fine tune it in the Key Editor, changing voicings and inserting any non-chord tones I might want etc.
+1 For Non-Destructive “Follow chord track”, even as an optional feature.
“Cubase should apply the new chord/scale changes always referring to the original track”. This. Again, even as an optional feature.
It would be a big time saver when in the “compositional process”: don’t need to mess
with duplicates/track versions etc… Just turn OFF “Follow chord track” to return to the original notes.
Please consider to add this option in the next releases.
I totally agree. It makes it unnecessarily more complicated than it needs to be by using track versions. When unclicking, it should revert to the original notes.
Simple as that!
From my personal perspective it should be the DEFAULT option and if I had to choose to discard one of the two options I’m sure that I would choose to keep the NON-destructive one.
It really seems the most logical one to me.
Anyone wanting NON-destructive “follow chord track” feature? Please join the discussion!