Omnisphere and Pads in general-QUESTION--work around

Hey there. Here's my problem--I am playing a long chord which last about 45seconds and then I want to add duduk, perc, etc on other tracks. Simple so far yes? Problem is, I have to go to where the chord first triggers to get it to play --why--because if you start in the middle of the chord there is no midi data correct--so no sound. Is there a playback function that causes it to search back and intuitively  cause the pad to sound without having to always start where the pad triggers? Same of course with45sec. loops--if you want to overdub at 40 seconds you have to go to where the loop triggers to here it sound. I know one fix-it is to freeze or bounce to tracks--but freeze is not an option because it freezes the whole synth (Omnisphere in this case) and I only want to freeze the one track as I am using as I am using in multi.
Thanks

Right, there's no way for MIDI to search back to the last notes played - there aren't many situations where that would be useful anyway.  Since you have a pad which is lasting forever, it's basically a sound effect, a bed for your percussion.  Bouncing it to audio is what you have to do --that's not a work around, that's just the only logical thing to do.  Forget freeze - just bounce that one track.  Once it's rendered then you mute and archive that track - Your Omni is still ready and available for more tracking.

Randy B.

When I try this kind of thing I always first see if just putting a whole note in every measure works.  You may be surprised at how often you can get by using this "trick".  Of course, it won't work on long evolving pads...on those you'll just have to bite the bullet and start the track at the beginning to check your work.

amdrecording


...However, one simple way to get past this - just BOUNCE that long chord to a new track! Save the MIDI data in case you want to change it down the road, but it's dead simple right? I don't really see any downsides in this workaround...

-Alex

Yes, as was suggested in post #3 of this thread. It's not a work-around - It's just the way it works.  If you're simply triggering a constantly evolving New Age kind of pad, then trigger what you want on a MIDI track and bounce it.  Then you have the bed to do the percussion work or whatever as the OP wanted to do.  Mute and archive the original track - the sound source, Omnisphere in this case, is still available for more track work.

And as always when you've bounced a synth track to audio, there's a lot more you can do with the track in the audio realm than you could have in the MIDI realm anyway.  Bouncing synths to audio opens up a lot of new options - offered as a side note.

RB

Actually, sequencers HAVE offered this before. Digital Performer, I've been told, has this feature.

 
I suspect you may be thinking of "MIDI Controller Chase-back"... which many sequencers (hardware and software) have had since the beginning.  
 
 
This quote is from an experienced DP user from the Norther Sounds forum
 
"The only way you can start at any given point in the sequence, and have the correct sounding atriculation, is to lengthen the keyswitch notes so that as soon as your sequencer starts, it will immediately trigger the correct KS.
At least thats how it works in Digital Performer."
 
Unless MOTU has added "MIDI Note Chase-back" in the last two years, it doesn't have this feature.