Steinberg Cubase 7 User Manual
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751 Transcribing MIDI recordingsThe Explode function Adding Display Quantize changes Very often, the score is fine except for a few bars somewhere. To remedy the problem, insert two Display Quantize changes with the tool (one at the beginning of the section, one after it to restore to the current staff settings). If you have mixed triplets and straight notes, it can be tempting to insert many Display Quantize changes. Before you do so, try the Auto Quantize options and their additional settings. See “If your music contains mixed straight notes and triplets” on page 774 for details. The Explode function This function allows you to “split” the notes on a staff into separate tracks. It is also possible to use this function to convert a polyphonic staff into polyphonic voices – this is described in the section “Automatically – the Explode function” on page 784. 1.Open the Scores menu, open the Functions submenu and select “Explode”. The Explode dialog opens. 2.Make sure that “To New tracks” is selected at the top of the dialog. 3.Enter the desired number of new tracks. Note that this is the number of new tracks to be created! For example, if you have a three-part polyphonic section and want to split this into three separate tracks, you must specify 2 new tracks, since the original track holds one of the parts. 4.Use the options in the bottom section to set up the criteria for the split. Choose from the following options: 5.Click OK. A number of new tracks are now added to the score and the Project window. !Create a copy of the original track first, because it will be changed by the operation. OptionDescription Split NoteUse this to move all notes below a certain pitch to another track. When this is selected, it is pointless to specify more than 1 new track. Lines To tracksUse this when you want all musical “lines” to be put on one track each. The notes with the highest pitch remains on the original track, the notes with the second highest pitch are put on the first new track, and so on. Bass To Lowest VoiceWhen this is activated, the lowest notes always end up on the lowest track.
752 Transcribing MIDI recordingsUsing “Scores Notes To MIDI” Using “Scores Notes To MIDI” For very complicated scores, there may be situations where you have tweaked the parameters for Display Quantize and Interpretation as best you can, and you still cannot get the score exactly as you want it. Perhaps one setting works fine in one section of the track and another is needed for another section. In such a case, “Scores Notes To MIDI” helps you out. It changes the lengths and position of some or all the MIDI notes in the edited parts so that they have exactly the values currently shown on screen. 1.For safety, go back to the Project window and make a copy of the track. 2.Open the part(s) again in the Score Editor. If you only want some sections of your score to be “converted”, make sure to only open those parts. 3.Make sure that the notes you want to affect are not hidden (see “Hiding/showing objects” on page 868). 4.Select “Scores Notes To MIDI” from the Functions submenu on the Scores menu. The notes are now “converted”. 5.Make whatever adjustments are needed to make the score read as intended. Now that the notes have the exact lengths and positions that were previously only displayed, you can probably deactivate many of the options on the Staff page of the Score Settings dialog and delete Display Quantize settings, etc. If you find the operation did not give you the result you were after, you can undo your settings or go back to the original track, make a copy of that, and start over.
753 Entering and editing notes About this chapter In this chapter you will learn: - How to make various settings for how notes are displayed. - How to enter notes. - How to use tools and settings to make the score as legible as possible. - How to set up a split (piano) staff. - How to work with multiple staves. Score settings Before you start entering notes, you need to make some initial staff settings in addition to those described in the chapter “The basics” on page 730. To understand why and how these settings and the note data in the score interact, please read the chapter “How the Score Editor works” on page 725. There are three ways to open the Score Settings dialog: •Make the staff active, open the Scores menu and select “Settings…”. •Double-click on the blue rectangle to the left of the staff. If this does not work, the “Double-click on staff flips between full score/part” option may be activated in the Preferences dialog (Scores–Editing page), see “Displaying single voices or the complete score” on page 731. •Make the staff active and click the “i” button on the extended toolbar. For this to work, make sure no notes or symbols are selected – otherwise, clicking the “i” button may open a dialog with settings for the selected object instead. The Score Settings dialog shows the current settings for the active staff. For detailed information on the Staff Settings dialog, see the chapter “Staff settings” on page 771. Applying settings and selecting other staves To make settings for another staff, simply make it active in the score (by clicking anywhere in the staff or by using the up/down arrow keys on the computer keyboard). ÖAlways click Apply before making another staff active – otherwise your settings are lost! Staff presets When you want to reuse settings made for one track in other tracks, you can save some time by creating a staff preset (see “Working with staff presets” on page 772). ÖThere are a number of staff presets available, set up to suit various instruments, etc. These are accessed via the Presets pop-up menu on the Staff page of the Score Settings dialog, or from the Staff context menu, opened by right-clicking on the blue rectangle to the left of the staff. Use them as they are, or as starting points for your own settings.
