transpose change

[oldsage]

hi jazz! just a question,is there a controller,that will let you transpose a single track up or down,at any point? i know i have split a track up and transposed on that track,but i would like to do it on the same track. kindest regards steve (oldsage)

[JazzCat]

No there isn't. To transpose just a section you will need to hilight only what you want to transpose and then do it. If you have any problems let me know. BTW it's always fastests to write to me directly at my midimart address.
Cat >^..^<

[gibbo]

Well, actually I have a trick I use for exactly this purpose:
(NB: you can't use it if the track contains drums.)
Use the pitchbend function, just put a pitchbend for however many semitones you want on the selected track(s) BUT remember to
(a) set the bend range correctly (ie: a standard midi module is usually a 2 semitone pitchbend range = 256 and a pc sound-card is often a 12 semi-tone range = 1536... 1 semitone is 128)
and (b) reset the pitchbend to zero afterwards.
I can give you a detailed procedure if you need it.
Cheers, Dave.

[oldsage]

thanks dave i would appreciate that.it,s when i,m doing tracks,and the key shifts up and down.i know i can transpose the entire song,but sometimes i want 1 track to stay at the original setting,or perhaps the other way on. all help would be gladly received. many thanks steve

[levi2]

hey oldsage yer fav prog sound studio pro will do that
just go to the track highlight the notes and section you want to transpose select procedure in menu then select transpose put your value in for how many semitones and click go

[JazzCat]

Why on earth would you want to use pitchbend for transposing? It is so utterly simple just to highlight the section you need to change and then go to the menu in your particular program and raise or lower it by semitones. No fiddling with getting the pitch exact and your piano roll or notation (staff) window will reflect the change. It will not reflect it using bend.
In this case I strongly feel its better to stick to the KISS principle.
Cat >^..^<
Cat >^..^<

[gibbo]

That's true Cat,
Steve specifically asked for a way to do it with controllers, hence, my suggestion.
(Just trying to be helpful and that's one way you can do it easily with controllers and pitchbend.)
I'm sure most of us already know how to do it "normally" as you suggested.
I don't know why you'd want do it in a more complicated way either but, funnily enough, it's a method used on some "pro" midis from well-known sequencers.
I guess it's useful where there's a short section of key-shift but you're correct, the notation won't reflect a key-change made in this manner.
Keep-It-Simple-Stupid is my mantra too!
Cheers, Dave.

[JazzCat]

I don't know why you'd want do it in a more complicated way either but, funnily enough, it's a method used on some "pro" midis from well-known sequencers.


Really? Which sequencers? I'll make darn sure I don't recommend then to people who wish to modify the files they buy.

[gibbo]

I haven't seen it for a while, I only found it when I was fixing a midi for someone and it was the bend-range causing the problem. I think it was Tune1000 or something similar; 15 pop songs on a floppy with songbook (from a music store) or some such. Whatever it was they used the pitch-bend to modulate the key-change in the song.
In any event, I'm still wondering why Steve wants to do a controller transpose rather than just transpose the notes... Steve?
Cheers, Dave.

[oldsage]

i was trying to do it in cakewalk music creator3,found the darn tool now for it,phew! not very informative this program! thanks cat and levi for your help,also our good friend gibbo,i was trying to see if it could be done using a controller,it would save me a lot of time! got it sussed out now!.oh does anyone have a list of what all the controllers do?most just have numbers,can never find a list for them.perhaps our good lady cat can help? please! pretty please! regards steve

[gibbo]

Hi Steve,
Try this link; 253.ccarh.org/handout/controllers/controllers.html
Each controller is listed and there are links to specific ones explaining the exact function.
Cheers, Dave.

[steveb]

Hi Dave and everyone

Can you explain to me what the difference is between normal Volume and Expression (Controller 11), it seems to me they do exactly the same thing

Thanks

[gibbo]

Hi Steve,
Well to all intents and purposes you're sort of right. The thing is Expression cc#11 is dependent on the volume set by Volume cc#7, ie: if the volume is set to 64 then an expression of 127 will give you "x" but if the volume is set to 127 then the same expression of 127 will give you "2x" whereas expression of 64 will give you your "x" level etc.
Expression is a percentage of the volume set for a part, it's most commonly used for swelling and fading sounds and, to my ears at least, sounds more natural than using the volume controller. On some very old sound modules, once a note is struck at a certain volume it'll sound at that volume for the duration of the note, with cc#11 it'll fade and swell per the controller sends.
See the link I posted for oldsage/Steve above where it's explained fully.
Cheers, Dave.

[oldsage]

thanks dave for web address,it will prove most useful! cheers steve