Questions about DP8 on Windows...

[TheNossinator]

So I've got a few questions about DP8 - I posted here months ago when I was using the trial, but have since purchased the software and have some queries.

1. Why must automation be manually enabled on MIDI tracks? Surely if I've inputted automation I want DP to automatically read it without an extra couple of clicks. Is there an option to make this happen automatically?
2. When I double-click a track in the "Tracks" window, it opens in the "MIDI" consolidated window. Is there a way to automatically arm this track so I can hear it when I click the notes? The following image is what I'm talking about, is there a way to auto-arm this "record enable" when I open the track in the MIDI window? Is there a way to simultaneously arm all MIDI tracks?
   
   
3. Is there a way to edit multiple MIDI tracks at once? Say I have a C chord and I want it to be on D. I know the "Transpose" feature does this, but what if I also wanted to extend the length of all the MIDI notes by the same length? It's annoying having to go into every individual MIDI track. Cubase allows you to edit multiple MIDI tracks at once, can DP?
4. Is there a way to "clean up" what appears under the "Output" option in the tracks menu? As you can see in the image below, the majority of the options presented are for effects tracks that I don't want to always have to sort through. Can I change the order these appear in, at least?
   
   
5. Why can't I use the pencil tool to draw in on velocities? Not the "straight line" too, the pencil tool. Why can't I alter the velocities of only the selected notes (see image)?
   
   
6. Why is the general performance of DP on Windows so bad? I've asked this before, but it's just terrible. The latency of almost a whole second when I press Play/Stop, dropouts occurring with barely any samples loaded. I'm using ASIO drivers set at about 512ms latency. I've heard so much about how DP is a great powerhouse on Mac, and I'm wondering if this is how it performs on Mac or if the Windows is just experiencing teething problems which will be fixed with updates/later versions? I've used Cubase 5 for years and it was much smoother to work with, and as you can see in my signature my system specs should be well up to standard for good playback. Anyone have any experience with this/any helpful pointers to help me out?

Hopefully people can help me out with these things, sorry if they're obvious things but I can't find anything to help me out in the preferences of DP.

I have a 30 day money back guarantee and I really hope I don't have to use it - I love a lot of DP's features - but I know Cubase is at least stable and has none of the problems listed above.

Thanks!

[magicd]

Why must automation be manually enabled on MIDI tracks? Surely if I've inputted automation I want DP to automatically read it without an extra couple of clicks. Is there an option to make this happen automatically?

In a factory default new file template, automation is disabled for audio and MIDI tracks. Here are some options:

You can set up a file with all automation enabled on all tracks. Choose Save As Template from the File menu. Now any file you create from the template will have automation enabled on the tracks.

You can select multiple MIDI tracks, go to the Setup menu>Automation Setup, click the box to Enable Automation Playback, and press the button to Apply To Selected MIDI Tracks

When I double-click a track in the "Tracks" window, it opens in the "MIDI" consolidated window. Is there a way to automatically arm this track so I can hear it when I click the notes? The following image is what I'm talking about, is there a way to auto-arm this "record enable" when I open the track in the MIDI window? Is there a way to simultaneously arm all MIDI tracks?

You don't need to record-arm a MIDI track in order to be able to click on notes and hear them. To audition notes, enable the Audible Mode button (speaker icon) in the Control Panel. If the track is sending MIDI to a virtual instrument, the instrument will not sound if it's window is closed. This is because pre-rendering is enabled by default. You can disable pre rendering, but a better solution is to keep the instrument window open when you need to edit tracks assigned to that instrument.

By default, DP is on Omni-record mode for MIDI. That means a record-enabled track will record any incoming MIDI data from any source. It also means only one MIDI track can be record-enabled at a time. You can enable Multi-Record from the Studio menu. This allows you to record-enable multiple MIDI tracks at the same time. It also means you have to specify the input for each record-enabled track.

Is there a way to edit multiple MIDI tracks at once? Say I have a C chord and I want it to be on D. I know the "Transpose" feature does this, but what if I also wanted to extend the length of all the MIDI notes by the same length? It's annoying having to go into every individual MIDI track. Cubase allows you to edit multiple MIDI tracks at once, can DP?

Of course. Make a selection across multiple tracks in any edit window. Go to the Region menu and choose the edit function you want (Change Duration for example). What is selected is what gets edited.

Is there a way to "clean up" what appears under the "Output" option in the tracks menu? As you can see in the image below, the majority of the options presented are for effects tracks that I don't want to always have to sort through. Can I change the order these appear in, at least?

Go to the Studio menu>Bundles Outputs and Busses show up as available outputs for audio tracks. You can delete unused bundles and you can drag up or down to change their order.

