Assembling MIDI tracks from multiple takes

[ceedub]

I've used DP forever, yet I have a really basic question. The comp tool is great for audio tracks and I use it all the time. What's the best workflow for assembling a MIDI track from multiple takes?

Thank you.

[CharlzS]

Something that looks great on paper and mostly for simple stuff . . . Select a section with the I-Beam (so you get all the underlying controller data) and pack that into a clip. Repeat on the different sections you want to use. Assemble those clips into a new track. Having snap to grid would be easiest for selections. I've fooled around with this but not with anything demanding/complex.

[stubbsonic]

I rarely do MIDI comping, but I often do score consolidation which I suspect is a similar workflow.

What I do is create the destination track. Using the drag handle in the Tracks (overview) I move the destination track below the current source track. While viewing the source track in the MIDI Editor, I select the notes that I want to move to the destination track. Then I can either click in some neutral space on the Tracks window, or type SHIFT-T to bring the Tracks window to the foreground. My selection persists, so I option-drag (drag a copy of) the selection to the destination track. CharlzS's suggestion to use the I-beam for selection to catch underlying controller data is a good one. I think I've been bitten by not selecting in that way.

Using SHIFT-T and SHIFT-G to toggle the tracks & MIDI editor windows to foreground, I repeat the process as I make careful selections and drag copies to the destination track. When ready to move to the next track, I drag the destination track adjacent to the next source track.

While in the MIDI editor, I can view more than one source track at a time, but with multiple takes, it might be difficult to suss what you are seeing, or hearing. As a side trick, if I know I'll have overlapping notes, but need to see two unison tracks, I have sometimes dragged one entire track up an octave, then used a MIDI insert plugin to transpose the playback back down an octave. This way I can view the two tracks at once and perhaps avoid covered notes.

[HCMarkus]

Multiple MIDI-only tracks addressing the same MIDI destination is what I typically do.

Erase unneeded MIDI data, keeping the good parts from each track while watching out for CC overlap issues (you know, like that hanging sustain caused by an unrequited cc64...) Once everything is working right, MIDI data can be consolidated by dragging and dropping on the master MIDI track if desired.

Tracks window is easy to work with for much of this, as dragging and dropping always takes all notes and data along with it. Working from copies of your takes assures that no precious take data is lost

[stubbsonic]

These are cool tips.

Track colors are your friend.

I use the Merge command for combine tracks en masse.

Having a clear mental map of what you might need in the way of preserving your work along the way is important. Not just preserving the original performance but at certain iterative stages.

[ceedub]

Thank you for all of this great information.

Most often, I turn takes into tracks, create a new MIDI track, and copy and paste sections of the takes onto the new track.

Obviously I long for all the functionality of the comp tool with all the flexibility of MIDI.