Tempo Map / or MIDI file import not working properly in Nuendo 13?

Nuendo
1

I have Cubase 12, and, after trying the demo of Nuendo 13 (and Cubase 14) decided I would definitely like to update my Nuendo version 3 (e licenser of course) to 14 when it arrived.
I just took advantage of the 20% discount upgrade to 13 with GP 14.
The difference in price between cross-grading, and upgrading, was not so significant pre-sale, and as I rarely use Cubase I thought if I couldn’t stretch to buying Nuendo before the de-commissioning of the e-licensor in May at least I’d still have a reasonable route to Nuendo.

However, having started porting a very complex project into my shiny new V13 Nuendo, I came across a problem. The project was created in Studio One 6.5 pro. And the only way to export a tempo map from S1 is by exporting a midi file.
Long story short but the only way I could get a tempo map into Nuendo was by importing the midi file into C12, exporting the tempo map from there and then bringing into N13. Even though when I imported the basic midi file into C12 it contained the tempo map, and all markers, doing the same in N13 did not result in any mapping of tempo. It didn’t even have the correct start tempo, but defaulted to 120.

So definitely keeping Cubase 12 on my system for the moment.

One last point on importing into Nuendo, (sorry this is a longish post). I asked a question recently about importing audio in the way that one can in Pro Tools for example - Spot to timecode etc. It appears that the only option is “at cursor” - that’s enough I guess, and there are ways to place the file “at origin” after importing.
What has this to do with tempo maps? Well, this very complex project contains a couple of tempo maps, with ramps etc. Importing a tempo map at the moment only allows for that map to start from the very beginning of the project.

I would very much like the option to import that map to a specific bar. In the end (as my project is over an hour of separate pieces with different tempi and signatures) I had to create a blank N13 project, import the tempo map, then add the exact number of bars to shift the map to where I wanted it. Then export that map and re-import into my project. Brain-numbingly dull, but a work-around. And a mental note not to use complex tempo maps unless generated in Nuendo.
Is it likely that importing a tempo map to a specific location might be possible?

And does anyone have experience working in multi-song projects (a continuous opera type project with over-lapping parts) and could suggest sensible work-flows to manage importing, inserting, changing one song that will then effect everything that follows?

I’ve already discovered that creating master-folders for every song, containing all their relevant folders, makes moving entire sections on the timeline much more efficient.
Thank you !

2

Then your thread is notreally about cross grading from Cubase to Nuendo, it’s about upgrading from an older version (12?) to a later version (13+?) of either. Right?

3

No.
It’s about the fact that had I cross-graded from Cubase I would have lost access to Cubase 12 and therefore been unable to accomplish the Tempo track conversion work-around.

I was stating therefore that this is a good reason to NOT cross grade. As per the title of my post.

4

I have one from Pinnacle systems bundle sales with Silver I/O and NLE.
I don’t think you can upgrade from N3. I cross graded from sequoia

5

I understand that cross grading would have been a problem. But anyone on a version higher than X would have the same problem on that higher version regardless of if it’s Cubase or Nuendo.

So in terms of warning people you could have said that it is a problem with version X and above for anyone. It would have been a more comprehensive warning is all I’m saying.

6

Not sure about your particular version (know nothing of Pinnacle systems) but my version 3 was bought from a store I believe (long time ago) and was licensed on the e-licensor dongle. No problem upgrading it to the new system, which it seemed to do first yup to version 11, then up to 13. Either way, anyone with an e licensor version should be able to upgrade. It’s listed in the Steinberg upgrade offerings anyway.

7

Sorry, yes, I should’ve done that. But there was already a thread about the loss of this function in 13 and up. I was merely pointing out that if one was considering a cross-grade (and did not have an old Nuendo license) then be careful as once Cubase is cross-graded, there are feature missing.

1 Like
8

Thats great,
I faintly remember that there were 3 dongles, one for Liquid and other 2 for Nuendo and one for Commotion Pro, Title Decko RT, or Impression DVD. not sure.
I think it was the last time Nuendo was tightly integrated with an NLE where I could send video and multiple audio tracks from FCP and Liquid to Nuendo. I think the sharing protocol still exists somewhere deep in Nuendo.

9

You can create a new track version of the tempo track and import the tempo map to that. (Actually, importing a Nuendo tempo track will create a new track version.)
You can then use the range tool, select all the items from the tempo track, switch to the previous version, place the range start at the point where you want to place the secod tempo map events and paste.
I hope that is helpful for you.

10

OK thank you, that’s very interesting, I’ll take a look at that. But won’t that mean that everything already on the timeline will move when I create a new track version? I’ll have to experiment with a dummy project I think.

I didn’t know about track versions. I just looked at my tempo track and it already has somehow created :
(v1:id1)
(v1:id2)
(v1:id3)
I don’t know whether that is from when I imported and moved things around or, why are there three IDs?

11

Yep, as I wrote above: Nuendo will create a new track version if you import a tempo map.
The concept is that a project can have only one active tempo map. But through tempo track version we can have many different maps to chose from inside the project. And we can copy and paste tempo events between track versions or, as you suggest, via dummy projects. A dummy project is definitely the safe choice in order to not have anything be moved around.

12

I thought they changed that policy a version or two back. I’m pretty sure you get to keep your Cubase license now. Maybe they changed it back, but I don’t think so.

13

I don’t have 12 loaded anymore, and haven’t for a long time, but I upgraded from C12P to C13P. When I subsequently upgraded from C13 Pro to C14 Pro I got to keep both, and when I cross-graded to N13 I could all of them, though at this point I’ve deleted C13. Since C13 I’ve not lost any functionality when upgrading, FWIW. :slight_smile:

14

It seems I am in error - I thought I’d lose the C12 licence by cross grading, but apparently that is no longer the case. Sorry for mis-leading, I’ll change the title of this post to the fact that Tempo Maps are not importing into N13.

15

yes, this would be a great feature. I recently had a similar scenario, it was a pain in the ass to import 4 different tempo tracks to one project

16

I also hate the fact that when you import a midi file, or even try to drag it to an empty midi track, it always creates a new track, and at the very end of all tracks. So in a big session with a lot of tracks, a really nuisance. Looking up this “quirk” I see it’s been around some time, so I’m not hopeful it’ll get sorted anytime soon. But it’s a pretty basic failure of sensible workflow audio files don’t behave like this, so why midi?

17

If i remember correctly, there is a preference checkbox for that (can not remember what it is called).
Seartch the forum, you will find it

18

Yes I’ve looked at that but it seems the only option is to choose whether it’s an Instrument track or a Midi. Not able to choose “selected track” - unless it’s hidden somewhere else. And it definitely doesn’t import markers, which it is supposed to do (Cubase 12 does) checkbox for this I have ticked.

19

I hope this helps

20

Thank you it does! CORRECTION - it does not - it worked with a region I’d already imported. I deleted it and re-imported and that worked BUT…subsequently with a new area and fresh midi imports:

Using file / import / midi - the region creates a new track and is placed at the start of the timeline.

Using drag and drop, gets it to the right location but it STILL creates a new midi track. Most annoying.