Steinberg Cubase SX/SL 3 Operation Manual

23
MIDI processing and quantizing 

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Introduction
This chapter describes the various MIDI processing functions available 
on the MIDI menu. These offer various ways to change MIDI notes and 
other events, in the Project window or within a MIDI editor.
MIDI functions vs. track parameters
In some cases, the result of a MIDI function can also be obtained by 
using MIDI track parameters and effects (see page 492). For example, 
the MIDI functions transpose and quantize are also available as a...

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Quantizing
What is quantizing?
Quantizing in its fundamental form is a function that automatically 
moves recorded notes, positioning them on exact note values:
However, quantizing is not only a method of correcting errors, it can 
also be used creatively in various ways. For example, the “quantize grid” 
does not have to consist of perfectly straight notes, some notes can au-
tomatically be excluded from quantizing, etc.
• Normally, MIDI quantizing...

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Setting Up
At its most basic, setting up quantizing consists of selecting a note 
value from the Quantize pop-up menu on the toolbar (in the Project 
window or a MIDI editor).
By default, this allows you to quantize to exact note values (straight, 
triplet or dotted notes) only. If you want more options, select “Quantize 
Setup...” from the MIDI menu (or “Setup...” from the Quantize pop-up 
menu) to open the Quantize Setup dialog.
Straight note values...

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Any settings you make in the dialog are immediately reflected in the 
Quantize pop-up menus. However, if you want your settings perma-
nently available on the Quantize pop-up menus, you have to use the 
presets functions (see page 517).
The dialog contains the following settings:
Grid display
The grid display shows one bar (four beats), with blue lines indicating 
the quantize grid (the positions that notes will be moved to).
The Grid and Type pop-ups...

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Swing
The Swing slider is only available when a straight note value is se-
lected for the grid and Tuplet is off (see below). It lets you offset every 
second position in the grid, creating a swing or shuffle feel. When you 
adjust the Swing slider, the result is shown in the grid display below.
A straight eighth note grid compared with a grid with 62% swing.
Tuplet
Allows you to create more rhythmically complex grids, by dividing the 
grid into smaller...

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Presets
The controls in the lower left corner of the dialog allow you to store 
the current settings as a preset, available on the Quantize menus in 
the toolbars. The usual preset procedures apply:
•To store the settings as a preset, click the Store button. 
•To “load” a stored preset, showing the stored settings in the dialog, 
just select it from the pop-up menu. 
This is useful if you want to modify an existing preset.
•To rename the selected...

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The Random Quantize setting
This is an additional setting that affects the result of the quantizing. It 
allows you to set a “distance” in ticks (120ths of sixteenth notes).
Events will be quantized to random positions within the specified “dis-
tance” from the quantize grid, thus creating a more “loose” quantizing. 
Much like the Non Quantize setting, this allows for slight variations, 
while keeping notes from ending up too far from the grid.
The...

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Applying quantize
There are several ways to apply the quantize:
•The standard method is to select “Over Quantize” from the MIDI menu 
(or using a key command, by default [Q]).
This quantizes the selected MIDI parts or notes, according to the current Quantize 
pop-up menu setting.
•You can also apply quantizing directly from the Quantize Setup dialog, 
by clicking the “Apply” button.
•If you activate the “Auto” checkbox in the Quantize Setup dialog, any...

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Iterative Quantize
Another way to apply “loose” quantization is to use the Iterative Quan-
tize function on the MIDI menu. It works like this:
Instead of moving a note to the closest quantize grid position, Iterative 
Quantize moves it only part of the way. You specify how much the 
notes should be moved towards the grid with the Iterative Strength 
setting in the Quantize Setup dialog.
Iterative Quantize is also different from “regular” quantization,...