Steinberg Cubase 8 Manual

							MIDI Editors
Key Editor
701
Grid
If this option is activated, the snap positions are set with the Grid Type 
pop-up menu. The available options depend on the display format selected for 
the ruler.
Grid Relative
If this option is activated, events keep their relative positions to the grid when 
they are moved.
Events
If this option is activated, the start and end positions of other events and parts 
are magnetic. This means that if you drag an event to a position near the start 
or end of another event, it is automatically aligned with the start or end of the 
other event.
Shuffle
Shuffle allows you to change the order of adjacent events. If you drag the first 
one to the right, past the second event, the two events change places.
Magnetic Cursor
If this option is activated, the project cursor is magnetic. When you drag an 
event near the cursor, the event is aligned with the cursor position.
Grid + Cursor
This is a combination of Grid and Magnetic Cursor.
Events + Cursor
This is a combination of Events and Magnetic Cursor.
Grid + Events + Cursor
This is a combination of Events, Grid, and Magnetic Cursor.
Iterative Quantize On/Off
Activates/Deactivates iterative quantize.
Quantize Presets
Allows you to select a quantize or a groove preset.
Apply Quantize
Applies the quantize settings.
Open Quantize Panel
Opens the Quantize Panel.
Step/MIDI Input
Step Input
Activates/Deactivates the Step Input mode.
MIDI Input/Note Expression MIDI Input
Activates/Deactivates MIDI Input modes. 
						

							MIDI Editors
Key Editor702
Move Insert Mode
Activates/Deactivates the Move Insert mode. For this function,  Step Input 
must be activated.
Record Pitch
If  Step Input  is activated, use this button to determine that the pitch is 
included when you insert notes.
Record NoteOn Velocity
If  Step Input  is activated, use this button to determine that NoteOn Velocity 
is included when you insert notes.
Record NoteOff Velocity
If  Step Input  is activated, use this button to  determine that NoteOff Velocity 
is included when you insert notes.
Event Colors
Event Colors
Allows you to select a color scheme for the events in the editor.
Hide Colors
Allows you to hide the colors.
Edit VST Instrument
Edit VST Instrument
If the track is routed to a VST instru ment, use this button to open the VST 
Instrument panel.
R
ELATED LINKS
Using the Setup options on  page  1032
Status Line
The status line is displayed below the to olbar. It displays important information 
about the mouse position.
To show or hide the status line, click  Set up
  Window Layout  on the toolbar, and 
activate or deactivate  Status Line.
Mouse Time Position
Displays the exact time position of the mouse pointer, depending on the 
sele
cted ruler display format. This lets  you edit or insert notes at exact 
positions. 
						

							MIDI Editors
Key Editor703
Mouse Note PositionDisplays the exact pitch of the mouse pointer position. This facilitates finding 
t
he right pitch when entering or transposing notes.
Current Chord Display When the project cursor is positioned over notes that form a chord, the chord 
is displayed here.
Independent Track Loop A mini-cycle, affecting only the MIDI  part that is being edited. If Independe
 nt 
Track Loop  is activated, MIDI events within the loop range are repeated 
continuously.
R
ELATED LINKS
Setting Up the Independent Track Loop on  page  496
Info Line
The info line shows values and properties of the selected events. If several notes are 
selected, the values for the first note are displayed in color.
To show or hide the info line, click the Set
  up Window Layout  button on the 
toolbar, and activate or deactivate  Inf
 o Line.
Length and position values are displaye d in the selected ruler display format.
Cubase Pro only:  In the Note Expression editor, the info line shows information 
about the

 selected Note Expression events.
R
ELATED LINKS
Editing Note Events on the Info Line on  page  693
Changing the Display Format for the Ruler on  page  688
Inspector
The Inspector is located to the left of the  note display. The inspector contains tools 
and functions for working with MIDI data. 
						

