The more I work with Cubase the more I start appreciating the programme. One problem I find is the thousands of features that are hidden everywhere. I try to read as much as possible in the manual but it does not always enlighten me.
My question is the following. I started using the transpose track and find it a great tool to try out how parts of the tracks sound in a different key. In the Key editor I can toggle between the original key and the transposed one but the weird thing is that the score does not change at all, even when the notes have changed in the Key editor. The C remains a C even when I transpose it down by 5 semitones. Is there something I have overlooked?
Can anyone think of a reason why the score editor will not display the changes made by the Transpose track? I cannot think of one. Steinberg, please include the same option in the Score editor as in the Key editor: to be able to choose between the original and the altered version.
Ah… I forgot about the “Indicate Transpositions” button in Key Edit. It would make more sense if Cubase were consistent with itself. Score Edit is out of step with the rest of the program in regard to a few things, like nudge key commands and chord editing to name a couple.
The term “Score Edit” is assiduously avoided in the transpose chapter in the manual.
I’m gonna play “Devil’s advocate” here, if I may…
I think that your suggestion would open up a can of worms …
let’s say you have a MIDI Part entered in the key of C, then you use the Transpose Track to move the middle two bars up 3 semitones, then, two bars further on, the transpose it set to 5 semitones (imagining that, indeed, the transposition is reflected in the Score Editor). Now, from within the Score Editor, you edit some notes (e.g. via Step Entry)… how should the notes be entered (i.e. what notes would you actually play in?) during those transposed bars (especially, if you didn’t remember exactly what the Transpose track was doing)?
lets say the Transpose track moves the notes by a greater distance… if you’ve already done any Layout work in the Score Editor, you are likely to find that all your hard work in fine-tuning the vertical spacing is ruined.
Personally, I get to work in the Score Editor once I have at least sorted out the key .
If you want the Score Editor to reflect the transposed notes… freeze the transposition first (via “Merge MIDI in Loop”).
Just my 2€
Thanks for your long reply. Always good to have a devil’s advocate. Here are my € 0.02.
I can see your problem but doesn’t the same problem also apply to the Key Editor. There you can set it to ‘transposed mode’ but you can still enter notes. It does even make sense that the notes you put in are in the mode the editor is set to e.g. if it is original mode it will be a C, if it is in transposed mode it will be a G, like in the Key Editor, and when changing back to original mode it will change the note you entered according to the non-transposed mode. Do I make sense?
I totally see your point. That would be a lay-out problem.
I agree that sorting out the key beforehand is what should be done. I usually do that too but sometimes some experimentation with the development of the chords can be stimulating and creative. I cut up the transpose track into blocks of several bars and then play with the setting of each block. A small replacement for the chord track
Your suggestion of freezing the transposition through Merge MIDI in loop is interesting. I will try this out. At the moment I just select the bars of which I want to fix the transposition and transpose them manually. It is a hassle but at least I can see the results in the Score Editor.
