Which DAW has Adobe Illustrator-like envelopes for modulation?

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hellogoodbye
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2011/10/19 15:05:35 (permalink)

Which DAW has Adobe Illustrator-like envelopes for modulation?

Maybe an odd question in the Sonar X1 forum,  but er... afaik Sonar won't...

1. let you edit modulation with envelopes (?) and...

2. even if it did, the envlopes aren't easy to edit, not as easy... as you can edit lines in Illustrator!

I am totally sick and tired of drawing and editing modulation data in the controller pane of the piano roll of Sonar 8.5. I never liked it and never will. It's too clumsy, not exact enough, etc. etc. I wonder if X1 has better options for that. If not, I'd like to know if there is a DAW that lets you edit modulation data with ease and very precise. I've like to be able to use curves and so and (VERY IMPORTANT) to simply drag a certain part of the modulation up or down (which afaik can't be done in Sonar 8.5). If something isn't quite right I have to redraw an entire curve... I want to be able to drag a curve like you can in Illustrator.

I am moving towards orchestral music (bought Albion, amongst others) and immediately I get sick and tired of the way I have to edit the modulation data. So please tell me there is a better way to do this (in 8.5 or X1) or tell me which DAW I should use for that...

EDIT
I suddenly wondered if something like Sibelius might be easier for creating orchestral music...? I never write down music, but I certainly can. I wonder if you can enter information for soft and crescendo and so on in Sibelius... but then VERY exact, as if you are entering modulation data...? Are there any alternatives?
post edited by hellogoodbye - 2011/10/19 15:17:59

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    brundlefly
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    Re:Which DAW has Adobe Illustrator-like envelopes for modulation? 2011/10/19 15:36:44 (permalink)
    I've like to be able to use curves and so and (VERY IMPORTANT) to simply drag a certain part of the modulation up or down (which afaik can't be done in Sonar 8.5).



    If you have Controller Handles showing in the controllers pane of the PRV, you can lasso and drag groups of controllers to move them all up and down together, retaining the existing curve. Note that you may need to undock your PRV temporarily to get Show Handles to work due to a bug in X1.

    And, yes, you can use the Edit Filter to create a Modulation (CC1) envelope on a MIDI track, But you can't draw envelopes freely. You have to insert nodes or write automation during playback.

    Editing in the controllers pane is probably still less painful and more precise for drawing modulation changes.




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    #2
    Rain
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    Re:Which DAW has Adobe Illustrator-like envelopes for modulation? 2011/10/19 15:38:10 (permalink)
    You can do that in Sonar. Right click, select Envelopes - MIDI - Modulation. Voilà.

    If you need predefined curves, you can select some by right-clicking on the envelope between 2 nodes.




    TCB - Tea, Cats, Books...
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    Chregg
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    Re:Which DAW has Adobe Illustrator-like envelopes for modulation? 2011/10/19 17:19:54 (permalink)
    TBH I think cubase is the best for that, i would love to see cubases midi functionality in Sonar, hopefully i will at some point, but automation in cubase is the **** !!! (not that i meant to big cubase up, just saying)
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    adrian4u
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    Re:Which DAW has Adobe Illustrator-like envelopes for modulation? 2011/10/19 17:30:27 (permalink)
    Ableton Live!

    there's (IMHO) no bettter DAW for drawing automation envelopes, audio-warping, MIDI-mapping, MIDI and AUDIO routing....
    Very flexible, very modular, very simple, fast, reliable and very wise... despite "Prochannel" you can do almost everything you can do in Sonar, if not using included tools, EFX and synths - just adding only FEW external VST plugins.

    There's many things Sonar developers should learn from Ableton's developers.

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    Chregg
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    Re:Which DAW has Adobe Illustrator-like envelopes for modulation? 2011/10/19 18:27:14 (permalink)
    i must admit, abletons routing is the ****, like the fact you can record one track to anutha, rather than fast bounce or real time, theres so many features of other apps id like to see in sonar, kinda hoping cakewalk get there opver the next 2-3 years
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    garrigus
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    Re:Which DAW has Adobe Illustrator-like envelopes for modulation? 2011/10/19 19:08:10 (permalink)
    1. Yes, you can add Modulation data via an envelope. Via the Edit Filter Control, choose Automation > MIDI. In the dialog, choose Control for the Type and 1-Modulation for the Value.