754 Entering and editing notesNote values and positions Suggested initial settings When you start out entering notes, your staff settings should make your score display the notes as entered. We suggest the following: ÖIt is very important that you understand how the Display Quantize values for notes and rests interact with the score. If you select too large a notes/rests value, the notes you “click in” may not appear as intended. Please read “How the Score Editor works” on page 725. If you have mixed triplets and straight notes, see “Display Quantize and Interpretation Options” on page 773. Note values and positions Two of the most important settings for entering notes are the length of the note (the note value) and the minimum spacing between notes (the Quantize value). Selecting a note value for input You can choose the length for entering notes as follows: •By clicking the note symbols on the extended toolbar. You can select any note value from 1/1 to 1/64 and activate/deactivate the dotted and triplet options by clicking the two buttons to the right. The selected note value is displayed in the Length Quantize field on the toolbar and also reflected by the cursor shape of the Insert Note tool. •By selecting an option from the Length Quantize pop-up menu on the toolbar. OptionDescription Display Quantize: Notes64 Display Quantize: Rests64 Auto QuantizeActivated SyncopationOff Consolidate RestsOff Clean LengthsOff No OverlapOff ShuffleOff KeyAs required ClefAs required Auto ClefActivate this if you want the program to select a treble or bass clef automatically. Display Transpose value0 Options tab settingsAs is Polyphonic tab settingsStaff Mode: Single (for split staves, see “Split (piano) staves” on page 766) Tablature tab settingsTablature Mode deactivated
755 Entering and editing notesNote values and positions •By assigning key commands to the different length values. This is done in the Key Commands dialog (in the category “Set Insert Length”). About unusual note values Not all note values can be selected directly, for example double dotted notes. Such notes are created by changing the length of the note after you have entered it (see “Changing the length of notes” on page 765), by gluing notes together (see “Lengthening a note by gluing two notes together” on page 765) or by using the Display Length feature. Selecting a Quantize value When you move the mouse pointer over the score the Mouse Time Position display in the status line tracks your movement and shows the current position in bars, beats, sixteenth notes, and ticks. Positioning on screen is controlled by the current Quantize value. If you set this to 1/8, for example, you can only insert and move notes to eighth note positions, at quarter notes, at half bars or at bar positions. It is a good strategy to set the Quantize value to the smallest note value in the project. This does not stop you from inputting notes at “coarser” positions. However, if you set the Quantize value to too small a note value, it is easier to make mistakes. The Quantize value is set on the toolbar on the “Quantize Presets” pop-up menu: •You can also assign key commands to the different Quantize values. This is done in the Key Commands dialog (in the category “MIDI Quantize”). •Just like in the other MIDI editors, you can use the Quantize Panel to create other Quantize values, irregular grids, etc. However, this is not often used when inputting score notes. The mouse position info While you often use the graphical position in the actual score to determine where the notes go, there are instances when you want to verify the position numerically using the mouse position info displayed in the status line. The Mouse Note Position display shows the pitch according to the vertical position of the pointer in a staff. The Mouse Time Position display shows the “musical position” in bars, beats, sixteenth notes, and ticks: •The relation between beats and bars depends on the time signature: In 4/4 there are 4 beats to a bar. In 8/8 there are eight, in 6/8 there are six, etc. With the Quantize value set to 1/8, you can only input notes at eighth note positions.
