DP Beginner - Is there a tutorial on how to use QuickScribe?

[stubbsonic]

I've worked SO much in piano roll mode that it has practically become my "native" language. I can see things quite clearly there. Managing note lengths, visualizing velocity, and of course seeing music patterns in that way are quite clear. But that's no diss on notation. I just have worked this way for a long time. I barely look at QuickScribe during the composition phase. I start working in QS when I'm ready to start preparing parts for printing.

[Shooshie]

Okay thanks I'll give that a go.

I'll never understand how people manage to write counterpoint and harmony without being able to see a score! :S

I remember a point back in about 1994 when I remarked to my musical collaborator that I really didn't need the score anymore. I could "see" the music in the graphic editor. It is a score of sorts, in that it shades the background like a piano keyboard so that you can easily see which note name applies to any given note. The length of the notes is literal and time-based rather than the shorthand we use in notation. When your tracks are color-coded per part, and you view all parts in the single MIDI graphic editor window, the Graphic Editor view really makes a lot of sense.

That said, I am an experienced player and conductor who could never give up on the printed score completely. It's just that when I arrange or compose in MIDI within DP, I really don't need it. For an audio-only file, however, a printed score is essential.

Shooshie

[twistiejoe]

Okay, I've been trying to learn how to do this, but it's taking some time. I suppose the trick might be to just keep trying, but really, does ANYONE know of a tutorial for using this? I've been search YouTube and Lynda.com to find one but it seems like NO-ONE covers it at all, and I'm really wanting to be shown how to do it.

Anyone know of one at all? Would really appreciate this!

Thanks.

[Shooshie]

When I started seeing the MIDI Graphic Editor Window as a visual, graphical score, I was working in MIDI from 12 to 16 hours a day. You get very familiar with your tools when you do this. Plus, I was being paid a lot of money to do it, which gave me the incentive to move as quickly as possible. It's really not that hard to do. I suggest taking a little time to stare at your MIDI work in the editor window and let your eyes and mind roam all over the window, picking up all the clues.

Any note is the intersection of X and Y axes, Time and Pitch. The left side of the window shows the pitches. It may help to keep a MIDI/frequency/note chart handy, as in hanging on a wall next to your desk or chair. Here's the one I made for myself years ago. That way, you can easily tell what octave you're in, based on the pitch key at the left side of the Graphic Editor Window.

Keeping your normal zoom levels consistent may also help you with the Time axis. I like to be able to see 8th and 16th note divisions in the timeline, but I'm quick to zoom to whatever level serves my purposes at any given moment. Learn your keyboard shortcuts for zooming. (see the Mini-Menu at upper right corner in any window with timeline based tracks: MIDI Graphic Edit Window, Sequence Editor, Drum Editor, Tracks Overview... have I left out any?)

The size of the MIDI notes should give you a broad view of the vertical range, but should also be large enough to grab easily with the mouse. That zoom is at the upper-left corner of the Graphic Editor window. Also, look up "zoom" in the Commands Window (SHIFT-L).

I work with the MIDI Graphic Editor at full screen. Let me repeat that: I work with the MIDI Graphic Editor at full screen. In order to make that possible, I use Mission Control/Spaces to give me several virtual monitors, and I can switch to any window in a fraction of a second.

I try to keep the MIDI section of the window large enough to see the entire range in which I'm working without having to scroll. That definitely helps to see the piano roll as an actual score.

And one last step: for working in MIDI, I only use the MIDI Graphic Editor, not the Sequence Editor. And I use it with the preferences set for one window showing all the MIDI tracks together. You can instantly close all but one track by OPTION-CLICKING the track's name in the track list to the left of the window. COMMAND-CLICK will show all tracks except for the one you clicked. To restore all tracks to the view, COMMAND-CLICK, then CLICK. Use color coding that distinguishes each track and makes it easy to see them and work on them. Switch colors when you need to improve the contrast and definition of a track by creating a QuicKeys set for colors. This video shows how colors and themes can help improve contrast in tracks, and how QuicKeys can make switching color schemes very fast for experimentation. (I recommend viewing at HD resolution, full screen)

Learning to see the score really just takes time. All the instructions above help to standardize your view and improve your agility within the window, but seeing it is just a matter of letting yourself see what is really there. I don't know if it can be taught.

