MIDI Editing - Your Favorite Hardware, Technique, Tools

Digital Perfomer in the context of television/film scoring and post-production.

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Scorer
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Primary DAW OS: Windows

MIDI Editing - Your Favorite Hardware, Technique, Tools

Post by Scorer »

Hi guys,

first of all, Happy New Year !!! ;-)


Would love to learn more about MIDI editing in DP and your favorite hardware, workflow, technique, tools and/or recommendations & suggestions.

I'm using DP 9.12 on Win 8.1 x64, but I'm sure most of the information is OS independent.

re hardware:
do you use breath controllers ?
do you find modhweels or mod joysticks easier to work with ?
do you use the nouse or tablet to edit MIDI data ?
etc

re workflow:
what is your workflow for MIDI data ? do you try to record CC data while you play the notes or afterwards ?
how does this change for the various instruments & sections ?
do you initiate default values for specific CC controllers ?
etc

re technique:
what MIDI editing technique saves you the most time ?
do you write CC data to independent tracks ? If so, why ?
etc

re tools:
what is your go-to MIDI editing tool inside DP ?
When trying to create more complex curved shapes - given that a true bezier tool is not available - what is your approach ?
etc

specific questions I have:
(1) Is there any way to horizontally-skew/lean-to-the-side sine waves ?
(2) Is there any way to insert a spline with more than 3 control points ?


Thanks !
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stubbsonic
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Re: MIDI Editing - Your Favorite Hardware, Technique, Tools

Post by stubbsonic »

Scorer wrote:

re tools:
what is your go-to MIDI editing tool inside DP ?
When trying to create more complex curved shapes - given that a true bezier tool is not available - what is your approach ?
etc

specific questions I have:
(1) Is there any way to horizontally-skew/lean-to-the-side sine waves ?
(2) Is there any way to insert a spline with more than 3 control points ?


Thanks !
Hey Scorer,

Re: Hardware, I do use a breath controller sometimes, especially when I'm doing winds or strings and want to "breath" some expression into the parts. For me it feels more natural than using a wheel, but if I used a wheel more, I'd probably get the hang of it. I'd rather keep my hands on the keys though.

I use an intellimouse to edit MIDI data. L/R buttons to page left / right, and pressed wheel to zoom in/out. Shooshie has insisted I'd love a magic trackpad, but I my first impression is always negative. Not sure that option applies to a windows person.

In addition to Breath Control, I record other CC's either in realtime with the notes pass, or overdub.

For edit techniques, I use option-drag to move notes and phrases around (whatever the "drag-a-copy" combo is for windows). I use the default key to turn the edit grid OFF, and though I leave the grid ON, I have to use the key to toggle it off all the time. I LOVE DP's default relative grid. I can move phrases around and keep their original positions relative to the beat.

One trick I like is to improvise a very expressive pass where I don't worry much (or at all) about notes. Then keep the rhythms phrasing and start moving pitches around. That's been a pretty effective technique for me. I also use the strength parameter in quantize- and partially quantize things quite a bit. Tightening a little but not all the way.

Diatonic (or scale restrained) transpose is useful. I might copy a track, transpose it in scale steps then delay it, then do edits as needed.

Can't answer your curve questions.
M1 MBP; OS 12, FF800, DP 11.3, Kontakt 7, Reaktor 6, PC3K7, K2661S, iPad6, Godin XTSA, Two Ibanez 5 string basses (1 fretted, 1 fretless), FM3, SY-1000, etc.

http://www.jonstubbsmusic.com
Scorer
Posts: 60
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2016 3:19 pm
Primary DAW OS: Windows

Re: MIDI Editing - Your Favorite Hardware, Technique, Tools

Post by Scorer »

subbsonic,

thanks as always !

So the intellimouse is set up with macros to page l/r and to zoom in/out ?

I like the holding shift + mousewheel to scoll left/right, same as in PT, but what I miss is the option that goes hand in hand with that:

holding alt + mousewheel to zoom in/out.

A lot of other apps have this exact setup, it's interesting that (mousewheel wise) scrolling is implemented but not zooming.
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stubbsonic
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Re: MIDI Editing - Your Favorite Hardware, Technique, Tools

Post by stubbsonic »

I use a program called STEER MOUSE which is a mouse driver that lets me program actions from the mouse.

I can tell the driver that when I press the mouse wheel down and scroll forward to send the default zoom in key-combination that DP responds to.

