MWS workflow questions

[txshonk]

I have been working with Midi WorkShop and have a few areas I still struggle with so I figured I'd try posting and see if others had reommendations.

1) Pitch Recognition (across tracks and the timeline) - having worked in othe midi sequencers with shaded rows on the track representing a keyboard I miss the ability to quickly look at the screen and see the pitches/harmony across the timeline/tracks. This week I found the Full Spectrum Note Color Mode in MWS and have been using that - I taped a reference sheet to my monitor of colors to pitches. I figure that in a month or two I will know without hesitation that a Bb is pink a G is is dark blue etc. But before I suck up more brain cells I figured Id solicit if anyone had other methods for quickly seeing the "harmonic arrangement" without having to learn something new (Note Color Map Chart).

2) Building a track from a sample (short Midi File Library) is another area I struggle a bit. I have a library of 1 to 16 bar midi files I would like to be able to quickly audition against a scratch audio mix and merge many midi files into a single midi track/tracks. I havent found a quick and easy way to do this in MWS. When I try the blend function with the hope of using ctrl < to undo if I dont like it I get results such as sometimes things will do an odd quantize, or several of the insert midi tracks will delete not just the last one inserted. And the biggest problem is when I blend the files begin to be inserted down consectutive tracks and not in the hot track. I have also tried MTC syncing SAW to Reaper - which works but tempo changes dont get sent from SAW to Reaper. The drop and drag functionality in the Reaper is exactly what I was hoping to accomplish in MWS. I guess to have thaT mws would need the library and regions functionality like in SAW. I guess I can use Reaper for the time line adjustments - but I hate to have to learn anymore than I have to in another DAW/sequencer. So if anybody has ways they have found that get thems building a midi track from a large library of midi tracks easily I'd appreciate them sharing.

3) Muting/unmuting several MIDI tracks at once. I have been looking for a way similar to groupings or selecting multiple channels in SAW to allow me to mute or unute several channels. Right now I find myself having to click the mute channel on the individual channels to turn the mute on and off.

Again any input if others run into similar problems and how they address would be appreciated.

Dave

[DavidandMary]

I agree that the Note Color Map Chart is worth memorizing Dave. I also use the Track Label Readout Display mostly. You can select a note and it tells you what you have. You can then left click that display and move notes around conveniently. Plus, the software Keyboard above shows selected notes in yellow. I use that for recording and for note recognition too.

For building tracks, I usually work on one track at a time and solo it. Then, using the Buildmix to hottrack function you can label the hot track the name for that MIDI track and convert the MIDI to audio faster than realtime if it is connected to a VSTi. Then, I right click the MIDI track and disable it. Rinse and repeat. You can get up some speed. It is just different than the drag and drop method. Gets me out of MIDI and into audio as quick as possible. VSTi's can be a resource hog as you know...

For mutes, use the Track Number Zone to select the ones you want to mute and then hit the mute light on one to mute all that were selected. At least that is what I think you are asking...

[txshonk]

David -

Thanks for the response. This is why I posted - I figured Id learn something new. I didn't realize once a note was selected I could drag the Note Box and a hand moved accross the keyboard up top changing the pitch of the selected note. Thanks for that tidit. I was always ctrl clicking the note and dragging up/down - and when programming drums and I wanted a C8 ride in Superior 2.0 I had to move the screen 2 times usually You just saved me 2-3 clicks on that. Thanks.

I have used the Build Mix to Hot track function - but a few times with Spectrasonics Trillian I get a glitch in the audio - and the only way I have found around it is to real time record and then I dont get the glitch - havent figured that one out yet.

And the mute - here is what I tried I click the several track numbers on the left of the midi multitrack - they become inverted. Now I will hit the mute button on one of the highlighted tracks and only that tracks mute light comes on. ARe you able to get several mute lights on with a single click? If so how?

Thanks again.

Dave

[DavidandMary]

Great Dave. You did a much better job of communicating the note box and the hand. Let me get back to the PC and check about the mutes. I am not confident now that you state it does not work for you! I will report back in a couple of hours...

[DavidandMary]

Well, I was wrong Dave. Forget the multi mute idea that I had before. It is not a problem though. Whatever channel is selected is the one that you hear. So, if tracks 1 & 2 are black and 3 & 4 aren't, you only hear 1 & 2. That was how I was hearing bits of things; I just forgot. Guess I was just thinking like the Multitrack in SAW. Forgot that the MWS is a bit different. Anyway, to hear parts, select them. Unselected MIDI tracks are not heard. Right clicking any selected track clears them all and then all are heard...