Shooshie

[labman]

Well written Shooshie. And I agree stay away from the sequence editor for MIDI. We to only use the MIDI editor.

[twistiejoe]

Thanks for all of your advice and experience.

I'm afraid I'm going to just sound stubborn here.

I've been sequencing a lot for over three years, but I STILL have to start many scores either by hand or in Sibelius (print out and start again or import MIDI).

I can't believe you can read a piano roll like that - because, for example, can you view SEPARATE piano rolls of SEPARARTE tracks in parallel like a score?

Here's an example - I often write counterpoint in 16th notes. Admittedly I wouldn't have to do that all the time, but I have on at least two or three occasions. Are you telling me that you can actually read and think of counterpoint rules when you see a piano roll!?!? I can't believe you can do that - it seems almost impossible to me.

If the music is simple, then SURE I can read a piano roll too. But if I'm scoring an animation, and I have frequent harmonic changes and lots of little motives and doublings with different instruments and things like that, surely reading a piano roll for music like this is impossible - no???

I look forward to more of your responses. Maybe I'm just being stubborn, but I have been working in Logic for nearly 3 years now ... and before that Cakewalk, but I often find myself having to at least begin with a score ...

Any more tips much appreciated.

[cuttime]

Quickscribe is not that complicated. Just spend a little time with it.

[twistiejoe]

Quickscribe is not that complicated. Just spend a little time with it.

Yep, I am getting the hang of it. It's just taking some time.

I keep losing the QuickScribe tool palette and I'm right now going through the manual.

I'm sure I'll work out how to get it back but let me know quickly in case I don't find it soon

Thanks everyone.

[twistiejoe]

Lol and I worked it out.
Okay I'm liking this so far!

But now my friends are telling me that Cubase is the future ... should I listen to them!?

haha (sorry to start a whole new conversation )

[stubbsonic]

I can't believe you can read a piano roll like that - because, for example, can you view SEPARATE piano rolls of SEPARARTE tracks in parallel like a score?

Here's an example - I often write counterpoint in 16th notes. Admittedly I wouldn't have to do that all the time, but I have on at least two or three occasions. Are you telling me that you can actually read and think of counterpoint rules when you see a piano roll!?!? I can't believe you can do that - it seems almost impossible to me.

If you wanted to view the piano rolls separately and linked, it is is doable but would require quite a bit of vertical space on your monitor. However, itt would kind of defeat the purpose. Showing them together on the same piano roll is the key to seeing the counterpoint. Color coding the tracks shows each tracks notes as a different color. The only hitch is with doublings (unisons) which are a little harder to see. But I bet Shooshie has a good work-around for that. I do a lot of the kind of clicking on the tracks list to show & hide in various ways to see what track is doubling what.

All that said, there certainly isn't any reason you should switch your work method if it is working for you. DP let's you work in lots of ways.

For composers who do counterpoint, the MIDI tools in DP are untouchable. If you are thinking about Cubase, you might be able to start a new thread and hear from DP folks who use Cubase, too.

[twistiejoe]

Thanks Stubsonic and Shooshie. Really appreciate your advice and insights.

[Shooshie]

Thanks for all of your advice and experience.

I'm afraid I'm going to just sound stubborn here.

I've been sequencing a lot for over three years, but I STILL have to start many scores either by hand or in Sibelius (print out and start again or import MIDI).

I can't believe you can read a piano roll like that - because, for example, can you view SEPARATE piano rolls of SEPARARTE tracks in parallel like a score?

I'm not sure this subject deserves the attention it's getting, and it's way too difficult to describe my work-quirks in a way that you'd get. But I'll answer as simply as I can. The answer to the above is a yes & no. If you read my previous post, you know that I look at all tracks in one MIDI window, each track separated from the others by color. Many notes will cover other notes depending on which track is in front. You control which track is in front by using the little "pencil" icon in the track list of the MIDI Graphic Edit Window. Whichever track has the marker will be the frontmost track.

