newbie accomodation

[KrzysiekK]

Hello

I am completly new to this software (found out about it today). Forgive me if the issues I talk about were already discussed (please redirect if so). I decided to look closer at it because I am looking for replacement of my current sequencer (Tracktion 3). It amazed me that most of these features I need are hidden in this simple interface.

The missing features I would be glad to see are:

- audio clips fading (fades per clip rather than x-fade); simplified audio clips editing, like "split at cursor" function; amp+pan per audio clip
- "inline" roll piano view (timesynced with other tracks; not opened in a separate window)
- realtime audition of any notes put into roll piano editor / notes selected in roll piano (incl. range selected notes)

there might be probably some more I am not aware of yet.

Thanks
Krzysiek

[MuTools]

It amazed me that most of these features I need are hidden in this simple interface.

That's the intention. Simple interface, powerful features. Working on it further.

The missing features I would be glad to see are:

- audio clips fading (fades per clip rather than x-fade); amp+pan per audio clip

On the whishlist.

- simplified audio clips editing, like "split at cursor" function;

Should be there: right-click a part and choose "Split".

- "inline" roll piano view (timesynced with other tracks; not opened in a separate window)

Not likely to come soon.

To be honnest i don't see the big advantage of 'inline' editors because most of the time they are or too tiny to be handy or too big and are almost an editor on their own. And having to change sizes all the time is a waste of time imho.

I would rather invest in another FR: support 'ghost' views of other sequence parts in the Sequence Editor so that you see certain parts in the background while editing a sequence part.

Anyway, topic open for discussion.

(note that it's definitely nothing for version 2.0 anymore which is reaching its final state)

realtime audition of any notes put into roll piano editor/notes selected in roll piano (incl. range selected notes)

Though it may not yet be 100% what you're asking, this tip:

Alt+click on the middle of a note monitors that note.[/quote]

[KrzysiekK]

Thanks. This is what I call great support.

- simplified audio clips editing, like "split at cursor" function;

Should be there: right-click a part and choose "Split".

Right, but when I use this split function, I can see editor window and the split point must be entered manually. Or I missed something.

I would rather invest in another FR: support 'ghost' views of other sequence parts in the Sequence Editor so that you see certain parts in the background while editing a sequence part.

Yes, this is what I need.

Though it may not yet be 100% what you're asking, this tip:
Alt+click on the middle of a note monitors that note.

Thanks I will try as soon as I am back in studio


Best regards,
Krzysiek

[MuTools]

Right, but when I use this split function, I can see editor window and the split point must be entered manually. Or I missed something.

So i assume you're using version 1.1.

In MU.LAB 2.0 this has been improved.

MU.LAB 2.0 will be released in a couple of weeks, but a usable test version is already available at http://www.mutools.com/downloads.html

[pquenin]

To be honnest i don't see the big advantage of 'inline' editors because most of the time they are or too tiny to be handy or too big and are almost an editor on their own. And having to change sizes all the time is a waste of time imho.

I would rather invest in another FR: support 'ghost' views of other sequence parts in the Sequence Editor so that you see certain parts in the background while editing a sequence part.

Anyway, topic open for discussion.

What I love in Tracktion, is that you can put clips (midi or audio) over others, and you can see those that are behind by transparency. It's very usefull when you want to create a midi sequence and put notes over an audio clip and follow the audio "tempo". Or on the contrary, cut and rearrange you audio parts so that they match the midi grid...
So seeing parts in the background is a good idea, if we can choose what we can see behind the current clip.

I also love the inline editor in Tracktion because it's another way to show multiple sequence at once so that you can see if your events are synchronized.
But I understand that this is difficult to bring such a feature in Mulab without breaking it's charm and simplicity.

[KrzysiekK]

you can put clips (midi or audio) over others, and you can see those that are behind by transparency.

This is one of my wishes regarding Mulab, too. I noticed I can overlap the clips (it is audibly OK) but I can't see the events of any overlaped clips.

[KrzysiekK]

Though it may not yet be 100% what you're asking, this tip:
Alt+click on the middle of a note monitors that note.

Yes, this workaround really works, but unfortunately it does not tell me how a note sounds with given velocity. Also I can't mark eg. a chord and audition it.

The split really works in expected way in 2.0 version.

I have one suggestion regarding features - I would like to be able to move transport cursor freely (by dragging it with mouse) in whatever place of sequence I click. Seems to me like currently the cursor is not draggable and can be placed in given position of seqence only by pressing LMB in the upper part of composition (where bars/loops are displayed). I noticed that pressing MMB has no effect in the MULAB - what about programming it for moving the cursor freely around the whole composition?

Also, eg. Shift+mouse roll combination could be used for horizonal zoom in composition view (currently I can't find a way to zoom horizontally using mouse roll).




Thanks,
Krzysiek

[MuTools]

Yes, this workaround really works, but unfortunately it does not tell me how a note sounds with given velocity.

If you alt-click the middle of a note, it's played with that notes velocity. If you alt-click the background, it plays that key with a fixed velocity.

Also I can't mark eg. a chord and audition it.

Added to the whishlist: Alt-click selected note => monitor all selected notes.

I noticed that pressing MMB has no effect in the MULAB

It does: it selects the other mouse tool.

[KrzysiekK]

If you alt-click the middle of a note, it's played with that notes velocity.

ah, right

Added to the whishlist: Alt-click selected note => monitor all selected notes.

thanks

It does: it selects the other mouse tool.

excuse my overlooking.