							MIDI Editors
Key Editor
704
Expression Map (Cubase Pro only)
Allows you to load an expression map. Expression maps are useful for working 
with articulations.
Note Expression (Cubase Pro only)
Contains functions and settings related to Note Expression.
Chord Editing
Allows you to enter chords instead of single notes.
Quantize
Allows you to access the main quantize parameters. These are identical with 
the functions on the Quantize panel.
Transpose
Allows you to access the main parameters for transposing MIDI events.
Length
Contains length-related options, similar to the Functions submenu of the 
MIDI menu.
• To change the length of the selected MIDI events or all events of the 
active part if no events are selected, use the Scale Length/Legato 
slider.
At the maximum value the notes reach the beginning of the next note.
• To make the new length settings permanent, use the Freeze MIDI 
Lengths button to the right of the Scale Length/Legato slider.
• To fine-tune the distance between consecutive notes, use the Overlap 
slider.
At 0 Ticks, the Scale Legato slider extends each note so that it reaches 
the next note exactly. Positive values cause the notes to overlap and 
negative values allow you to define a small gap between the notes.
• To use the Legato function or slider to extend a note until the next 
selected note, activate Between Selected.
This is identical with activating the Legato Mode: Between Selected 
Notes Only option in the Preferences dialog.
R
ELATED LINKS
Expression maps (Cubase Pro only) on page 778
Setting up the Note Expression Inspector tab on page 794
Quantize Panel on page 238
Transpose Functions on page 271
Other MIDI functions on page 680 
						

							MIDI Editors
Key Editor
705
Note Display
The note display is the main area in the Key Editor. It contains a grid in which note 
events are shown as boxes.
The width of a box corresponds to the note length. The vertical position of a box 
corresponds to the note number (pitch), with higher note events higher up in the 
grid. The piano keyboard helps you to find the right note number.
Controller Display
The area at the bottom of the Key Editor window is the controller display. It contains 
the controller events.
The controller display consists of one or several controller lanes that show one of 
the following properties or event types:
• Velocity values of the notes
•Pitchbend events
•Aftertouch events
•Poly Pressure events
•Program Change events
•System Exclusive events
• Any type of continuous controller event
Velocity values are shown as vertical bars in the controller display. Each velocity bar 
corresponds to a note event in the note display. Higher bars correspond to higher 
velocity values. 
						

							MIDI Editors
Key Editor Operations
706
Events other than velocity values are shown as blocks. The block corresponds to 
the event values. The beginning of an event is marked by a curve point.
NOTE
Unlike note events, controller events have no length. The value of a controller event 
in the display is valid until the beginning of the next controller event.
Key Editor Operations
This section describes the principal editing operations within the Key Editor.
Drawing Note Events with the Draw Tool
The Draw tool allows you to insert single note events in the note display. The 
horizontal position of the note event corresponds to the time, the vertical position to 
the pitch.
When you move the cursor inside the note display, its position is indicated on the 
status line. Its pitch is indicated both on the status line and on the piano keyboard 
to the left.
• To draw a note, click in the note display.
The note event has the length that is set on the Length Quantize pop-up 
menu. 
						

							MIDI Editors
Key Editor Operations
707
• To draw longer note events, click and drag in the note display.
The length of the note event is a multiple of the Length Quantize value. If 
Length Quantize is set to Quantize Link, the note value is determined by the 
quantize grid. The Snap function is taken into account.
Drawing Note Events with the Line Tool
In the note display, the Line tool allows you to draw a series of contiguous note 
events along different line shapes.
• To create contiguous note events, click and drag in the note display.
• To restrict movement to horizontal, press [Ctrl]/[Command] and drag.
The notes have the same pitch.
If Snap is activated, the note events and controller events are positioned and sized 
according to the Quantize and Length Quantize values.
RELATED LINKS
The Line Tool Modes on page 707
The Line Tool Modes
The Line tool allows you to create a series of contiguous note events along different 
line shapes. You can also edit multiple controller events simultaneously.
To select a different line mode, click the Line button and select a mode from the 
menu.
The following line modes are available:
Line
If this option is activated, you can click and drag to insert note events in the 
note display along a straight line in any angle. Use this option to edit controller 
data along a straight line in the controller display.
Parabola, Sine, Triangle, Square
These modes insert note events along different curve shapes.
Paint
This mode allows you to insert note events by painting in the note display. 
						

