manlian
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Best Quantize and Velocity settings?
I use staff view to write my midi tracks. During editing i insert the notes picking the durations (whole, 1/4, 1/8 etc) but to not waste time i don't change the velocity wich is set to the sonars default 100. As result i get a tune with perfect time synchronization, and full dynamics in every single note, but that's so bad when I'm trying to make let's say a smooth piano part, so i tried Cakewalks Velocity and Quantize midi plugins but i can't get something good so far and I'm here to ask which are the best settings you use to get this (as far as possible) human feeling from a track.
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CJaysMusic
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Re:Best Quantize and Velocity settings?
2012/08/23 12:09:15
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There are no best settings for these things. The best setting is the one that sounds best for that song and that song only. Its also a matter of personel preference, taste and the type of style & sound you are going for. CJ
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samhayman
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Re:Best Quantize and Velocity settings?
2012/08/23 12:25:09
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As a pianist, I would say it's impossible unless you do it note-by-note. And even that would 1) take you forever 2) you still won't get it right - close, but not right. Thing is, while you don't hear a velocity difference of 1 (for eg between vel 70 and 71), these little nuances are perceived by the ear as a whole. Especially when it comes to chords. Each note would have a different velocity value and if you comp the same chord 4 times in one bar, each note will be different. What you can try for velocity is right-click the clip -> Process Effect -> MIDI Effects -> Cakewalk FX -> Velocity. Then set to Limit (1 - 127) and activate the Randomize option and its Amount. (But you might want to set the upper limit to a 105 maximum.) What this will do is randomize your velocities by the amount of 'randomization' you input. It will give it a better feel I guess. Ideally for chords in the LEFT hand, you set the velocities from low to high - pinky to thumb. This is because the little finger is the weakest one while the thumb is the strongest. Reverse that for the right though. Especially if you're playing a 'chord melody' you would want the melody to be 'loudest' which is usually played with the little finger of the RH - i.e. uppermost note. For Quantization you could try the same floating menu but "Quantize...". It has the same "Random" option you can enable. Then again, someone else seeing your post might come up with a better solution :)
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ljhak
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Re:Best Quantize and Velocity settings?
2012/08/23 13:05:02
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I've been composing lots of piano songs using piano roll view and staff view with mouse clicking working instead of real time keyboard recording. So I think my manual sequencing methods may be helpful. After working with staff view finished(synced to grid, same velocity), go to piano roll view, then turn off snap resolution(f12). If there are chords, put each notes to different position very slightly by using mouse clicking and dragging left side of notes. Then it sounds more smooth and realistic. And set each velocities of every notes differently listening the track by using mouse dragging at the "controller window" at the bottom of the piano roll view. It is more convinient if right hand part and left hand part is saperated (2 tracks) so that you can solo right hand when you tuning right hand part and vice versa. Usually it is common that right hand part's average velocities are 70~95 in my case. Strong velocities above 100 is reduced for smooth sound. Average velocities of left hand are 40~60 so that right hand melody is always listened clearly. But yes, it takes very much times :) and yes it is boring and hand-stiffing working. But when the tuning finished, well-tuned song remains forever. If you need to use auto midi sequencing function, it is good to set the velocity range of each hand part I mentioned above. It sound well with any piano VSTi in avereage. In your case, it is not important to quentize as every notes made in staff view are already quentized perfectly. But if you need it in any case, I recommand to set quentize strength to 50~60 for natural feeling. JunL
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konradh
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Re:Best Quantize and Velocity settings?
2012/08/23 13:37:29
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The tricky thing is that different instruments have different points at which the velocity changes sounds. Most pianos sound much brighter over 100. Orchestra libraries may have samples that do not respond to velocity, or that change sound radically at 2-3 velocity points. Some guitar VIs switch to mute, harmonics, etc. based on velocity. I usually start everything at 70 or 80 and then adjust afterwards. One thing you can do is to use Control+Click with the Select (Arrow) tool to select all the notes you want set to a certain velocity and then use the Find/Change command. Example: highlight all the bass notes and set them to 80, then highlight all the lead or melody lines and set them to 100, then highlight all the chord/harmony notes and set them to 60. (Numbers are just examples.) One note: I do almost everything in Staff view, but I actually play the piano parts. I do a lot of clean-up and quantizing afterwards, but find playing is the only way to make the velocities right for expressive or solo piano parts. If it is a country rhythm/comp part, then I don't mind setting all the velocities to the same number.
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Jim Roseberry
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Re:Best Quantize and Velocity settings?
2012/08/23 13:50:11
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I use staff view to write my midi tracks. During editing i insert the notes picking the durations (whole, 1/4, 1/8 etc) but to not waste time i don't change the velocity wich is set to the sonars default 100. As result i get a tune with perfect time synchronization, and full dynamics in every single note, but that's so bad when I'm trying to make let's say a smooth piano part, so i tried Cakewalks Velocity and Quantize midi plugins but i can't get something good so far and I'm here to ask which are the best settings you use to get this (as far as possible) human feeling from a track. Even if your keyboard playing is less than stellar, I'd recommend trying to play the piano parts (as opposed to entering each note via the mouse). With a little practice, you'll achieve much more natural sounding results... with far less time/tedium.
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Bristol_Jonesey
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Re:Best Quantize and Velocity settings?
2012/08/24 05:33:10
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I think Jim's approach is the best - and the quickest! You don't have to learn the entire piece, just record it in small sections and don't be too fussy about accuracy, you can always edit the midi performance after the fact
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Kalle Rantaaho
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Re:Best Quantize and Velocity settings?
2012/08/24 06:50:13
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++1 to Jim and Jonesey. I, also, absolutely recommend playing instead of using staff view if you want some kind of natural touch in a reasonable time. As mentioned above, if you're playing skills are lacking (like mine) you don't need to be able to play more than a couple of measures, or even a few chords in one go, or you can even play first the right hand and then the left hand, and then do some manual editing. Still, you'll proceed much faster and get by far more natural result than going through the whole piece note by note changing velocities. Randomized velocities can be quite unnatural, as the software does not know the feel of the tune or the dynamics you're after.
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