Btw. I've found a strange behavior that when I resize the application frame using RMB, the "hand" cursor freezes and have no affect in any region of the application until I press LMB.

I also experienced weird roll piano resize issue. I will write about it as soon as I find out how to reproduce it.

Krzysiek

[KrzysiekK]

I also experienced weird roll piano resize issue. I will write about it as soon as I find out how to reproduce it.

OK, it looks following:

1. Run an application in around half of the screen height size. Open roll piano editor
2. press vertical zoom "-" button so many times to minimize the view completly. You should see tiny roll piano keys to the left of the screen now
3. maximize the application to the full size
4. note that roll piano view has not been adjusted to the new application size. You will still see tiny roll piano and a lot of free space above the roll piano.
5. the weird effect is when You press a LMB in empty region above the roll piano keyboard view, the notes (?) are auditioned.




Btw. another suggestion: when putting a new note with LMB into the roll piano, and keeping the LMB pressed one can decide about the length of note by moving mouse left/right. However moving the mouse up/down does not have any effect - what about setting the velocity of the new note by moving up/down mouse with LMB pressed?


And an another weird thing: when nothing is selected and "Edit->Zoom selecteds" is chosen, all the sequences disappear and I see an empty composition window, even with no bar marks.

FYI I tested all of these issues with E version. Same problem

Best regards,
Krzysiek

[MuTools]

OK, it looks following:
1. Run an application in around half of the screen height size. Open roll piano editor
2. press vertical zoom "-" button so many times to minimize the view completly. You should see tiny roll piano keys to the left of the screen now
3. maximize the application to the full size
4. note that roll piano view has not been adjusted to the new application size. You will still see tiny roll piano and a lot of free space above the roll piano.
5. the weird effect is when You press a LMB in empty region above the roll piano keyboard view, the notes (?) are auditioned.

I'm convinced this behaviour doesn't 'hurt' at the moment.

Will invest the spared dev-time into more prioritized items on the whishlist.

Thanks for mentioning!

Btw. another suggestion: when putting a new note with LMB into the roll piano, and keeping the LMB pressed one can decide about the length of note by moving mouse left/right. However moving the mouse up/down does not have any effect - what about setting the velocity of the new note by moving up/down mouse with LMB pressed?

Could be confusing for newbies imho, because they may 'accidently' insert notes with very low velocity -> not hearable -> confused.

And an another weird thing: when nothing is selected and "Edit->Zoom selecteds" is chosen, all the sequences disappear and I see an empty composition window, even with no bar marks.

I just checked it here, both in the code as in practice, all ok.

I think something must have been selected, maybe you didn't notice.

If you're sure there is a problem, please give me a step by step how to repeat it. Thanks.

[KrzysiekK]

And an another weird thing: when nothing is selected and "Edit->Zoom selecteds" is chosen, all the sequences disappear and I see an empty composition window, even with no bar marks.

I just checked it here, both in the code as in practice, all ok.

Well, I simply opened the demo project and issued this operation. I can reproduce it with any project newly opened. I doubt anything is selected when new project is opened.

I cammed a short video:

http://www.live-styler.de/kksound/SelectedsBug.avi

Best regards,
Krzysiek

[MuTools]

I'm sorry man, my fault: i checked it in the sequence editor, where it is fine indeed.

But you're right, the composer needs some tuning on that aspect.

Thanks.

[KrzysiekK]

It happened to me that I disconnected USB MIDI device while running MULAB when I wanted to free an USB port. Everything looked fine until I visited MIDI Setup dialog, just for curiosity, but it didn't even appear - the whole application just freezed and had to kill it manually.

1. I opened MULAB and the device I disconnected was already one of these choosen on the MULAB MIDI IN list
2. I disconnected this device (causing that this USB port disappeared from the system)
3. edit -> MIDI setup; the dialog did not appeared though focus has been taken from the main window

second way to reproduce:

1. I opened MULAB and the device I disconnected was already one of these choosen on the MULAB MIDI IN list
2. I opened MIDI setup dialog and then disconnected the device and pressed OK in the dialog
3. the focus did not even returned to the main window, the program freezed


Also, horizontal bar slider of piano roll should be reworked - it is extremly sensitive. Move it just one pixel to the right and it travels from bar #1 to bar #246712, an another pixel and the current bar is #493422 when it is moved further to the right a large amount of number is exceeded and an application freezes. To reproduce, simply import this MIDI sequence and open it in roll piano:

http://www.live-styler.de/kksound/LS-8BtHiString.mid

Another freeze I experienced after importing the following MIDI file and trying to open any of its tracks for editing (the piano roll did not even showed up):

http://www.live-styler.de/kksound/1DOOM.MID

Besides, I can't find a way to use MIDI OUT ports in MULAB. I select several ports in MIDI setup dialog but when I want to use any of them as sequence target there are no MIDI outputs listed ("No MIDI Output"). I tried to find something in documentation but with no luck. What do I do wrong?

Now, there are severe problems with recording overwrite mode (seems like it is still under development).
These are following:
- record some MIDI messages once and tell the program to put them into sequencer by overwritting data
- record again and tell it the same - the messages will be recorded in incorrect place, and the sequence will be artificially expanded. Now when I try moving transport after ending point (look at the image below) a message is generated:



tell me if more details are needed.



Btw. a question - is there poly pressure support planned? I know it is rare as a hardware controller but quite common in sequencers.


Best regards,
Krzysiek

[MuTools]

Processing...