							MIDI Editors
Key Editor Operations
708
Moving and Transposing Note Events
There are several options to move and transpose note events.
• To move note events in the editor, select the Object Selection tool and drag 
them to a new position.
All selected note events are moved, maintaining their relative positions. Snap 
is taken into account.
• To allow only horizontal and vertical movement, hold down [Ctrl]/[Command] 
while dragging.
• To move note events via the Nudge Palette buttons on the toolbar, select the 
note events and click a Nudge Palette button.
This moves the selected note events by the amount that is set on the 
Quantize pop-up menu.
• To move note events to the project cursor position, select the note events and 
select Edit > Move to > Cursor.
• To move a note event via the info line, select a note event and edit the 
Position or Pitch on the info line.
• To transpose note events, select the note events and use the Transpose 
Palette buttons on the toolbar or the up and down arrow keys.
Transpose is also affected by the global transpose setting.
• To transpose note events via the Transpose Setup dialog, select the note 
events and select MIDI > Transpose Setup.
• To transpose note events in steps of one octave, press [Shift] and use the up 
and down arrow keys.
NOTE
• When you move selected note events to a different position, any selected 
controllers for these note events move accordingly.
• You can also adjust the position of note events by quantizing.
R
ELATED LINKS
Transpose on page 673
Resizing Note Events
Do one of the following:
• To resize the note event, position the Object Selection tool at the start or the 
end of a note event and drag the mouse cursor to the left or right. 
						

							MIDI Editors
Key Editor Operations709
• To apply time-stretching and Note Expression data (Cubase Pro only) to a controller that is associated with th e note event that you resize, activate  Sizing 
Applies Time Stretch  for the Object Selection  tool before you resize the note.
• To move the start or end positions of the selected notes in steps according to 
the Length Quantize  value on the toolbar, use the Trim Start/End  buttons 
on the  Nudge  palette.
• Select the note and adjust its length on the info line.
• Select the  Draw too
 l  and drag left or right within the note display to draw 
a note.
The resulting note event leng th 
 is a multiple of the Length Quantize value on 
the toolbar.
• Select the Tr
 im tool and cut off the end or the beginning of note events.
R
ELATED LINKS
Using the Setup options on  page  1032
Editing in the Info Line on  page  48
Using the Trim Tool on  page 709
Resizing Events Using Time Stretch on  page 183
Using the Trim Tool
The Trim tool allows you to change the length of note events by cutting off the end 
or the beginning of notes. Using the Trim tool means moving the note-on or the 
note-off event for one or several notes to a position defined with the mouse.
PROCEDURE
1. Select the  Trim  button on the toolbar.
The mouse pointer changes to a knife symbol.
2. To edit a single note, click on it with the  Trim tool.
The range between the mouse pointer and the  end of the note will be removed. Use 
the mouse note info on the status line to fi nd the exact position for the trim operation.
3. To edit several notes, click and drag with the mouse across the notes.
By default, the Trim tool cuts off the end of notes. To trim the beginning of notes, 
press [Alt]/[Option] while dragging. When  dragged across several notes, a line is 
displayed. The notes will be trimmed along  this line. If you press [Ctrl]/[Command] 
while dragging, you will get a vertical trim lin e, allowing you to set the same start or 
end time for all edited notes. You can cha nge the Trim tool key commands in the 
Preferences dialog (Editing–Tool Modifiers page). 
						

							MIDI Editors
Key Editor Operations710
Splitting Note Events
Do one of the following:
• To split the note at the position that you point, click on a note with the  Split 
tool.
If several notes are selected, they are al l split at the 
 same position. The snap 
setting is taken into account.
• To split all notes that are intersected by the project cursor position, select  Edit 
> Functions > Split at Cur
 sor.
• To split all notes that are intersected by the left or right locator at the locator  positions, s
 elect Edit > Functions > Split Loop.
Gluing Note Events
You can glue together note events of same pitch.
• To glue note events, select the  Glue tool 
 and click on a note event.
The note event is glued together with the next note event of the same pitch. 
The
  result is a long note event that spans from the start of the first note to the 
end of the second note and with the proper ties (velocity, pitch, etc.) of the first 
note event.
Changing the Pitch of Chords
You can use the chord type buttons to change the pitch of chords.
PROCEDURE
1. In the  Inspector, open the  Chord Editing  section.
2. In the note display, select the notes that you want to edit.
If the chord is recognized, the root note, chord type, and tensions are indicated in the 
Chord Type field. This also works with arpeggiated notes.
3. In the Chord Editing  section, activate one of the  Triads buttons or  4-Note 
Chords  buttons.
The selected notes are transposed so that they fit the selected chord type.
4. Use the up or down arrow keys on your computer keyboard to change the 
pitch of the chord.