Two thoughts on future enhancements

[fycfung]

Hi Jo,
I had two thoughts on features that might be convenient eventually. One would be to have an (switchable?) option to have a note play whenever it is drawn in on the sequence editor. The other would be to have an option so that, when a note is pressed on a MIDI keyboard when editing in the sequence editor, then the horizontal line for that note gets momentarily darkened/highlighted. This would let someone kind of pick out the melody on the keyboard one note at a time and see which line to draw the next note in on.

How do these sound in principle?

Thanks!

[> DiGiT <]

i like the line idea, its hard to see what note youre on now especially when youre all the way at the other side of the window...

[muzycian]

Both suggestions added to the whishlist!

[muzycian]

On second thought: The Note Editor has shaded keylines. Doesn't that make clear on which note you're drawing?

That's even better than an indication of the mouse-key on the keyboard at the left because then your eye needs to go to the keyboard and back. Now with the shaded key lines, you have key indication wherever you're working, no eye movement needed.

[pljones]

The other would be to have an option so that, when a note is pressed on a MIDI keyboard when editing in the sequence editor, then the horizontal line for that note gets momentarily darkened/highlighted. This would let someone kind of pick out the melody on the keyboard one note at a time and see which line to draw the next note in on.

Step record from MIDI in might be another alternative...

[> DiGiT <]

true but i think the idea is to accomodate as many working styles as possible... at least i appreciate software that does that.

[fycfung]

I'm talking about a transient darkening of the whole horizontal line starting at the key on the left and going all the way out, just for as long as the key is pressed. This way, if I'm working on, say, the 7th note, I can see where that is when I press the key on the keyboard.

The thing about step recording is that maybe I don't really know how to play the hook I want, but I can kind of find it. But if I step record in the usual fashion, then I'll get all the false notes. Also the durations will be tricky to get right.

[fycfung]

Just to amplify, this is for those times when you're noodling around trying to write a pattern down, rather than knowing what it is well enough to step record it in one shot.

Also, regarding the constrast in the bars, I'll really glad you implemented it; one comment I have is that I think it would be great if there was a little more contrast between the light and dark bars (I actually got hte idea from looking at the screenshots in the Snoman's Dance Music Manual; there, you can see what I had in mind).

Thanks again!

[muzycian]

About the midi->note editor thing (incl step recording): that's certainly on the todo list

[muzycian]

one comment I have is that I think it would be great if there was a little more contrast between the light and dark bars (I actually got hte idea from looking at the screenshots in the Snoman's Dance Music Manual; there, you can see what I had in mind).

Any graphics to illustrate this?

[fycfung]

one comment I have is that I think it would be great if there was a little more contrast between the light and dark bars (I actually got hte idea from looking at the screenshots in the Snoman's Dance Music Manual; there, you can see what I had in mind).

Any graphics to illustrate this?

Here's a sample page from the Dance Music Manual's website, dancemusicproduction.com. I'm not sure what program this is, but the contrast is a bit higher. Right now, Luna is kind of "slightly darker grey on grey" and I think a little darker grey on the lines for the black keys would help greatly.

[muzycian]

Here's a sample page from the Dance Music Manual's website, dancemusicproduction.com. I'm not sure what program this is, but the contrast is a bit higher. Right now, Luna is kind of "slightly darker grey on grey" and I think a little darker grey on the lines for the black keys would help greatly.

Ok, i see.

Personally i think the grey-differences are ok now, it's not too soft, not too hard.

But i guess that may differ from screen to screen.

Maybe it could become some kind of preference, or a skin aspect.

Added to the whishlist.

[deleted]

DELETED

[fycfung]

Just to elaborare on my suggestion before about the bars flashing dark when a note is pressed on an external keyboard: I was trying to pick out a tune on Luna, and for me, I might be able to hum the tune, but I might not know exactly which note it is until I hear it. So what I want to do it be able to hear it and then write it in at the appropriate position. If I play the note by clicking on the key, then I have to go to the left of the screen and then back (which would be easier for me if the dark bars for the black notes are a little darker). What would be nice would be to be able to put my mouse at the position where I want the note to go, and then hit the external controller key, get the corresponding row to flash dark, and then I could draw in the note there.

I suspect that such a capability will be very appealing to those CM readers who may not be good enough at note-reading/writing to really be able to figure out, without any such clues, which note to lay down next, without looping the track over and over to see if it sounds "right".

Thanks!

[muzycian]

maybe we can get a window with note properties for the marked note ( pitch,note# ... )

Yes, that's on the whishlist.