How do I add swing from the Control Bar?

[MoeShinola1]

The simplest thing in the world, I don't see the way to do it. There ought to be a simple control near where the Tempo module is, to just add Swing, but I don't see it. To add context, I have a Step Sequencer playing MIDI notes from CM Play, and I just want to add Swing to the whole project.

Edited May 7, 2023 by MoeShinola1

[reginaldStjohn]

I know in a midi track you can apply swing by quantizing the midi notes and specifying a swing value. Don't know of any way to do the whole project unless you can select all the tracks and apply the quantize to all of them at once.

[Visog]

I was going to ask the same question as the OP'er. Quantizing the note lengths messes up the stave view with weird note lengths. What IS the easiest way to add swing to Cakewalk? (Other apps just add the swing without changing the represented music's note lengths - a bit like an actual musician!)

[Amberwolf]

I don't know a way to do it to a whole project, only individual MIDI clips or MIDI tracks.

There is (or at least used to be) an MFX plugin included with Cakewalk / SONAR called Quantize, which has a swing option.  Inserting this into the Fx bin of the track in question (or just a clip Fx bin if only some parts of the track need it) will let you add swing to the track.  Then once that is setup the way you want it, create a preset in the Quantize plugin, and then load the same preset in each other instance you insert into each track, to save time setting them up.

 

It's not as easy to do as you want, but it does get you the eventual end result. 

 

The displayed MIDI doesn't change, only the output.   If you want the MIDI itself to change, you can apply the Fx, or bounce the track or clip, etc. 

 

Edited October 19 by Amberwolf

[David Baay]

On 10/18/2024 at 8:13 PM, Amberwolf said:

There is (or at least used to be) an MFX plugin included with Cakewalk / SONAR called Quantize, which has a swing option.

Yes, it's still included and that's the only way to apply swing to MIDI non-destructively.

To my mind it doesn't really make sense to apply some fixed amount of swing to a whole project as swing is only really meaningful in the context of an even (or at least closer to even) rhythm in some other part.

[Amberwolf]

Unfortunately Quantize MFX isn't automatable, or you could enable it in some parts and not in others, as a track fx.

But if you use it in the clip fx bin, you can swing just the clips that need it, and still be able to adjust it. 

Not the most elegant solution, but it does a version of the job, without changing the way the notes look on screen. 

 

 

I haven't looked for any other MFX that can do swing, but maybe there's an automatable one out there.   Or something that can be used for that, even if not intended for it.  Maybe something from TenCrazy, Viramor, or perhaps Azslow has something? 

Edited October 20 by Amberwolf