DP Ignoring Notes At Start Of A Track

cxi2001 · Post by **cxi2001** » Tue Jul 11, 2023 4:08 am

Slightly driving me mad this one - everytime i start a new track the first notes don't play back, everything after it will.

So i'm recording from a count-in with a click track, playing the chord sequence on the keyboard for four bars, when i stop and play it back, the first notes of the first bar doesn't play. Have checked the MIDI notes, all are there, velocity is fine.

It does the same thing whether it's a single note triggering a Omnisphere arpeggio or a chord playing a Spitfire library.

Am i missing something really stupid ??!

Any suggestions greatfully received.

I'm on DP 11.22, Mac Studio, OSX Ventura.

cxi2001 · Post by **cxi2001** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 1:32 am

Have started a new prjoect and it's done the same thing. Have had to start everything one measure in for it to playback properly. I'm sure this wasn't an issue pre v11 ?

Tidwells@aol.com · Post by **Tidwells@aol.com** » Mon Jul 24, 2023 2:50 pm

With over 30(!!) years of using DP and "Performer" (before it became Digital Performer), I've ALWAYS found it advantageous to put 2 measures of count in at the beginning of every song I record. I probably started doing it originally so I could go back and insert MIDI program change commands at the beginning of the song and my connected MIDI keyboards would have time to switch to the right patch before the song started. It also allows you to insert "zeroed-out" controller values like pitch bend and modulation to make sure your tracks start out with the right values if needed.

Now, at mix-down time, I rewind to the first beat of measure 1 and make automation snapshots for a track or effect window before trying to record any automation changes. Before final mix-down, I freeze all virtual instruments as audio tracks, then zoom in big in the Sequence Editing window to set the exact start and end times for bounce-down to prevent chopping off the beginning of any notes which might start a "hair or two" before the first beat of measure 3 and to make sure all reverbs and decays are allowed to die off naturally at the end of the song without excess silence.

I have had a problem with the first MIDI note at measure 3 not sounding if I set the bounce start too close to it. That's why I freeze all MIDI to audio tracks now, plus it "future-proofs" your files so that they can be remixed 20 years from now (in the latest virtual-parallel-universe-7D format) when those virtual instruments that created them are mysteriously missing...

Doug

Rick Cornish · Post by **Rick Cornish** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 10:35 am

I agree with Doug. I always put 2 bars of 4/4 at 120bpm (4 seconds) preroll ahead of the start of the cue. It helps things sync up. I've also found a few plugins (ex: Waves' Greg Wells Mixcentric) that introduce dropped notes when starting "cold" at the top of a sequence.

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 10:46 am

I like doing that also. I used to start chunks at measure -1, but lately just put one measure at the beginning so I can easily type "." then "0" then "Enter" on the numeric keypad to jump to the beginning and start playing.

HCMarkus · Post by **HCMarkus** » Tue Jul 25, 2023 11:25 am

Tidwells@aol.com wrote: ↑Mon Jul 24, 2023 2:50 pm I've ALWAYS found it advantageous to put 2 measures of count in at the beginning of every song I record.

+1

Since DP will record as many bars as you need, no need to save a few at the beginning of a piece.

Also, a punch-in pedal comes in mighty handy when working alone.

When working with MIDI, I often just erase my boo boos and record the fixes on a second track; makes it easier to manage things like sustain pedal events.

Phil O · Post by **Phil O** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 10:01 am

HCMarkus wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2023 11:25 am ...Also, a punch-in pedal comes in mighty handy when working alone.

How do you interface your punch-in pedal with DP? My old 828 has a 1/4 inch jack for a pedal, but it's a PIA to set it up just to use a pedal.

BTW, I too typically put two measures at the beginning.

Your friendly neighborhood Phil

HCMarkus · Post by **HCMarkus** » Wed Jul 26, 2023 6:52 pm

Phil O wrote: ↑Wed Jul 26, 2023 10:01 amHow do you interface your punch-in pedal with DP? My old 828 has a 1/4 inch jack for a pedal, but it's a PIA to set it up just to use a pedal.

One reason I replaced my 828mkII with an 828ES... that lovely pedal jack on the ES' back!

Other approaches would depend on your available hardware... got anything that talks MIDI (via MIDI or USB) with an unused 1/4 jack on it? I've got a Korg PadControl and a couple of keyboards that would fit the bill.

The plan would be to assign the pedal to an otherwise unused MIDI CC, then assign that CC to Record in DP Commands.

This would also do the trick:

https://www.audiofront.net/MIDIExpression.php

Unfortunately, currently out of stock. I know there are others...

Phil O · Post by **Phil O** » Thu Jul 27, 2023 4:53 am

thanks, HC

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Thu Jul 27, 2023 7:23 am

HCMarkus wrote: One reason I replaced my 828mkII with an 828ES... that lovely pedal jack on the ES' back!

I need to investigate how I might use that!

rickorick · Post by **rickorick** » Thu Jul 27, 2023 8:30 am

Try this. Cut the notes and then paste them back into the track. Also make sure the starts of the notes are right on the beat.
I also have 2 measures at the beginning I’ve been doing that since my MC 500 days and I would write
my charts in 8 bar phrases that would go 10,18 etc. and that way I always knew where I was in the song. Or leave more measures at the beginning in case you decide you want to put something extra in. There is so much one can do with DP.

Irimi Nage · Post by **Irimi Nage** » Fri Sep 29, 2023 9:15 am

Some VI's seem to be worse about this than others. For me Superior Drummer was terrible at this for years. At some point I changed computers or updated something and it's more normal now. Who knows.

I also have been with DP since the early days, and like others I also leave 1-4 bars at the start of every sequence. I do this with any sequencer really, even MPC's. FWIW I think I've noticed Logic doing the same dropped notes thing. Or some other sequencer, I don't remember atm.

At the moment I'm working on a song that only has 1 empty bar in front. Now that I"m most of the way through putting it together, I really wish I'd left more room for an intro sound that is just a little too long for the one bar of space I left.

HCMarkus · Post by **HCMarkus** » Fri Sep 29, 2023 9:21 am

Irimi Nage wrote: ↑Fri Sep 29, 2023 9:15 amAt the moment I'm working on a song that only has 1 empty bar in front. Now that I"m most of the way through putting it together, I really wish I'd left more room for an intro sound that is just a little too long for the one bar of space I left.

Drag across the Time Ruler at the top of the Tracks Window to select everything, then drag it all to the right a few bars.

Just remember that any takes that aren't showing won't move with everything that is visible.

Irimi Nage · Post by **Irimi Nage** » Fri Sep 29, 2023 9:25 am

That's exactly why I didn't want to do that yeah. Thank you though!

HCMarkus · Post by **HCMarkus** » Fri Sep 29, 2023 9:43 am

Irimi Nage wrote: ↑Fri Sep 29, 2023 9:25 am That's exactly why I didn't want to do that yeah. Thank you though!

"Show Takes" first, then move, then "Hide Takes," if the concern is significant.

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