MIDI Editing

Now that we’ve recorded our parts they need to be edited. If you double click on any MIDI item it will bring up the MIDI editor.

Notice the bar below:

• Double click on any MIDI item to open the MIDI editor. Take note of the transport bar at the bottom which contains settings for:
  • Grid lines
  • Quantization strength
  • Note lengths
  • Key snapping
• Grid line settings are important for setting the quantization, but also for editing MIDI notes by hand. With snapping enabled, moving a note will snap it to the grid division.
• When adding new notes with the pencil tool, their length is set by the Notes setting. Currently this matches the grid size.
• To add a note at the grid length, double click. To make longer notes, hold and drag the pencil.
• To quickly add many notes at the grid size, hold down option+command and drag to use the paint tool.
• You can move notes by selecting and dragging with the mouse or using command+arrow keys. This will snap notes to the grid horizontally and change the MIDI note vertically

Adding Variation to the loops

• Loops likely sound robotic due to lack of velocity variation. Real drummers emphasize different parts of the beat and vary strength

• See the velocity section above the notes. These red lines set the MIDI note strength. Velocity goes from 0-127.
• To edit velocity, select a note then hold option and drag up/down. You can also drag the red line directly.
• Select all notes of one type by right clicking its key. With notes selected, drag across velocities to draw them in.
• Set notes on weaker beats to lower velocities. For a hi-hat in eighth notes, every other one can be lower.