How do you manage patterns efficiently in SX now

[useruseruser]

How do you manage patterns efficiently in SX now?

Good old Cubase had many possibilities to do this efficiently. You were able to drag single patterns (parts), which you often need (i.e. bass and drum sequences) simply to the desktop or any file folder and vice versa for fast re-use.

Also you were able to create complete style tracks and had the possibility to copy parts completely into the genial pattern sequencer to play it transposed in realtime on the fly and so on.

But what do you do today inside SX to perform efficient arranging?

There seems to be nothing like that anymore. It's not even possible to save parts anyhow externally anymore.

Do I oversee something here?
How do you manage your patterns to save time. Is there anything alternative (i.e. a plugin) to take place here?

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[stefancrs]

save them as midi?

[useruseruser]

Right, but did you ever try it?

I expect something more intuitive. Drag and drop like the time before.
Export and import of MIDI is cumbersome like hell. Not applicable.

And what's with audio parts then?

Isn't that crazy, that nearly all intuitive functions of the old Cubase have removed completely without any replacement?

Is there an intuitive transponable pattern sequencer plugin with an efficient library function out there (at least for MIDI sequences)?

[stefancrs]

Actually I haven't tried it since I never re-use stuff (takes less time to make the part I want than to find the part I want in some part library ), but I thought you could drag'n'drop midi files upon cubase? (export as midi, drag'n'drop back in?)

[useruseruser]

No, merely export entire MIDI files via menu commands, not as single parts and not with Drag'n Drop.

D'nD import is possible, but then it inserts it as new tracks into the arrangement... cumbersome and unintuitive.

[useruseruser]

Actually I haven't tried it since I never re-use stuff (takes less time to make the part I want than to find the part I want in some part library )

Then you play in the "4 on the flor" or other drum and bass patterns each time new? And this is faster than draggin it to the track?

[useruseruser]

Is there an alternative to the good old Phrase Synthesizer of the older Cubase versions?

[stefancrs]

Actually I haven't tried it since I never re-use stuff (takes less time to make the part I want than to find the part I want in some part library )

Then you play in the "4 on the flor" or other drum and bass patterns each time new? And this is faster than draggin it to the track?

erm, no, I usually have several layers of beats going on in a tune. That does not mean it takes me a long time to make the beat I have in my head.
The actual "dragging it to the track" is fast, ofcourse, but finding a beat similar to the one (you'll never find the exact beat) you're aiming it might take some time.

I really don't use presets in synths either

[useruseruser]

The question is here not so much whether one "hates" any kind of presets or not.

It's more a question of efficiency if you for instance are under time pressure or don't want to waste any time for creating (repeatingly) standard elements of song arrangements again and again.

It's also a question of the individual working styles. Which don't necessarily mean, that everyone, who is intended to work efficiently is at same time a "preset junky".

And my experiences show, that trying different patterns randomly very often leads to surprising results, if you ones have a creative hole ...

Also very often I use ready designed patterns temporary to see the effect or simply to try out some things with ease and very fast.

But at the moment I am stopped to doing so due SX for a while now. And I discovered, that it steels me significantly my time, while working with this (new) host. It's really disappointing.

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