Steinberg Cubase 8 Manual

							Transcribing MIDI recordings
Staff settings
1121
Staff settings
The first thing to do after opening the Score Editor is to make initial staff settings. 
This is done in the Score Settings dialog, on the Staff page.
There are three ways to open the Score Settings dialog:
• Make the staff active, open the Scores menu and select “Settings…”.
• Double-click on the blue rectangle to the left of the staff.
If this does not work, the “Double-click on staff flips between full score/part” 
option may be activated in the Preferences dialog (Scores–Editing page).
• Make the staff active and click the “i” button on the extended toolbar.
For this to work, make sure no notes or symbols are selected – otherwise, 
clicking the “i” button may open a dialog with settings for the selected object 
instead.
Click the Staff button to open the Staff page of the Score Settings dialog. The Staff 
page shows the current settings for the staff on four tabs.
RELATED LINKS
Displaying single voices or the complete score on page 1096
Staff settings on page 1152
Situations which require additional techniques
The notes may not always appear in the score as you expect them to, initially. This 
is because there are a number of situations which require special techniques and 
settings.
Below you can find a list of some of these and where to find more information about 
handling them:
• Notes at the same position are considered to be part of a chord. To get 
independent voicing e.
 g. notes with different stem directions, such as for 
vocal material, you need to use the polyphonic voicing feature.
Without and with polyphonic voicing
• If two notes beginning at the same position have different lengths, the longer 
one is displayed as a number of tied notes. To avoid this, you can either use 
the No Overlap feature or polyphonic voicing.
• One note is often displayed as two notes with a tie. Please note that this is 
merely the way the program displays this note; only a single note is “stored”. 
						

							Transcribing MIDI recordings
Inserting Display Quantize changes
1122
This single note in the Key Editor is displayed as two tied notes in the Score Editor.
• Normally the program adds ties where necessary (if a note stretches over a 
beat), but not always. For a “modern” notation of syncopated notes (less ties) 
use the Syncopation feature.
The same note, without and with syncopation
• If you find that you want a long note to be displayed as two or more tied notes, 
you can achieve this with the Cut Notes tool.
• If two notes on the same position are too close to each other or if you want 
their order in the part reversed, you can do this without affecting playback.
• If a note has the wrong accidental, this can be changed.
• Stem direction and length are automatic, but you can change them manually 
if you wish.
• If you need a split staff (e. g. when you are scoring for piano), there are special 
techniques for this.
RELATED LINKS
Polyphonic voicing on page 1320
No Overlap on page 1158
Syncopation on page 1157
The Cut Notes tool on page 1197
Graphic moving of notes on page 1198
Accidentals and enharmonic shift on page 1181
Background: Note stems on page 1177
Split (piano) staves on page 1146
Inserting Display Quantize changes
Some situations may require different staff settings on different sections of the 
track. The staff settings are valid for the entire track, but you can insert changes 
wherever you like:
PROCEDURE
1. Select the Display Quantize tool on the toolbar or the context menu.
The Display Quantize dialog opens. 
						

							Transcribing MIDI recordings
Inserting Display Quantize changes
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Select the Display Quantize tool to open the Display Quantize dialog.
2. Activate the flags you need and set the quantize values as desired.
3. If you want to restore the settings to the ones used in the Score Settings 
dialog (Staff page), click the “Restore To Staff” button.
4. Move the mouse over the staff where you want to insert a new Display 
Quantize value.
Use the Mouse Time Position display in the status line to find the exact location. The 
vertical position is of no relevance as long as you click somewhere in the staff.
5. Click the mouse button to insert a Display Quantize event.
RESULT 
The new quantize settings are now inserted into the staff at the position where you 
clicked. The settings are valid until a new change is inserted. Display Quantize 
events is always inserted for all voices.
If you are using polyphonic voices, you can insert a Display Quantize event for all 
voices by pressing [Alt]/[Option] and clicking with the tool.
If the “Display Quantize Tool affects all Voices” option is activated in the Score 
Settings dialog on the Project page (Notation Style subpage, in the Miscellaneous 
category), Display Quantize events is always inserted for all voices.
RELATED LINKS
Display Quantize and Interpretation Options on page 1155
The status line on page 1102
Polyphonic voicing on page 1320
Viewing and Editing Display Quantize Changes
If you activate the “Quantize” checkbox on the filter bar, a marker is shown under 
the staff for each Display Quantize setting you have entered with the tool
This allows you to edit your settings in the following ways:
• To edit a Display Quantize change event, double-click on its marker.
This opens the Display Quantize dialog again – adjust the settings and click 
Apply. 
						

