Tip: Audio to MIDI in Cubase SX

[Sascha Franck]

Thought I would share this here.

Steinberg left out some features in SX that were available in VST, one of them being an option to copy hitpoints to MIDI events - which is a great tool to get, say, a trigger track out of a recorded kickdrum. You just can't do this anymore in SX. A pity, but:
Just today one of their developers shared the trick on the german Cubase mailing list.
Actually, it's so easy I was almost slapping myself for not having found out about it myself.

- Create hitpoints to taste. Probably adjust some of them manually.
- Make a quantize template out of them.
- Open an empty part in your key edit.
- "Brush" in notes (using the "+" tool).
=> Done
- In case you want to include the velocities of the source material, open the quantize settings and drag the velocity slider up to your likings, then quantize the created parts again.

This is actually working quite well.

[runagate]

I don't use Cubase but that's a really great tip to share!

So I bump it.

[Killvehicle]

YEs thanks, I will have to try this, since I have been looking for this type of solution for ages.

Again what is the reason they took out this feature to begin with??

[ericj23]

they took it out because they replaced it with this - that works better anyway - just in a typically steinberg fashion they did not explain it well in the manual

[Sascha Franck]

Hm, no, it's not exactly working "better". In earlier versions you could just paste the hitpoint data onto a MIDI track whereas you have to pencil the notes in manually now. Not a biggie, sure, but defenitely some more steps to do the same thing.

Regarding the manual, it's horrible. While I was fooling around with this feature I tried to delete an automatically created hitpoint. It's impossible. The manual however says that you could just drag it to the left outside of the sample editor window. Bogus. You can only drag hitpoints to the next one.
And as said, you can't delete auto-created hipoints, just manually created ones. What a nonsense.
Anyways, at least you can switch them on/off.

[Killvehicle]

Well I tried this and didnt get the results intended, perhaps by my error, but I did find a workaround in the meantime.

Basically I create the Quantize template and load it into the key edit, or drum editor. ANd at this point I expect I can just manually drag all the notes in, in one motion across, Just like I would if I had it set to say just a straight quarter note quantize, IN fact when I try this with my template all the quantizing lines disappear. NOW maybe its IM not sure exactly what the "+" tool is? I was using either the pencil in key edit or drumstick in the drum edit. Any obvious mistake on my part? and by the way I am still in Cubase Sx 2.2.039.

IN case anyone cares what my workaround was, IT was tedious but worked,

1.I created hitpoints
2. I created markers where the hitpoints where.
3. I opened drum edit and zoomed in to the highest degree
4. Using the key command shift N (to move to next marker) I manually insert note by note (the kick and then I did the snare in my case. ALthough I have to erase all the previous markers obviously and create all new markers for the snare). This worked real well(except for the eye strain and time, about 20 minutes each) and it helped out just in time as I am mixing a friends punk band, where it is not bad, but the drums are horribly recorded, the snare is only MIC'ed from underneath, Which I did not like at all and the bass drum is bleeding terribly, but I was able to extract the snare from the track anyhow..

[SJ_Digriz]

The removal of M-Points is still my biggest gripe with the move to SX. It basically crippled a process that worked very well for me when mapping free played live band material from multiple nights to create a "best version". M-Points made it trivial. Everything else is painfully slow.

This is interesting though for other purposes. I'll give it a try.

[Peel]

Sounds like the manual doesn't give SX enough credit; you can delete hitpoints by dragging them out of the waveform display in any direction (including through the top/bottom). It's still a weird way to delete them, though.
Good tip!

[cptgone]

Thanks for the tip!

[Sascha Franck]

NOW maybe its IM not sure exactly what the "+" tool is?

It's the "line" tool (tool #3 from top in key edit, not assigned to any numbers by default).
And yes, everything described should work in SX 2.x as well.

Peel: dragging the hitpoints upwards, outside the editor, did the job indeed. Thanks.

[ericj23]

the thing i most wanted from hit points is a sort of snap too nearest sort of thing - so saiy i told cubase the file was at 120 bpm and wanted it to snap to each bar it would find the nearest hit to that

then i could make an instant tempo map of long files

the functionality is almost there - but it takes ages and isn't very good (if there is any breakdowns with no obvious beat it place the markers very close to each other)

any ideas anyone ?

[Killvehicle]

NOW maybe its IM not sure exactly what the "+" tool is?

It's the "line" tool (tool #3 from top in key edit, not assigned to any numbers by default).
And yes, everything described should work in SX 2.x as well.

Peel: dragging the hitpoints upwards, outside the editor, did the job indeed. Thanks.

The LINE tool!!!,, damn I should have known,, you all have to excuse my limited MIDI techniques, I still use my DAW like a reel to reel tape deck, I try not to get to involved and just press record and try to nail my parts. But what a great tip for me,, thanks again Sascha..