I like cubase in many ways, and I’ll keep using it to put together projects, but inputting midi and editing midi are painfully slow. What I’d like to find is a computer-keyboard oriented midi input/edit program with mouse use being crystal clear and never requiring click, large move, click (hem, Cubase). I became something of an expert at older Sonar versions, midi editing, but the newer x series is even slower in this regard than cubase.
So: any suggestions? My goal is to create a set of 60-80 midi tracks per large project in some editor or other, then import it all to cubase for rendering and mixing and messing with the audio.
Steve, yes. The logical editor is great, and I use it. It’s the trivial little things: how many times I must reach for and grab the mouse, how precise a mouse click must be, and are there key commands for everything. I’ve posted several of the oddities here already, like the inability to erase a line of notes without multiple clicks and eyestrain for precise clicking. You can’t set a default note length and click-click-click-click to get four notes of that length. The weird spacing of black-note/white-note causes further eyestrain, or wasted time with big zoom.
I should add that I’m not looking for “intuitive” – just rapid. I’m willing to learn whatever it takes to go fast, but you just can’t speed up eyestraining tiny mouse clicks.
In that competitor, sonar, there are now “zones” to each midi note, so you not only have to hit the note in an edit window, you also have to hit just the top of it, or the right side of it, or the left side of it, to accomplish specific tasks. That kind of thing just doesn’t work – you can’t be creative with a headache.
Then change your workflow to match how Cubase works. For example, erase multiple notes using the delete key instead of clicking. I might be able to give further tips, if you can be specific.
I rarely to use the mouse in Score Edit, except for lasso selections and transport placement. I use the keyboard and logical editor - it’s enormous what can be done. But I guess it’s an acquired taste.
SonicSonar, read up on and try out step input, and also Computer Keyboard Input (which is not for everyone!).
Another useful function is Midi Input, I use it, for example, when i want to enter rhythm first, and then repitch the notes on a second pass. Very fast.
I’m a long long time Score user for notation. Nothing beats it for speed. But Finale makers understand the need for fast input, so maybe that’s a route. I do get embarrassed to admit I use a notation program from the 70’s, written in Fortran originally. From their introductory material, re Finale: “While entering notes with your mouse is effective, it’s much too slow. Quickly add notes, chords, rests, articulations, and a great deal more all from the keyboard without ever touching the mouse.” !!!
Just for comparison I bought Finale 2014. Have had it for less than 24 hours, never used it before. Attached a screenshot of what I got done in half a day of off-prime time. With Cubase, I’ve been struggling for a month and have done about a tenth as much. Granted, when it comes to audio mixing and manipulating, I’ll be needing cubase. But for simply entry of music, I have a full orchestral score notated and set into midi tracks in half a day, and I am far from a power user by any means yet.
Nothing clutters the screen that isn’t wanted: a menu bar, two small tool bars, and a bunch of reasonable dialogs that come and go. The Operations Manual is superior: I’ve had to look up many things, and FOUND them.
This is no sales pitch, just illustration of some very good programming