							Transcribing MIDI recordings
The Explode function
1124
• If the Display Quantize dialog is already open, you can select any Display 
Quantize change event, adjust its settings in the dialog and click Apply.
• To remove a Display Quantize change, either click its marker to select it and 
press [Backspace] or [Delete], or click on it with the Erase tool.
RELATED LINKS
Showing and hiding elements on page 1103
Adding Display Quantize changes
Very often, the score is fine except for a few bars somewhere. To remedy the 
problem, insert two Display Quantize changes with the tool (one at the beginning of 
the section, one after it to restore to the current staff settings).
If you have mixed triplets and straight notes, it can be tempting to insert many 
Display Quantize changes. Before you do so, try the Auto Quantize options and 
their additional settings.
RELATED LINKS
If your music contains mixed straight notes and triplets on page 1157
The Explode function
This function allows you to “split” the notes on a staff into separate tracks. It is also 
possible to use this function to convert a polyphonic staff into polyphonic voices.
IMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANT
Create a copy of the original track first, because it will be changed by the operation.
PROCEDURE
1. Open the Scores menu, open the Functions submenu and select 
						

							Transcribing MIDI recordings
Using "Scores Notes To MIDI"
1125
4. Use the options in the bottom section to set up the criteria for the split.
Choose from the following options:
5. Click OK.
RESULT 
A number of new tracks are now added to the score and the Project window.
RELATED LINKS
Automatically – the Explode function on page 1170
Using "Scores Notes To MIDI"
For very complicated scores, there may be situations where you have tweaked the 
parameters for Display Quantize and Interpretation as best you can, and you still 
cannot get the score exactly as you want it. Perhaps one setting works fine in one 
section of the track and another is needed for another section.
In such a case, “Scores Notes To MIDI” helps you out. It changes the lengths and 
position of some or all the MIDI notes in the edited parts so that they have exactly 
the values currently shown on screen.
PROCEDURE
1. For safety, go back to the Project window and make a copy of the track.
2. Open the part(s) again in the Score Editor.
If you only want some sections of your score to be “converted”, make sure to only 
open those parts.
3. Make sure that the notes you want to affect are not hidden.
Option Description
Split Note Use this to move all notes below a certain pitch to another 
track. When this is selected, it is pointless to specify more than 
1 new track.
Lines To tracks Use this when you want all musical “lines” to be put on one 
track each. The notes with the highest pitch remains on the 
original track, the notes with the second highest pitch are put 
on the first new track, and so on.
Bass To Lowest 
Vo i c eWhen this is activated, the lowest notes always end up on the 
lowest track. 
						

							Transcribing MIDI recordings
Using "Scores Notes To MIDI"
1126
4. Select “Scores Notes To MIDI” from the Functions submenu on the Scores 
menu.
The notes are now “converted”.
5. Make whatever adjustments are needed to make the score read as intended.
RESULT 
Now that the notes have the exact lengths and positions that were previously only 
displayed, you can probably deactivate many of the options on the Staff page of the 
Score Settings dialog and delete Display Quantize settings, etc.
If you find the operation did not give you the result you were after, you can undo your 
settings or go back to the original track, make a copy of that, and start over.
RELATED LINKS
Hiding/showing objects on page 1283 
						

