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RB AND Sonar/Cakewalk both feature PianoRoll MIDI entry and editing.

I'm not a big proponent of MIDI sequencing via Notation, because notation simply cannot easily provide enough of the necessary entry paramaters. For example, a trained live musician inherently knows the various rulesets involved with how long a Quarter Note or 8th should be played within the given situation. Notation entry, on the other hand, will yield all Quarter Note values as dead equal and that is not inherently a good sounding musical representation.

By far my most favorite method of MIDI part implementation is Recording to the click in realtime using a MIDI Controller of some sort, though. That delivers a performance that will sound exactly like what you played when you played it, yet offers the note-level Editing of MIDI when needed for cleanup and such.


--Mac

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Midi production and editing in Reaper is excellent. It's something that's been developed significantly over the last couple of years. I use it regularly.


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Originally Posted By: sslechta
Yeah Rockstar, I use the piano roll mode to edit MIDI. It's much easier than trying to mess about in the Event list.





+1. Sonar X3.

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Originally Posted By: Mac

The MIDI engine inside today's Sonar is pretty much the exact same and good MIDI engine that many of us came to know and love from back in the days of Greg Hendershot's original Cakewalk. ...
--Mac

I concur. I would add that the SONAR X series (X1, X2 and X3) has now given us a smart tool that adapts quicker to what you want to do when editing MIDI.


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Originally Posted By: VideoTrack

Matt, can you advise which program you like to use for Notation editing?
I agree with the comment from Rich that MIDI editing in RB is somewhat cumbersome compared to other programs.
Thanks
Trevor

Trevor, I haven't used RealBand so I can't compare, but as to Notation programs, I have used Encore for 23 years. I have also been a beta tester for them for the last decade. I love the user interface in Encore (though I still use BIAB for most data entry!).

Although I have used Sibelius and Finale, I don't like their user interface by comparison to Encore, and only use them when I am forced to.


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Another +1 for Sonar. I do extensive MIDI editing and Sonar X3d is the easiest to use IMO. I use the piano roll view (PRV) to do most of my editing. I find that much easier than using the notation view. However I use the notation view when I hear something not quite right as it is easier for me to see there than in the PRV. For example hearing an F someplace during a D chord and knowing that it is not suppose to be there.

Good luck in your search.


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Originally Posted By: Mac
RB AND Sonar/Cakewalk both feature PianoRoll MIDI entry and editing.

I'm not a big proponent of MIDI sequencing via Notation, because notation simply cannot easily provide enough of the necessary entry paramaters. For example, a trained live musician inherently knows the various rulesets involved with how long a Quarter Note or 8th should be played within the given situation. Notation entry, on the other hand, will yield all Quarter Note values as dead equal and that is not inherently a good sounding musical representation.

By far my most favorite method of MIDI part implementation is Recording to the click in realtime using a MIDI Controller of some sort, though. That delivers a performance that will sound exactly like what you played when you played it, yet offers the note-level Editing of MIDI when needed for cleanup and such.


--Mac


I agree with this 100%. Step entry or notation based entry is tedious at best, and stressful at worst for me.

I like PG's implementation of a hybrid for post-fat-fingered-recorded-mistake editing. I can read note values much more quickly; instantly honestly, on staff than I can with alternating colors on a piano roll display. I guess an analogy would be the difference between the standard block lettering found on an engineering drawing, versus the same drawing with cursive writing on it.

Alternatively, take a look at Mixcraft's piano roll - the head of each note bar on the roll is identified with pitch value. Zoomed out, this could be a mess, but zoomed in, for precise midi note editing, a nice way of going about displaying pitch value directly. Surely they can't be the only folks that do this.


Last edited by rockstar_not; 02/06/14 12:46 PM.
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In doing a little bit more research, it appears that a program called 'Notion' also implements a PG like hybrid between staff notation and 'bars and pipes'.


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BB, RB and PT also have the excellent StaffRoll view, very handy for quickly editing Note placements, Velocities and Durations quickly.


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Originally Posted By: Mac
BB, RB and PT also have the excellent StaffRoll view, very handy for quickly editing Note placements, Velocities and Durations quickly.







I couldn't find that screenshot - that, in my opinion is the best post-recorded midi editing representation available. Are all PG programs like that? If so, IMO that's the high water mark, for editing.

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Yes, the Staff Roll Notation Mode of editing can be quite useful.

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I'll point out that you can paint yourself into a corner by trying to use only one of the MIDI editing/entry methods for all tasks.

Find out which method does a specified task the easiest, or the fastest, or in the most logical fashion for you and don't be afraid to switch between Notation, Staff Roll or PianoRoll views, also don't neglect MIDI Monitor and the other fine MIDI event editing tools as well.


--Mac

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I agree, it's not the only one.

I often prefer Piano Roll, and Event List edits for finer adjustments, especially for note position and velocity. Piano Roll is great if you want to say move a selected group of notes by an octave, third etc.

Like you say, all have a place somewhere or other.


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I use Cubase Le4, with a Zoom R16 as my controller. It is the DAW that came with the Zoom; before that I used Real Band exclusively, but I like being able to move the faders with the Zoom in real time, I can also mute and solo outside the box. I wish Real Band would add Zoom controller to their list. I liked real band!


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Personally i find Sonar, and PT, RB to have pretty good midi tools, Reaper to me is still lacking in midi, but is making steady progress.


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Hi Rob,

That was true of older versions of Reaper. The present version, though, is excellent from a midi perspective. I use it often.

Regards,
Noel


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Hi, Trevor !

I use Mixcraft 6 because
it was suggested to me
by members of one of the
Shadows´sites that I use
to post on !:) It handles midi
pretty nicely and it was very
affordable too !:))

Cheers
Dani

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I love Sonar, but would rather have one of these:



http://www.ebay.com/itm/Studer-A827-24-T...=item3f300ad4e7

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Originally Posted By: 90 dB
I love Sonar, but would rather have one of these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Studer-A827-24-T...=item3f300ad4e7


Sell your car and its yours! That is a sweet deck though.




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Originally Posted By: 90 dB
I love Sonar, but would rather have one of these:




AIIGGHHHH!

To own one, you MUST be able to MAINTAIN one.

Even when brand spankin', the maintenance was near continuous.

The old analog decks DID sound wonderful with electric guitars, though, but don't for one second succumb to the idea that one can expect it to perform as designed from day to day without either being able to electrically, electronically and mechanically perform the necessary repairs and adjustments needed from day to day themselves, or have enough cash overhead available at all times to hire someone who can.

Guys who show up in lab coats who have German or Swedish sounding first names, speak little English - until it come time to fill out the Invoice for Services Rendered.

And don't try to find fresh reels of good magnetic tape for the things now, either. Today we are down to one $ource...


--Mac



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