How to Keep Empty 'Space' at Beginning of MIDI Clip

OK, here's something that's been driving me crazy about Cakewalk DAWs since I started using them in the 90's. :)
 
When you record MIDI, the beginning of the clip is where the first note exists, NOT where the recording was started.  So then what happens? You copy 'n' drag the clip somewhere, snapping it to the beginning of a measure, and guess what? It's not properly aligned since the first note in the clip is hitting on the beginning of the measure, rather than where it should be hitting.
 
So-- is there a setting that will create the left edge of the clip at the point where recording started, versus where the first note was recorded?
 
Thanks!
Bryan

ralf
...you can drag the left edge of the clip after recording to snap to a measure...

 
And to ensure that the empty space at the start of the clip remains the way you set it, you could insert a silent note at the start, e.g. something out of range or some other event that has no noticable effect.

bcgreen@gmail.com
OK, here's something that's been driving me crazy about Cakewalk DAWs since I started using them in the 90's. :)
 
When you record MIDI, the beginning of the clip is where the first note exists, NOT where the recording was started.  So then what happens? You copy 'n' drag the clip somewhere, snapping it to the beginning of a measure, and guess what? It's not properly aligned since the first note in the clip is hitting on the beginning of the measure, rather than where it should be hitting.
 

 
i couldn't agree more. put in a feature request. you got my vote (if that makes any difference these days in the bakery?)

ralf
I don't know if there is an option to achieve that.
 
But you can drag the left edge of the clip after recording to snap to a measure. Then, you can drag the clip to move/copy, and it will snap to the beginning of the clip, not to the first note.

that's about the only thing I know as well ... but when you "bounce to clips" (for MIDI) it's reset, same if you drag to the browser and back. some sort of auto-insert of a silent note or customizable non-effective CC where the recording started would help a lot.
 
what also helps is setting your snap to "move by" instead of "move to" when moving MIDI clips around. this way the stay aligned to the beat

Kev999
 
you could insert a silent note at the start, e.g. something out of range or some other event that has no noticable effect.

This ^^^^ Has been my method for years now.
I simply insert a "dead note" at the beginning of the measure. I also do this to ensure all my tracks line up-
(Audio and Midi Tracks for export to another DAW if sending it to another producer).
 
This is just the way Midi works. Unlike audio, if there is no data there, there is no track there.
I believe this is universal (All DAW's work this way) not just a Sonar thing.

I set snap to @ measure and drag the end of the clip to the beginning of the previous measure.  If my memory is right, there used to be a time when selecting measure would ensure the wherever one dragged or pasted a MIDI clip, it would start the MIDI data at the correct place in the measure, whether the data began at beat one, OR NOT.  I believe this was in the days before the Sonar X versions.  Does anyone else remember this?  I find either workaround annoying.

chuckebaby

bcgreen@gmail.com
^^^ Cakewalk is the only DAW I've ever used that does this, actually-- and I've literally used them all. :)

 
Im sorry I didn't know this.
Is it possibly you link me some examples in other DAW's that keep empty track data in a midi track ?  Im sure by you using Literally every DAW out there, there must be a video on you tube.
Im interested about this because I have always known midi data to only keep regions between 2 notes, not at the start nor at the end. because with no data, there is nothing there.

 
Here's a video I just made myself:
 
https://youtu.be/94PS27Iuk60
 
Sorry, no sound, but you can still see what's going on.
 
DAW's in order:
StudioOne
Bitwig
Cubase
Ableton Live
FL Studio
Mixcraft
Reason
 
 

I was going to suggest a negative value un clip/snap offset,
but it's only for audio clips (it's visible in midi but it won't change off zero)
and it's only in samples

Kev999

pwalpwal

chuckebaby
I believe this is universal (All DAW's work this way) not just a Sonar thing.

from my experience, it actually IS just a sonar thing

 
I used Reason for a while. There you had to create an empty midi clip with definite start and end points before you could start adding notes within it. And it was not possible to add any notes beyond the defined range without first extending the clip.

That's not the case anymore...

Bryan, did you ever check out my suggestion to use Snap 'By'? It solves the problem of having MIDI notes retain their offset from the grid though the clip edge will still be where the first note/event starts.