							1127
Entering and editing notes
About this chapter
In this chapter you will learn:
• How to make various settings for how notes are displayed.
• How to enter notes.
• How to use tools and settings to make the score as legible as possible.
• How to set up a split (piano) staff.
• How to work with multiple staves.
Score settings
Before you start entering notes, you need to make some initial staff settings.
There are three ways to open the Score Settings dialog:
• Make the staff active, open the Scores menu and select “Settings…”.
• Double-click on the blue rectangle to the left of the staff.
If this does not work, the “Double-click on staff flips between full score/part” 
option may be activated in the Preferences dialog (Scores–Editing page).
• Make the staff active and click the “i” button on the extended toolbar.
For this to work, make sure no notes or symbols are selected – otherwise, 
clicking the “i” button may open a dialog with settings for the selected object 
instead.
The Score Settings dialog shows the current settings for the active staff.
RELATED LINKS
The basics on page 1095
How the Score Editor works on page 1089
Displaying single voices or the complete score on page 1096
Staff settings on page 1152 
						

							Entering and editing notes
Score settings
1128
Applying settings and selecting other staves
To make settings for another staff, simply make it active in the score (by clicking 
anywhere in the staff or by using the up/down arrow keys on the computer 
keyboard).
NOTE
Always click Apply before making another staff active – otherwise your settings are 
lost!
Staff presets
When you want to reuse settings made for one track in other tracks, you can save 
some time by creating a staff preset.
NOTE
There are a number of staff presets available, set up to suit various instruments, etc. 
These are accessed via the Presets pop-up menu on the Staff page of the Score 
Settings dialog, or from the Staff context menu, opened by right-clicking on the blue 
rectangle to the left of the staff. Use them as they are, or as starting points for your 
own settings.
RELATED LINKS
Working with staff presets on page 1153
Suggested initial settings
When you start out entering notes, your staff settings should make your score 
display the notes as entered. We suggest the following:
Display Quantize: Notes
64
Display Quantize: Rests
64
Auto Quantize
Activated
Syncopation
Off
Consolidate Rests
Off 
						

							Entering and editing notes
Note values and positions
1129
Clean Lengths
Off
No Overlap
Off
Shuffle
Off
Key
As required
Clef
As required
Auto Clef
Activate this if you want the program to select a treble or bass clef 
automatically.
Display Transpose value
0
Options tab settings
As is
Polyphonic tab settings
Staff Mode: Single
Tablature tab settings
Tablature Mode deactivated
NOTE
It is very important that you understand how the Display Quantize values for notes 
and rests interact with the score. If you select too large a notes/rests value, the 
notes you “click in” may not appear as intended.
RELATED LINKS
Split (piano) staves on page 1146
How the Score Editor works on page 1089
Display Quantize and Interpretation Options on page 1155
Note values and positions
Two of the most important settings for entering notes are the length of the note (the 
note value) and the minimum spacing between notes (the Quantize value). 
						

							Entering and editing notes
Note values and positions
1130
Selecting a note value for input
You can choose the length for entering notes as follows:
• By clicking the note symbols on the extended toolbar.
You can select any note value from 1/1 to 1/64 and activate/deactivate the 
dotted and triplet options by clicking the two buttons to the right.
The selected note value is displayed in the Length Quantize field on the toolbar and 
also reflected by the cursor shape of the Insert Note tool.
• By selecting an option from the Length Quantize pop-up menu on the toolbar.
• By assigning key commands to the different length values.
This is done in the Key Commands dialog (in the category “Set Insert 
Length”).
About unusual note values
Not all note values can be selected directly, for example double dotted notes. Such 
notes are created by changing the length of the note after you have entered it, by 
gluing notes together or by using the Display Length feature.
RELATED LINKS
Changing the length of notes on page 1143
Lengthening a note by gluing two notes together on page 1144
Selecting a Quantize value
When you move the mouse pointer over the score the Mouse Time Position display 
in the status line tracks your movement and shows the current position in bars, 
beats, sixteenth notes, and ticks.
Positioning on screen is controlled by the current Quantize value. If you set this to 
1/8, for example, you can only insert and move notes to eighth note positions, at 
quarter notes, at half bars or at bar positions. It is a good strategy to set the 
Quantize value to the smallest note value in the project. This does not stop you from 
inputting notes at “coarser” positions. However, if you set the Quantize value to too 
small a note value, it is easier to make mistakes.
With the Quantize value set to 1/8, you can only input notes at eighth note positions.