Comments on X1 Staff View Please

I'm using Sonar 7 and use the staff view the most for MIDI inputting, composition and sequencing.  I realize there are a few changes in X1 and a few new bugs, which, I assume, are being repaired, or have been.  My question is, besides moving things around, is the functionality of the staff view the same?

If you don't use the staff view, please, comments unnecessary, and for those who expect the staff view to be a full-fledged notation program, please understand that the function of the staff view is primarily inputting and sequencing, so comments about it not being up to par with Sibelius, Finale, etc., are not helpful.  Those composers who use the staff to sequence will understand what I mean.

Thanks!

Jerry Gerber
www.jerrygerber.com

backwoods


So you only want people who agree with you to comment. Hard luck buddy! 

I don't think Cakewalk should waste their time with "Staff" view when other companies have "gapless" audio, better tracking options and better automation.  

How you mistook my comments and twist them into "only want people to agree with you..." is beyond my understanding.   I am not interested in agreement or disagreement.  I am asking for information.   Why waste your time responding in an unhelpful way?  It doesn't serve you and certainly does not serve the original inquiry...

Best,
Jerry

There are small improvements and i've heard of a couple of setbacks.  So basically the same.  Note length in staff view has issues and bugs.  I generally will play notes into the staff view then "right-click" to edit length and other things so I don't seem to run across this issue.  When I do an orchestration i like to create a dummy track that acts as a lead-sheet (melody/chords).   Inputting chords seems to be easier in x1,  but I can't remember what it was like in earlier versions anymore.  

So X1 comes out about the same.  I'm hoping for major improvements in the future.     

Despite the negative comments you've had there are others of us who feel exactly as you do.  I wouldn't comment on Staff View in previous versions of Sonar because aside from certain well-documented reservations it did the job as an inputting tool.  I've never used PRV and rely on Staff View for a lot of note entry when not directly playing music in to MIDI or audio.
 
In X1, for me, Staff View has taken a few small steps backwards in terms of workflow.  In 8.5.3 and previous versions you could enter notes with a mouse while toggling both note duration, and the draw, erase, and select tool with the other hand, quick and convenient. You can no longer do this.  Note durations now have to be changed with the mouse, unless you change the key bindings, which have now (iirc) been given to the Nudge function - a compromise.  The toggle keys for draw, erase and select have also changed but are there, somewhere.
 
Thankfully, entering the notes from a MIDI keyboard, using the Step Record function, has not changed.  However, there is a bug (CWBRN 3836) preventing entering more than three 8th or shorter notes in a row -  the temporary workaround provided by CW is to turn off "Display All Times as SMPTE" in Preferences/Display, which solves this for now.
 
There is more prominence in Staff view, in X1,  for things like Lyric view and expression marks which to me, along with chord symbols and other notation-related elements, are irrelevant and pointless in a DAW like X1.  Maybe CW came under pressure to improve those 'notation package' aspects - I don't know, but for me they just get in the way.  Prior to X1 I couldn't care less if people tried to print out notation from Sonar, though it seemed pointless given that it is not really capable of producing readable parts, (I've worked as a copyist/arranger).  But if it is taking delevoper attention away from the real purpose of Staff View it gets irritating.  BTW I'm all in favour of export/import links with X1 from or to dedicated notation packages - which should suffice for anyone.
 
Those who say this is just retreading old ground and old threads should be aware that in X1 the slowdown of workflow pulled the issues into focus - prior to this I couldn't care less that some users were trying to print notation from Sonar.
 
Sorry for a long post but in summary Staff View in 8.5.3 was slightly better for workflow, in X1 it still works OK but showed a small movement in the wrong direction.

Please check these out - I believe Staff View could be made whole again if keybindings for Staff View would be re-enabled - this would allow Sonar Plus to add note value icons on in the Staff View as well as allow the user to use the duration key bindings as before.

http://forum.cakewalk.com...px?m=2287595&high=

(post #5)

http://forum.cakewalk.com...px?m=2260538&high=

(the whole thread is helpful, but post #4 shows what Sonar Plus could do if Staff View keybindings were
were repaired.)

Unfortunately in X1,  there is now a universal snap-to-grid value instead of separate ones for the various view, however I understand a work around would be to have different screen set (which can have their own snap value).

I'm really hoping a quick fix is just around the corner which will at the very least will restore Staff View functionality back to what was in 8.5.3.  It's really quite frustrating to have to take a step back in Staff View in X1.

For what it's worth, I do the majority of my work in Staff view.  I cannot imagine writing or arranging parts in piano roll or event list.

When I play parts, I go to Staff view afterwards to edit.

We each have our own styles.

The Cakewalk survey I got by email today indicates to me that I am correct when I say Cakewalk will never update staff view.  What do you think?