Also, Steer Mouse lets me set up special mouse actions just for DP and it disables them when another app is active.
M1 MBP; OS 12, FF800, DP 11.3, Kontakt 7, Reaktor 6, PC3K7, K2661S, iPad6, Godin XTSA, Two Ibanez 5 string basses (1 fretted, 1 fretless), FM3, SY-1000, etc.

http://www.jonstubbsmusic.com
Scorer
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Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2016 3:19 pm
Primary DAW OS: Windows

Re: MIDI Editing - Your Favorite Hardware, Technique, Tools

Post by Scorer »

in the CC data pane, is it possible to continually draw straight lines, meaning automatically combining multiple, connected straight lines ?

example: right now I have to click+drag to create one straight line. if I want to draw another straight line after that that is connected to the last one, I have to hit the end point of that last line and draw from there - time consuming and cumbersome.

would love to just keep clicking and it automatically connects a straight line to the last end point...

is that possible ?
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terrybritton
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Re: MIDI Editing - Your Favorite Hardware, Technique, Tools

Post by terrybritton »

Scorer wrote:in the CC data pane, is it possible to continually draw straight lines, meaning automatically combining multiple, connected straight lines ?

example: right now I have to click+drag to create one straight line. if I want to draw another straight line after that that is connected to the last one, I have to hit the end point of that last line and draw from there - time consuming and cumbersome.

would love to just keep clicking and it automatically connects a straight line to the last end point...

is that possible ?
For that very reason (too clicky!), I vastly prefer turning on automation for short spurts and recording the curves using the fader or knob. I can undo and re-do till I feel I got it right, and get clicky if I want fine control (like thinning).

Terry
Computer: Sweetwater CS400v7 Intel Core i7-10700K CPU @ 3.80GHz | 64Gigs RAM | Windows 11 Pro x64 |
MOTU 828 mk3 hybrid

DAWs & Live: MOTU Digital Performer 11.31 | Cantabile Performer 4
Keyboard Synths: Kawai K5000s, Korg Wavestation
Controllers: NI Komplete Kontrol S-88 Mk3 & S-49 Mk2; Maschine Mk3 & JAM;
Akai MPK249 & 225, Alesis QX49, Behringer BCF2000 & FCB1010
Rack Modules: Ensoniq ESQm, Yamaha TX81Z, Wavestation SR

Tutorials: https://youtube.com/@CreatorsMediaTools
Scorer
Posts: 60
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2016 3:19 pm
Primary DAW OS: Windows

Re: MIDI Editing - Your Favorite Hardware, Technique, Tools

Post by Scorer »

terrybritton wrote: For that very reason (too clicky!), I vastly prefer turning on automation for short spurts and recording the curves using the fader or knob. I can undo and re-do till I feel I got it right, and get clicky if I want fine control (like thinning).
Terry
so I guess it is NOT possible what I'm trying to do ? ;-)

I'm really missing a persistent spline that can be re-adjusted at all times and also to continuously draw with some tools by automatically connecting to the last point... this would greatly speed up some of my CC edits...

I'm recording CC data independently from time to time but I get very blocky curves sometimes (if u don't consistently turn the knob at all times) and with direct edits I have much more fine control (ergo: smoother curves), but it's very cumbersome if u have a lot of edits, because it does not auto-connect the straight line or spline tool...

40 bars with various strings and 1/8th notes... :banghead:

Does anybody here use a breath controller to control dynamics on strings ?
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terrybritton
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Re: MIDI Editing - Your Favorite Hardware, Technique, Tools

Post by terrybritton »

Also look into the "Thin Continuous Data" and "Insert Continuous Data" dialogs, as they can certainly make things far easier!!! (You select a range of MIDI data of any kind, right-click, then select either of those. There are some other dialogs you may find useful from that right-click as well.)

Terry
Computer: Sweetwater CS400v7 Intel Core i7-10700K CPU @ 3.80GHz | 64Gigs RAM | Windows 11 Pro x64 |
MOTU 828 mk3 hybrid

DAWs & Live: MOTU Digital Performer 11.31 | Cantabile Performer 4
Keyboard Synths: Kawai K5000s, Korg Wavestation
Controllers: NI Komplete Kontrol S-88 Mk3 & S-49 Mk2; Maschine Mk3 & JAM;
Akai MPK249 & 225, Alesis QX49, Behringer BCF2000 & FCB1010
Rack Modules: Ensoniq ESQm, Yamaha TX81Z, Wavestation SR

Tutorials: https://youtube.com/@CreatorsMediaTools
Scorer
Posts: 60
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2016 3:19 pm
Primary DAW OS: Windows

Re: MIDI Editing - Your Favorite Hardware, Technique, Tools

Post by Scorer »

yes, I use them all the time. For region based manipulation there are plenty of great tools in DP !

although when I want to compress a certain MIDI data range and keep the lowest value as is (so only compress range between lowest and highest MIDI value) it's a 2 step process, but good thing is I can keep those windows open - very handy.

man, I wish DP had a persistent spline/bezier tool ! it would be so much easier to adjust and try out other data mappings...
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