Why can't I use the pencil tool to draw in on velocities? Not the "straight line" too, the pencil tool. Why can't I alter the velocities of only the selected notes (see image)?

The pencil tool is for drawing in new data. You can't draw in just a velocity event. You can pencil in a new MIDI note. If you want to edit existing selected velocity data, you need the reshape tool ("sine wave" button in the Tools window). Next to the reshape tool is the reshape mode button, which allows you to select which type of tool will be used for reshaping (or drawing) data.

Why is the general performance of DP on Windows so bad?

It's not. DP works with the same or better efficiency on a comparable Windows computer as compared to a Mac. If you are having efficiency problems, they can be isolated and solved. What I would do as a starting point is create a simple file with an audio track and a MIDI track triggering a VI, and start to test from there.

Besides MOTU Technical Support and this forum, if you'd like to contact me directly, my email is magicd@motu.com

Best,
Dave

[TheNossinator]

Hi Dave, thanks for replying!

You can select multiple MIDI tracks, go to the Setup menu>Automation Setup, click the box to Enable Automation Playback, and press the button to Apply To Selected MIDI Tracks.

Ah, this wasn't working for me before - the "Apply to All" button changes from Audio to MIDI depending on which track is selected at the top, which I didn't know. Thanks!

You don't need to record-arm a MIDI track in order to be able to click on notes and hear them. If the track is sending MIDI to a virtual instrument, the instrument will not sound if it's window is closed. This is because pre-rendering is enabled by default. You can disable pre rendering, but a better solution is to keep the instrument window open when you need to edit tracks assigned to that instrument.

Thanks for this, however on Windows (not sure if it's the same on Mac) each Effect/Instrument that is currently open takes up space on the taskbar - if I'm working on an orchestral piece with 15+ VSTs running having them all open (even if they're sitting "behind" the DP main window) fills up the taskbar very quickly.

You can enable Multi-Record from the Studio menu.

This is probably the better solution for me. I can just leave the Input as "MIDI Keys - any" as I don't do too much recording, and an Alt+Click on the record enable icon can select that single one for me.

Of course. Make a selection across multiple tracks in any edit window. Go to the Region menu and choose the edit function you want (Change Duration for example). What is selected is what gets edited.

I have also figured out that you can use the Track Selector in the sidebar to select multiple MIDI tracks at one to manipulate them simultaneously in the MIDI editor consolidated window.

Go to the Studio menu>Bundles Outputs and Busses show up as available outputs for audio tracks. You can delete unused bundles and you can drag up or down to change their order.

I can't get this to work. In the Bundles window I only have the busses that I created (which is good) and I only have a single output, "Output 1-2".

None of the tabs in the Bundles window seem to have what I'm looking for.

In the same project as the one where I sourced the image of the "outputs" submenu from my original post, here's what a few tabs in the Bundles window look like:



EDIT: I just noticed you're talking about audio tracks. I'm talking about the output of MIDI tracks.

The pencil tool is for drawing in new data. You can't draw in just a velocity event. You can pencil in a new MIDI note. If you want to edit existing selected velocity data, you need the reshape tool ("sine wave" button in the Tools window). Next to the reshape tool is the reshape mode button, which allows you to select which type of tool will be used for reshaping (or drawing) data.

Ah, okay. Thanks for that. I still can't manage to make DP change only the selected MIDI notes, though. Even using the Reshape tool it changes the velocity of every MIDI note passed, not just those selected. Is that possible? Also, is it possible to hear the new velocity? For example, in Cubase, as you change the velocity of a MIDI note (pencil tool in Cubase, Reshape tool in DP) Cubase plays the MIDI note so you know how loud it's going to be without having to change to the pointer tool/playing the track back. This is a minor thing but is it possible?

It's not. DP works with the same or better efficiency on a comparable Windows computer as compared to a Mac. If you are having efficiency problems, they can be isolated and solved. What I would do as a starting point is create a simple file with an audio track and a MIDI track triggering a VI, and start to test from there.

I apologise for the blanket statement - I'm sure it does work well on some people's machines. It's just frustrating that it doesn't on mine.

I've tried:

1. Different ASIO drivers - one that came with my audio interface, as well as ASIO4ALL. With ASIO4ALL I get "better" results, I've fiddled with this until I got to a point where there were no clicks and pops in playback, but DP still takes about a second between pressing play and the project playing.
2. Fiddling with options under Setup > Configure Audio System > Configure Studio Settings - nothing I changed here made any noticable difference either way.

Perhaps there is a problem with my specific audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett 2i2)? I remember when DP8 first came out I couldn't even use it and it had to be patched in (DP8.03, I think) - perhaps my interface is simply not friends with DP?

Thanks for your assistance Dave, most of these things I wouldn't have been able to figure out on my own! Hopefully my questions haven't been annoying!