KVR Audio

moonlite · Post by **moonlite** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 1:57 pm

currently I use logic, which supports it, but it's not very handy there.

I think this way of entering notes was born with trackers, so all trackers I know of support it. then again, they don't support drag'n'drop editing of the song structure, which I find essential.

Cubase supports this too, afaik, but I don't really like cubase. (should try out sx3 asap, though)

c'mon now, you must know what I'm talkin' about. you select for instance 1/16 notes as the note length and play a melody on your midi keyboard as offbeat (of offrythm) as you like, and the melody is still recorded as rock solid sixteens. when you need a pause (an empty sixteenth), you just push a button on the keyboard, like "space". so this all reminds me a lot of typing. (you don't type in the same rythm as you speak or read).

AFAIK muzys and tracktion don't support this. If they would, I would very likely be using one of them rigth now. PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong .. since both of these seem genious. but I just can't stand editing all melodies etc with the mouse. and since i'm not a very skillful piano player either, I find very tedious trying to match the beat, change the tempo, record several loops, correct with mouse, quantize etc etc etc ..

so, If there's any soulmates of mine out there, I'd love you to share your knowlege and methods, since I seem to be quite lazy in learning and testing out new software =( .. PLEASE help me. music is my life, and I'd REALLY like to make it easier than logic (5.5.1, on PC) allows me to =(

I'm interrested of any sequencers capable of this, and even programmable arpeggiators, if you find that it would be a perfect way to do this.

thank you in advance =)

C00kie · Post by **C00kie** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 2:08 pm

You don't want a sequencer, you're looking for a tracker. Trackers like BUZZ are all made this way: input the notes & events in a grid so you don't need to play keyboard or paint notes with the mouse or do quantisize.

moonlite · Post by **moonlite** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 2:14 pm

[quote="C00kie"]You don't want a sequencer, you're looking for a tracker. Trackers like BUZZ are all made this way: input the notes & events in a grid so you don't need to play keyboard or paint notes with the mouse or do quantisize.[/quote]

actually, I've been involved with trackers for over 10 years now, and that is enough to know that a tracker is /not/ what I'm looking for. sorry.

a tracker style entry would be cool as an option, though ..

Mephit Blue · Post by **Mephit Blue** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 2:16 pm

Hmmm... I do realtime recording the most, but I actually use a combination of realtime and step editing in my work.

My main instrument isn't keyboard, so I do have to go in and do some editing with the mouse afterwards as well. However, I often don't want it to be perfectly on the beat as I want to preserve that played by hand feel that comes with it not being exactly perfect. This means something that quantized my playing to 16th notes or something wouldn't work for me.

For drums and some simple bass lines where I either want it right on the beat or don't mind it being that way I will use a step sequencer like Matrix in Reason or the step sequencer in FL Studio.

moonlite · Post by **moonlite** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 2:23 pm

[quote="C00kie"]You don't want a sequencer, you're looking for a tracker. Trackers like BUZZ are all made this way: input the notes & events in a grid so you don't need to play keyboard or paint notes with the mouse or do quantisize.[/quote]

you see, I just don't find trackers flexible, fast (as in fast to make complex songs with), (or even stable) enough. but let's not get into that. I've tested trackers enough to know that they don't deliver what I want today.

there are still 3 things I like about trackers.
1. the fact that it stores everyghing you need to reconstruct the song into one file.

2. the editing of samples is easier in trackers. now I have to use soundforge with a sequencer which I find terribly tedious

3. the step edit environment for notes.

quincy · Post by **quincy** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 2:25 pm

EnergyXT

Best 39euro you'll ever spend on music software. And it keeps getting better. Powerful Sampler + improved live performance features on the way.

moonlite · Post by **moonlite** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 2:32 pm

quincy wrote:EnergyXT :D

Best 39euro you'll ever spend on music software. And it keeps getting better. Powerful Sampler + improved live performance features on the way.

hum, I've read good things about energyxt .. but does it do this "step record" kind of thingie?

and does it do it well? (!)

Sepheritoh · Post by **Sepheritoh** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 2:37 pm

I use a combination of real time playing (guitar->convert-to-midi & keyboard) and mouse-in-the-piano-roll.

I rarely use step sequencing.

Amberience · Post by **Amberience** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 2:39 pm

Damnit. whenver I wanna pimp XT, some f**ker beats me to it!

Thanks Quinc

Yeah. XT supports step recording and realtime recording. Does both very easily too.

quincy · Post by **quincy** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 2:42 pm

moonlite wrote:
quincy wrote:EnergyXT

Best 39euro you'll ever spend on music software. And it keeps getting better. Powerful Sampler + improved live performance features on the way.
hum, I've read good things about energyxt .. but does it do this "step record" kind of thingie?

and does it do it well? (!)

I believe it does do step record, but i don't personally sue it. Thats the other thing with XT, you could spend a week noon to midnight with it and you'd only scratch the surface.

I'd suggest you ask this question regarding XT in the XT forum(here at KVR), the regulars there are very helpful and will know for sure if it can do what you want.

Its been called the "swiss army knife" of music software, and that really isn't an exageration. The uses for it are practically endless, once you appreciate the modular nature of it.

And it'll almost certainly fit into your existing setup if you don't need it as a host, just a plugin.

Amberience · Post by **Amberience** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 2:49 pm

Amberience wrote:Damnit. whenver I wanna pimp XT, some f**ker beats me to it! Thanks Quinc

Yeah. XT supports step recording and realtime recording. Does both very easily too.

Ahem...

papawillow · Post by **papawillow** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 2:51 pm

Making Waves has Step, Realtime and Loop recording modes,, they have a forum here at KvR,, try the limited-use V5 beta or V4.95 demo. I may be able to help with questions but there are others who use and know it way better than myself.

farlukar · Post by **farlukar** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 2:56 pm

Amberience wrote:
Amberience wrote:Damnit. whenver I wanna pimp XT, some f**ker beats me to it! Thanks Quinc

Yeah. XT supports step recording and realtime recording. Does both very easily too.
Ahem...

relax dude, it just means some people are even slower than you

Anyway, yes, eXT.
And I want a multiple option poll, or else I'll have to make some dupe accounts to cast three votes

SuitcaseOfLizards · Post by **SuitcaseOfLizards** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 7:05 pm

I do all of my playing "live" in realtime, due I guess to my background as a guitar player (now turned keyboard player

). I've done a little step-sequenced stuff in Orion Platinum, which works a treat.

If you don't already own something, then you definitely want to check out EnergyXT. If I didn't have OPlat to ReWire into Tracktion, I'd have bought eXT ages ago.

lawapa · Post by **lawapa** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 7:26 pm

Most of the time I simply enter everything using the piano roll view in Sonar 3 P. If I record real time I still end up going over it to edit it as the sequence evolves. If I was more musically inclined I'd use a staff program and just enter the notation. I'm thinking one of these programs would have the best step entry utility but I've never used one so I can't advise. But it would make sence that a dedicated staff entry program would have all the short cuts at your finger tips.

KVR Audio

which hosts support step record/step edit/step entry/etc ..?

how to you record you'r midi or vst etc tracks?