Here's an example - I often write counterpoint in 16th notes. Admittedly I wouldn't have to do that all the time, but I have on at least two or three occasions. Are you telling me that you can actually read and think of counterpoint rules when you see a piano roll!?!? I can't believe you can do that - it seems almost impossible to me.

No, I don't read the piano rolls as a score for sightreading, though I could do that slowly. Remember, we're working with music that we arranged, composed, or at least played into the MIDI tracks. I'm familiar with what's there. The piano roll is a reference that shows me what's going on at any given range of time. I already know what's actually there. But I can look at the piano roll and immediately see what note I'm looking at; the pitch lines are laid out in shades of background color or gray such that they resemble a piano keyboard: white keys divided by 2 + 3 black keys per octave.

Again, we're not looking at parallel MIDI tracks, as in the Sequence Editor. We're looking at ALL the music in one window, one piano roll. The tracks are color-coded. The parts are quite clear.

If the music is simple, then SURE I can read a piano roll too. But if I'm scoring an animation, and I have frequent harmonic changes and lots of little motives and doublings with different instruments and things like that, surely reading a piano roll for music like this is impossible - no???

No, it's not impossible, but I'm not recommending it as the new score replacement. Part of what makes it work is that you become familiar with what idiomatic phrases and motifs look like.

I used to conduct live concerts with the Graphic Edit Window as my only score. I preferred it to Quickscribe, because it was more accurate for following the time, which was quite rubato. Again, I remind you that we're working with music with which we're very familiar. I wouldn't want to play Rachmaninoff from a piano roll score.

I look forward to more of your responses. Maybe I'm just being stubborn, but I have been working in Logic for nearly 3 years now ... and before that Cakewalk, but I often find myself having to at least begin with a score ...

Logic? Ah... there's your problem! Just joking, of course. Nobody's advocating dropping the score when you need it. All I'm saying is that the information is on the piano roll, and when you are in a hurry you find yourself just following it and using it like a score. Sooner or later you will be seeing intervals, octaves, arpeggios, scales, chromatics, patterns, without even thinking about it. It just comes from working a lot in that format.

Shooshie

[midney]

Hello,
Try using Notation Editor (manual pg. 421). You can build-up an array of MIDI Notation windows (video monitor real-estate permitted). That’s where you can apply dynamics to the instr. parts (visually and audibly), manipulate controllers, etc. This unfortunately cannot be done in the QuickScribe Window. Also QuickScribe does not advance scrolling linearly, but the Notation windows do. Also if you write large scores using QuickScribe (i.e. 1000 meas. or more with 50 MIDI trks) be aware that DP8.6 will crash (not DP8.4 thou) we reported this to MOTU. No such issue in Logic. We don’t use the MIDI editor much – the Lego-Block approach is not so appealing to classically trained folks. After you done your arranging, go to Sibelius via MIDI export and apply slurs, markings, hairpins and anything needed for printing final parts for individual instruments. I’m sure you already know that.
Use Option+SpaceBar for auditioning individual notes, phrases or chords.
Boris Midney
MOTU, VSL, et al.

[Shooshie]

We don’t use the MIDI editor much – the Lego-Block approach is not so appealing to classically trained folks.

I know you weren't trying to slight those of us who use and love the MIDI editor, but you'll find that quite a number of us are symphonic performers and concert soloists and conductors.

When the graphic editor window (piano roll) came out in about January of 1992, I went through a sort of "classical snob" period in which I literally equated it with a piano roll, and figured that nobody could make classical music with something better suited for saloons in the old wild west. So I continued to use the event editor, and I kept doing my serious scores in Professional Composer, The Mac's (and MOTU's) first engraving software. That snob period lasted about 3 days. Once I started using it, I realized it's "all in the wrist." A little practice in the graphic edit window, and Skryabin never sounded so good!

Shooshie

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Was that a slight agin' the saloons of the West pardner? Iffin it were, meet me at high noon outside the saloon. Or meet me high at noon inside the saloon at the piani and we"ll roll a few tunes.