little tips for using P5 more efficiently

Is there an official place to put these? If so, I haven't found it yet. I've been using P5 for over a year & every few months I stumble on something that's useful. Maybe they're in the manual, but how would we know that??? Here goes...


When editing a pattern in the piano roll bit, hold the SHIFT button to temporarily defeat the snap quantize.

Only useful when tune is playing: When editing a long pattern in the piano roll, especially when zoomed in close, do you find that current position scrolls the away from what you're doing? Stick another copy of that pattern on the sequencer view, away from where it's playing / looping. Double-click on that, then it'll stay still while you move the notes.

Use the File menu -> Save as Template command to create a template with a simple Kontakt (or whatever) piano sample. When inspiration strikes you can lay down that beautiful melody without finding a nice synth sound. AFTER you've got the tune down, THEN find the sweet noise to play it. I get more tunes done this way, cos when I start messing with noises I just can't stop.

Again using the template, set up a couple of your favourite synths & hook up the automation to your midi controller knobs, at least for amplitude envelope, filter cutoff & res. I didn't realise it saved this info, but it does.

Back on the template, obviously set up some standard fx in the send busses. I've got a sweet reaktor echo box in channel2 on every tune I've made in the past few months

I'm sure there's more of these in my head but I've been at work for over 11hrs (nice to be getting paid overtime while writing this!). I gotta go home, anyone else got any hints & tips???


Laters kids, Nick

working with P5 for over a year in the UK?
I can understand why we haven't heard from nicmac before

P5 users in the UK, aside from blipp, keep a very low profile
there just aren't many
and because there aren't many, the ones there are, keep low

that has a chance to change with P5 v2, but i'm sure it'll be more uphill over there
esp. with the Edirol distribution layer

DJ Spooky (creator of the illbient genre) was on the new local radio station last evening prior to some performace/presentation to promote his book 'Rhythm Science'

anyway according DJ Spooky the electronic scene in the UK esp. is much more organized and diverse than anyplace in No. America aside from a few square blocks where he lives and works in NYC

Anyway -- given that and given the content of the Cakewalk song forum dominated by Sonar users (audio recordists guitar/piano/voice), if Cakewalk plans on world domination with P5 v2 (as a synthesizer workstation) they should really make a special promotion effort in the UK --
the general feeling in Europe toward P5 comes up on the kvr forum now and again as something tried once and didn't work too well -- so there's a generally bad 1st impression to overcome.
I suggest T-shirts for the UK with an intensive road show

much less travel miles, more synth work station users per square mile
they should probably hire blipp since he speaks the language

then maybe Canada and the northern tier of the US (Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon)
esp.since we have no idea if b-rock down in Florida actually uses P5 or just studies it enough to write all those tutorials -- ok maybe Colorado for Grandpa Mojo's historical contributions

sorry to hijack the thread but we don't get new visitors from overseas all that often

P5 users in the UK, aside from blipp, keep a very low profile
there just aren't many
and because there aren't many, the ones there are, keep low

I think it's because of the roving bands of death squads, really.

ORIGINAL: nicmac303


Back on the template, obviously set up some standard fx in the send busses. I've got a sweet reaktor echo box in channel2 on every tune I've made in the past few months

Laters kids, Nick

nice tips - can I ask you which reaktor module you are using?
and oh yeah, welcome!

save it as a track patch

Yeah, Aggie, I was going to suggest that again to expand on Nick's tips, Since there's only one default template, it's much more versatile to save track patches with your synths, FX, and remote assignments. Even if it's only for your default opening patch for a synth, it's so nice to have thwe FX chain and assignments tag along. I've got loads of these saved, and you can help to organize your file management by creating sub-folders in the Project5 Patches folder prior to launching P5.

Nick, just substitute "track patch" in your tips where it states "template", and you'll wonder how you ever got along without them.

we have no idea if b-rock down in Florida actually uses P5 or just studies it enough to write all those tutorials

LOL I hate to study! Trust me, Jan, something from the Project5 package is always the first tool that I reach for in a project. The session may not finish up with P5, and drift through a variety of applications in its journey, but it makes many 'whistle-stops' in circling back to Project5-ville.

to be completely honest, i never save any track patches

all my track patches are in my head.....
i try to work with different sounds and patches on every project i start.
though, most of my drums and violin sounds tend to have the same patches. and those are the ones i keep in my head.

ORIGINAL: woodamand

ORIGINAL: nicmac303


Back on the template, obviously set up some standard fx in the send busses. I've got a sweet reaktor echo box in channel2 on every tune I've made in the past few months

Laters kids, Nick

nice tips - can I ask you which reaktor module you are using?
and oh yeah, welcome!

Hey fella, nice picture I gotta get one.
Well my memory ain't so good since the great weed accident of '96 - a local dealer's house burned down while I was sleeping nearby But I do know it's one of the delay fx you get free with R4 and I know it's purple. The preset was called something like 'dub echo chamber' and I just tweaked it from there.

And yes, I have used the SaveAsPatch thing but my saved patches got wiped when I formatted my C drive & reinstalled Windows. Shame, cos I had some lovely ones.

Have a nice day y'all, I'm off to get a burger. Cheers, Nick

when I start messing with noises I just can't stop.

Me too !It's soo addictive, just like drugs ... i guess. Sometimes i just can't keep focus on composition with such wonderful synths. And that's why i think it's better to have few synth than lots of them.

BTW, thanks for the tips!

Torres Vedras!!!! So you're portuguese. Viva !