Completed Midi Editing?

[Creativemind]

Hi All!

To me it seems silly that (with Reason 8 being 'Workflow' based) Reason 8 didn't complete the midi editing. To me, 'Midi Editing' has got to be one of the top 3 most workflow things to complete. I have 13 things that I can think of that to me that need implementing in (I would guess now) Reason 9, as it's probably too big a deal for a point version. To me it would enhance Reason dramatically.

What do you guys think of my 14 suggestions, and are there any you would really like to see that I haven't mentioned?

I really really hope Propellerhead sort this is R9.

1) Selecting multiple notes at once individually - Say by holding ctrl down (like you can by selecting random channels on the SSL for grouping) using the pointer tool, and then you could lengthen / shorten, make all the same length, delete etc. Great for patterns where a certain note or notes in every bar say needs to be uniform or lengthened / shortened. Also usable for points 2 and 3 in this list.

2) Muting Notes with Mute Tool - at the moment it just mutes the whole clip doesn't it and many times I've been doing a piano sequence with chords and a bass notes/s and I've been struggling to find where the bass notes should be etc. I've soooo needed to mute the chord part or the bass part and had to resort to duplicating the track and device and having the bass line and chords on different tracks then copying one back over. As said in point 1, also muting of multiple random notes previously selected, and also usable if you've grouped a section by boxing it.

3) Cutting notes with the Razor Tool - Pretty self explanatory, and again, also applies to grouped random notes using point 1's idea too. So if you've selected a whole load of random notes using point 1 idea, then you cut either of the now selected notes and they all cut, and cut individual notes of course.

4) Reversing of notes - Maybe by right clicking and selecting 'Reverse Note/s'. Usable with point 1 on this list again.Then to signify the note is reversed, the note/s have a border of some kind?

5) Improve the Graphics of the Midi Piano and Have Key/s Depress with a shaded row - I think the piano in the midi editor is good but it could be a lot better looking graphically. I would also like to see the key or keys depress on the piano too (a cool effect) in correspondence to the key or keys you press on your midi controller, and also it should put a shaded row across the midi editor to show you where the note you are pressing is in relation to the rows or notes already on the midi editor. A very useful thing.

6) 3 Toggle Buttons - Toggle on/off buttons somewhere in the midi editor for 1) Trigger Notes Whilst Editing 2) Displaying all notes on the Midi Piano Keys & 3) Displaying Notes on the Notes themselves. Obviously with number 3, when pressed, the notes would get larger to accommodate this.

7) Folding down of the Midi Editor - A fold / unfold toggle button to hide rows that don't have notes in them for parts with many octaves say that go off the screen.

8) Mirror Copying / Pasting of Midi Note/s - When you copy a selection and drag it over, the ability to flip it around, like a mirrored copy.

9) Chord Painting - Select a chord type from a list, Minor, Major, Sus4th, powerchord, maj7th etc and then you put perhaps, an A4 note into the midi editor, and you get that chord painted in to an A4. So if you clicked on Minor7th, click A4th and you get an Am7 in the 4th Octave, voila!

10) Harmony / Audio to Midi - Converting audio parts to midi notes.

11) See Multiple Midi Clips at once - However this may be done (Seen a previous post on this and some great suggestions. Have a look). Ghosted regions / parts / onion skins behind the current clip, or layered above somehow.

12) Brush Tool - Maybe Not necessarily a Midi Editing feature here, but a brush tool added to the tools where you could drag snare rolls for instance or notes in the midi editor. Also could be adjusted to every 1/4, 1/8th, 16th step etc. It's default would be 'straight after the last note / no gap'. Also, this brush tool would/could be used in the sequencer to drag midi and audio clips in the same manner, which would be great for doing stuttering effects with audio.

13) Splicing Notes back together - Joining notes back together by boxing or selecting and doing ctrl/j

and finally -

14) Fixed Note Lengths Whilst Recording - Again maybe not a Midi Editing feature per se but maybe a button on the Transport. I sometimes like this for dance tracks, then I will adjust note lengths after. I know I could just box them and make them the same length after recording a part, but would just be a) cool b) less hassel & c) quicker and less time consuming.

I've also got a 14th actually. Quite hard to implement I think though. When you have a pattern you have created, a 4 bar sequence say, then the key changes say in the next bar or whatever. Sometimes, when you copy the same pattern over and change the octave, some notes don't fall in the right musical place due to the scale. A way of making Reason detect this and adjust accordingly, but this may be impossible not sure. Very hard anyway.

Thanks for reading.
Your thoughts?

[raymondh]

The two features I'd like to see most in the sequencer are:

- polyphonic step entry from a midi keyboard. Step entry is extremely useful. There's a good monophonic step sequencer but it's not the same as being able to enter notes in step time directly into the piano roll. Every other good DAW does it (in fact even my crummy old Yamaha CX5 music computer did it back in the 80s) so I'm not sure why Reason can't do it.
- See / Edit MIDI from multiple tracks/lanes simultaneously. If I have a kick drum lane, snare drum lane, hats lane etc, I'd like to be able to see and edit them all together.

[Goriila Texas]

Not sure I follow 1and 3 because you can already select multiple notes and shorten/lengthen them.

[selig]

Not sure I follow 1and 3 because you can already select multiple notes and shorten/lengthen them.

I was going to say the same thing - also that splicing means to join. When you spice tape you first cut it then splice it together (using splicing tape, naturally). I'm guessing you mean cutting/razoring in the context of the other things you mention?

Most of the other things you mention are standard features for years in other apps, so I too would hope for them to be added and SOON!

[Creativemind]

You are right there yes. I thought it was called the 'Splice' tool, is it the razor? I meant Razor yes. And yes 'Step Time Editing' a big plus too. As for already being able to select multiple notes Gortilla Texas, do you mean randomly, which is what I meant, not boxing them with the pointer tool. I meant holding ctrl and clickng (with the pointer tool) to select random notes anywhere in the midi editor.

[Creativemind]

- See / Edit MIDI from multiple tracks/lanes simultaneously. If I have a kick drum lane, snare drum lane, hats lane etc, I'd like to be able to see and edit them all together.

What do you mean by this, being able to reposition the edit windows so you can easily see them all together?

[Creativemind]

I just changed number 3 to cutting with the razor tool and added joining notes back together on number 13. Sorry for the confusion.

[submonsterz]

As for already being able to select multiple notes Gortilla Texas, do you mean randomly, which is what I meant, not boxing them with the pointer tool. I meant holding ctrl and clickng (with the pointer tool) to select random notes anywhere in the midi editor.

gorilla texas is right yes you can do the selecting notes and how you said holding the right ctrl key while selecting each note individually anywhere in the clips.

[Creativemind]

gorilla texas is right yes you can do the selecting notes and how you said holding the right ctrl key while selecting each note individually anywhere in the clips.

Oh my god, you're right. To be honest never tried it. Amazing. Perhaps I should have tried it before posting haha!

Next is to be able to cut them with the razor and mute with the mute tool then because lengthening, shortening or making all the same length using the arrows at the top and pressing equals obviously works.