Helpful ReplyHow to mass change the duration (length) of hundreds of MIDI notes?

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Calkwalker
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2012/05/29 03:50:08 (permalink)

How to mass change the duration (length) of hundreds of MIDI notes?

I want to take a MIDI track and shorten all the notes to make it more staccato.  Changing them one at a time would be absurd.  Is there a way to do this?
 
I'm familiar with Edit > Select > By Filter as a way of isolating short-duration "erratics" and deleting them, and I'm familiar with Process > Quantize as a way of aligning MIDI note start times, but I see no way of applying a MIDI note characteristic like note length to a set of selected notes. 
 
I know that Process > Quantize includes a "Note Durations" check box, but it only seems to align note durations to the nearest multiple of the selected duration; it won't shorten notes to the literal duration selected.
 
 
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FastBikerBoy
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Re:How to mass change the duration (length) of hundreds of MIDI notes? 2012/05/29 04:02:30 (permalink) ☄ Helpful
Use the event viewer. It can be found as a control bar module (it may be off screen).

Select all the notes either as a clip or within the PRV and use the duration field to change note length.
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garrigus
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Re:How to mass change the duration (length) of hundreds of MIDI notes? 2012/05/29 07:02:20 (permalink) ☄ Helpful
Hi Cakewalker,

Check out the following free video for information on how to edit multiple MIDI notes...

* Cakewalk SONAR: Event Inspector Editing
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/video.asp?ID=7

Scott

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konradh
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Re:How to mass change the duration (length) of hundreds of MIDI notes? 2012/05/29 09:45:37 (permalink) ☄ Helpful
Wouldn't you highlight the section and use the Find/Change command under Process? 
 
When you open track in Event List View you can see the current durations to figure out what you want, but that is a very tedious way to change them.

If you want them all the same length (like 30 ticks), do Find/Change to select All and then Change duration to 0 30.

If you want a range of lengths, you can still use Find/Change.  If the shortest length currently is 100 ticks and the longest is 200, for example, you can put 100 and 200 in the Find box under duration and then put, again for example, 50 and 100 in the change box.

You can also use Edit | Select by Filter to select only notes that are within a certain duration range so that the Find/Change command will only affect them.  That can really be accomplished in the Find/Change facility itself, but sometimes it is safer and less confusing to select only the target notes.
 
Personally, I would look at the music in Staff View and highlight the section I wanted because I think in terms of notation—but that may not apply to most people.

Related Topic: Everyone is different, but because of my style and habits (and my OCD personality about organizing my music), I am always very aware of how many ticks represent each musical duration.  Example: if you use a 120 tick per beat clock in Preferences, quarter notes are 120, 8ths are 60, sixteenths are 30, whole notes in 4/4 are 480, etc.  I always check the Duration box in Quantize to make sure I get the durations I want during quanitization so I don't have sloppy note lengths.  (I have heard people on this forum say that it is more human to have uneven durations, and they are not wrong; however, I have worked with many conductors and producers who will make musicians play parts over and over until the durations and cut-offs are right on the money.   whatever works for you.)

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Calkwalker
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Re:How to mass change the duration (length) of hundreds of MIDI notes? 2012/05/30 03:07:17 (permalink)
garrigus


Hi Cakewalker,

Check out the following free video for information on how to edit multiple MIDI notes...

* Cakewalk SONAR: Event Inspector Editing
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/video.asp?ID=7

Scott
Awesome - thanks!
 
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garrigus
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Re:How to mass change the duration (length) of hundreds of MIDI notes? 2012/05/30 10:25:51 (permalink)
No problem... glad you enjoyed it! 

Scott

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Blogman
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Re:How to mass change the duration (length) of hundreds of MIDI notes? 2012/05/30 10:57:33 (permalink)
I like to use PRV and then lasso what you want to change, then use the Smart tool to grab the back of one of the selected midi notes. Slide to the left to shorten to desired length (this will shorten all notes selected). Also, the Event Inspector is great for this too. (As Scott Garrigus mentioned) Select all the notes, then if you want them all 20 ticks long, type 20 in the duration. Or you could type 80% and they will be 80% of the original duration. Also works with velocity. Try typing 115% in the velocity part of the inspector and all notes go up by 15%. Select the notes to be edited and choose your method.
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