    2. Yes, you can draw envelopes freely. Just select the Draw Freehand tool. Then you can literally draw in any envelope shape that you want. SONAR also provides a number of predefined shapes via the same draw tool... like Sine, Triangle, Square, etc.

    Scott

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    Chregg
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    Re:Which DAW has Adobe Illustrator-like envelopes for modulation? 2011/10/19 20:34:51 (permalink)
    Yes, you can draw envelopes freely. Just select the Draw Freehand tool. Then you can literally draw in any envelope shape that you want. SONAR also provides a number of predefined shapes via the same draw tool... like Sine, Triangle, Square, etc. ....................................they dont snap to grid unless you place one node a time
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    hellogoodbye
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    Re:Which DAW has Adobe Illustrator-like envelopes for modulation? 2011/10/20 03:32:11 (permalink)
    Bummer... stupid me. I tried creating a modulation envelope and it works indeed...! Didn't try that Freehand option yet (I read that after giving the envelope a try). (Sines, triangles, etc. are only in X1, right?) 

    I tried an envelope on brass and using envelopes is a LOT easier when it comes to creating for instance swells and finding the right ending volume: in the piano roll you had to redraw and redraw and redraw all controllers again and quite often the 'curve' wasn't smooth at all, but with envelopes you just make a slow curve and pull up the node at the end of the swell. Awesome. You can also very easily drag everything up and down. Nice. Complete control and very precise. 
    I also maximize the track lane I am working on and enable the piano roll mode in the track window: I never used Sonar in this way before! Almost feels I am working in a new program. ;) 

    Is it possible to RECORD and envelope or convert the piano roll data into an envelope? Obviously I do record modulation data (I use the modwheel while playing and recording, but the data usually is quite raw and still needs editing) but that data only shows up in the piano roll and not as envelopes, so that would mean I would have to redraw all that data as an envelope... 



    Sonar 8.5 PE, Edirol FA-66, Behringer C-1. All instruments in my songs are VSTi's. 
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    adrian4u
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    Re:Which DAW has Adobe Illustrator-like envelopes for modulation? 2011/10/20 03:34:54 (permalink)
    @ garrigus - it's not so simple, fast and obvious. Be sure I was trying to draw envelopes aven before I started recording (envelopes to imported files) to see how Ableton can be replace-able by Sonar. And - here you can see weakness of Sonar. Don't tell about "Edit Filter Control, choose Automation > MIDI" cause mIDI routing in Sonar just SUCKS. For now I haven't found better method for controlling automation than ading VST FX as a SYNTHS, to have access to MIDI!

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    adrian4u
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    Re:Which DAW has Adobe Illustrator-like envelopes for modulation? 2011/10/20 03:37:29 (permalink)
    in example - very nice, that Guitar Rig can work in "live" mode, but to use footcontroller, I have to route MIDI to GR - is it possible just when you add GR as a FX plugin? NO!

    Phenom II x6 1100T (OC to 6x 4,1gHz), 8gB DDR3/1600gHz RAM, Win7/64; SONAR Producer X1c; Korgs: Z1, M50, Triton Rack, TRinity Rack; NI Maschine; Behringer BCF-R2000; MOTU 828mk3 FW; Edirol Edirol UA-1000; guitars: Cort Z-Custom, LAG JET100 totally customed, Cort SFX-DAO; some other music toys, one very musical cat 
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    garrigus
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    Re:Which DAW has Adobe Illustrator-like envelopes for modulation? 2011/10/20 10:18:59 (permalink)
    hellogoodbye
      Is it possible to RECORD and envelope or convert the piano roll data into an envelope? Obviously I do record modulation data (I use the modwheel while playing and recording, but the data usually is quite raw and still needs editing) but that data only shows up in the piano roll and not as envelopes, so that would mean I would have to redraw all that data as an envelope... 
    You can convert MIDI controller data to envelopes by selecting the track in the Track view and then choosing Clips > Convert MIDI Controllers to Envelopes from the Track view menu.


    Scott

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    adrian4u
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    Re:Which DAW has Adobe Illustrator-like envelopes for modulation? 2011/10/20 10:59:20 (permalink)
    good to know, thanks - because drawing in Piano roll makes me angry ;)

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