756 Entering and editing notesAdding and editing notes •The third number is the sixteenth note within the beat. Again, the time signature determines the number of sixteenth notes to each beat. In a quarter note based time signature (4/4, 2/4, etc.) there are four sixteenth notes to each beat, in an eighth note based time signature (3/8, 4/8, etc.), there are two sixteenth notes, etc. •The last value is in ticks, with 480 ticks per quarter note (and thus 120 ticks per sixteenth note). The figures below show some note positions and their corresponding position values: Eighth note positions Eighth note triplet positions Sixteenth note positions Adding and editing notes Entering notes using the computer keyboard A quick and easy way to enter notes, without having to decide on the pitch, position and note value first is using the computer keyboard. To enter a note, proceed as follows: 1.On the toolbar, activate the “Computer Keyboard Input” button. Now you can enter notes using the computer keyboard. 1.1.7.0 1.1.1.0 1.2.3.0 1.4.1.0 8/8 2/2 4/4 1.1.1.0 1.1.1.01.1.3.0 1.1.3.0 1.2.1.01.1.5.0 1.2.1.0 1.3.1.0 8/8 2/2 4/4 1.8.1.0 1.3.1.0 1.2.1.0 1.5.1.01.2.3.0 1.3.3.0 1.6.1.01.2.5.0 1.4.1.0 1.7.1.01.2.7.0 1.4.3.0 4/4 2/2 8/81.1.1.0 1.1.1.0 1.1.1.01.1.2.40 1.1.2.40 1.1.2.401.1.3.80 1.2.1.801.1.3.80 4/4 2/2 8/81.1.5.0 1.2.1.0 1.4.1.80 1.3.1.01.1.6.40 1.2.2.40 1.3.2.401.1.7.80 1.2.3.80 2/2 4/4 8/81.1.1.0 1.1.1.0 1.1.1.01.1.2.0 1.1.2.0 1.1.2.01.1.3.0 1.1.3.0 1.2.1.0 1.2.2.01.1.4.0 1.1.4.0 2/2 4/4 1.4.1.0 1.1.5.0 1.2.1.0 1.3.1.01.1.6.0 1.2.2.0 1.3.2.01.1.7.0 1.2.3.01.1.8.0 1.4.2.0 1.2.4.0 8/8
757 Entering and editing notesAdding and editing notes 2.Hold down [Alt]/[Option]. A note with the note value specified in the extended toolbar appears. By default, the insert position is the first position of the bar and the pitch is C3. You can however change this using the computer keyboard. •You can change the pitch of the note by using the up and down arrow keys. To transpose the note in octave steps, use the Page Up/Page Down keys. •To change the insert position of the note, use the right and left arrow keys. Note that for position changes, the Quantize value is taken into account. •To change the length of the note, hold down [Shift] and use the right and left arrow keys. This changes the note value step by step, passing from one Quantize value to the next. 3.To insert the note, press [Return]. The note with the specified pitch and note value is inserted at the selected position and the insert position for the next note changes according to the Quantize value. If you press [Shift]-[Return], the insert position does not change, allowing you to enter chords. Entering notes with the mouse To add a note to the score, proceed as follows: 1.Make the staff active. Notes are always inserted on the active staff, see “The active staff” on page 734. 2.Select the desired note value. See “Selecting a note value for input” on page 754. 3.If you select the note value by clicking on a symbol on the extended toolbar, the Insert Note tool is automatically selected – otherwise select the Insert Note tool on the toolbar or context menu. 4.Select a Quantize value. The Quantize value determines the spacing between notes. If you set Quantize to 1/1 you only can add notes at downbeats. If you set Quantize to 1/8, you can add notes at eighth note positions, etc. 5.Click in the staff and keep the mouse button pressed. The Insert Note tool changes into a note symbol (showing the note exactly as it would be inserted in the score). 6.Move the mouse horizontally to find the correct position. 7.Move the mouse vertically to find the correct pitch. ÖIf the “Show Note Info by the Mouse” option is activated in the Preferences dialog (Scores–Editing page), the position and pitch of the note is also shown in a “tooltip” next to the pointer while you are dragging. If you find that screen redraws are too sluggish, you may want to deactivate this option. 8.Release the mouse button. The note appears in the score. Accidentals are shown beside the note to indicate the current pitch. !If you activate the “Animate Note Cursor” option in the Preferences dialog (Scores– Editing page), you do not need to keep the mouse button pressed to see the note as it would be inserted in the score.