[Bob L]

The mutes do not follow the selected tracks... editing does...

I will add that to the list for the next update.

For comparing pitches across chords on a track, slide the mouse across the notes while holding down the left button... look at the midi keyboard... a better way to see the pitches, I think... or use the right button and hear the sound at the same time in scrub mode... then you can even add other tracks in scrub mode as well as all... as well as scrub vertical thru a chord for one note at a time... read the scrub options in the helpfile.

Bob L

[txshonk]

Bob -

Scrub is cool and I will make sure I read that section of the manual again - making sure I understand the functionality of scrubbing across - but It doesnt allow me to look at the tracks like I would a score - following the harmony and motion. Once I get the color scheme of notes in my brain and then add scrubbing to my toolbelt Ill probably be a very happy camper.

Any word on if you plan to add region/library functionality to MWS?

Dave

[Bob L]

The region idea is at the top of the list... but no current plans for notation... I'll leave that to Seballius.

Bob L

[txshonk]

Bob -

I dont have any expectations or hopes that SAW ever become a notation software. I was just looking for other possible ways of looking at 4 or 5 midi tracks across the timeline and finding ways for my brain to process them similar to how I would looking at a score.

Glad to hear midi regions are on the list.

Thanks

[mako]

"I'll leave that to Sebellius."

I agree - good call Bob.

cheers mako

[arandal1]

Hello All,

I have Halion and really love it. The only issue I have is playing sustained strings through midi work shop. I step drawed notes in MS and when I play it back, MW plays notes with unwanted sustain and missing most of the notes that have been drawn. MW only seems to do this with sustained strings (giga format). Please advise as to how I can fix this issue, and thanks in advance!!

http://www.sawstudiouser.com/forums/images/misc/progress.gif

[Bob L]

Try using the Midi Short Message compatibility option for the midi port attached to Halion.

Bob L

[arandal1]

Okay thanks, I will try this and will let you know the results. Thanks for your response!!!

[arandal1]

Okay, I tried and still get the same results. I checked to see if the same would happen in FL Studio 8. It played fine in FL8...even with overlapping notes, and there was no additional sustain/delay/decay added to the notes that were drawn. Maybe there is something wrong with buffer settings? Its almost like MWS is not reading or translating the note begining and end information fast enough when it comes halion and sometimes kontakt. As I said earlier, this is mainly with strings and guitars in kontakt and giga format. I really love the workflow of MWS as compared to FL8, and would love to find a way to be able to do all my midi in MWS in regards to Halion ad Kontakt VSTi's. Thanks in advance for your further assistance!!

[Bob L]

Well... next try playing back the samw MWS data thru a few other vst synths... we have seen this before and in most all cases, the data plays fine in other vsts... which seems to indicate that MWS is not missing or skipping note on/off data... but somehow the specific vsts are having trouble with the data passed....

This is a hard one... can you send me one of the MWS files and I'll see if I can duplicate the problem with one of my vsts...

Then, mayb e I can find a clue as to what the plugin wants from MWS that it may not be getting.

Bob L

[John Ludlow]

Dave, as an alternative, you could pick up a version of Cakewalk Music Creator for about $35 and do your midi composition in there. When you get done midi-recording and view the result on either treble or bass staff (or piano roll, or midi events) you'll likely see that it butchered your intent by not recognizing what you really meant when you pushed a little ahead or behind the time. But, the pitches and note length are all easily construed at least. It also has a lot of other non-midi features that you won't use, since you have SS, and there are things that Midi Workshop does that Cakewalk does not - but you can always move the Cakewalk-created midi file into the SAW domain for humanizing, etc. after you've composed. But, bottom line: for $35, you get to compose on a staff just as you always have, so you can't really go wrong with whatever else is missing (starting with accurate and complete documentation).

[arandal1]

Hello Bob,
The problem doesnt seem to be with Kontakt or Halion. MWS plays Halion, EXS, Kontakt, and wave files perfect. The issue seems to be with Giga files, and as I stated before, and its maily with sustained strings sounds. Also, are you familiar with Soundlib G-Player? This is stated to be the all in all solution for giga samples. I downloaded the demo, but SawStudio cannot load the plugin. The error message is "trouble loading filter".
Also I will email you a copy of the edl. Thanks in advance for your response!!!