758 Entering and editing notesAdding and editing notes Adding more notes 1.If you want the next note to have a different length value, select the corresponding note symbol. 2.If you need finer positioning, or if the current value is too fine, change the Quantize value. 3.Move the mouse to the desired position, and click. Notes input at the same position are automatically interpreted as chords, see below. About the interpretation The notes may not always appear in the score as you initially expect them to. This is because there are a number of situations that require special techniques and settings. Below you can find a list of some of these and where to find more information about handling them: - Notes at the same position are considered parts of a chord. To get independent voicing (for example notes with different stem directions), such as for vocal material, you need to use polyphonic voicing – see “Polyphonic voicing” on page 779. Without and with polyphonic voicing - If two notes beginning at the same position have different lengths, the longer is displayed as a number of tied notes. To avoid this, you can either use the “No Overlap” feature (see “No Overlap” on page 776) or polyphonic voicing (see “Polyphonic voicing” on page 779). - One note is often displayed as two notes with a tie. This is only how the program displays the note, there is still only a single note “stored”. This single note in the Key Editor is displayed as two tied notes in the Score Editor. - Generally the program adds ties where necessary (if a note stretches over a beat), but not always. For more “modern” notation of syncopated notes (less ties), you need to use the syncopation feature, see “Syncopation” on page 775. The same note, without and with Syncopation - If you want a long note to be displayed as two (or more) tied notes, you can use the Cut Notes tool for this. - If a note has the wrong accidental, this can be changed. See “Accidentals and enharmonic shift” on page 793 for details. - If two notes on the same position are too close to each other or if you want their “graphical order” in the score reversed, you can do this without affecting playback, see “Graphic moving of notes” on page 805. - Stem direction and length is normally automatic, but you can set it yourself, see “Background: Note stems” on page 790. - If you are scoring for piano and therefore (or for other reasons) need a split staff, there are special techniques for this, see “Split (piano) staves” on page 766 and “Polyphonic voicing” on page 779.
759 Entering and editing notesSelecting notes Selecting notes In the operations described in the rest of this chapter, you often work on selected notes. The text below describes how to select notes: By clicking To select a note, click on the note head with the Object Selection tool. The note head gets colored to indicate that it is selected. •To select more notes, hold down [Shift] and click on them. •To deselect notes, hold down [Shift] and click on them again. •If you hold down [Shift] and double-click on a note, this note and all the following notes in the same staff are selected. Using a selection rectangle 1.Click in an empty area in the score with the Object Selection tool and keep the mouse button pressed. 2.Drag the mouse pointer to create a selection rectangle. You can drag to select notes on several voices or staves if you wish. 3.Release the mouse button. All notes with note heads inside the rectangle are selected. If you want to deselect one or more of the notes, hold down [Shift] and click on them. Using the keyboard By default, you can step through (and select) the notes in the staff using the left and right arrow keys. If you press [Shift], you can select a series of notes as you step through them. •If you are working with polyphonic voices, you step through the notes on the current track, i.e. in a split system, you step through the staves. •If you want to use other keys for selecting notes, you can customize the settings in the Key Commands dialog (in the Navigate category). Selecting tied notes Longer notes are often displayed in the score as one note with a tie. If you intend to select the entire note (e. g. for deleting), you should select the first note, not the tied note. Selected notes !There is a setting for this in the Preferences dialog (Scores–Editing page): If you activate “Tied Notes selected as Single Units”, the whole note is selected, even if you click on one of the tied notes.
760 Entering and editing notesMoving notes Deselecting everything To deselect everything, simply click in an empty area of the score with the Object Selection tool. Moving notes In the following, you can find descriptions of the various methods to move notes, as well as related features. Moving by dragging Proceed as follows: 1.Set the Quantize value. The Quantize value restricts your movement in time. You cannot place notes on positions smaller than the Quantize value (see “Selecting a Quantize value” on page 755). 2.Select the note(s) you want to move. You can select notes across several staves if you wish. 3.Click one of the selected notes and drag it to a new position. The horizontal movement of the note is “magnetically attracted” to the current Quantize value. The Mouse Time Position and Mouse Note Position displays in the status line show the new position and pitch for the dragged note. ÖIf the “Show Note Info by the Mouse” option is activated in the Preferences dialog (Scores–Editing page), the position and pitch of the note is also shown in a “tooltip” next to the pointer while you are dragging. If you find that screen redraws are too sluggish, you may want to deactivate this option. 4.Release the mouse button. The notes appear at their new position. •If you press [Ctrl]/[Command] and drag, movement is restricted to vertical or horizontal (depending on the direction in which you drag). •If you move notes vertically and the “Keep moved Notes within Key” option is activated in the Preferences dialog (Scores–Editing page), the notes are transposed within the current key only. Moving by using key commands Instead of dragging the note with the mouse, you can assign key commands for this: •The corresponding commands can be found in the Nudge category in the Key Commands dialog. •When moving notes to the left or right using key commands, the notes are moved in steps according to the Quantize value. The keys assigned for up/down nudging transpose notes in semitone steps.