Any way to draw midi velocity curves?

[BassMasterGeneral]

Hi guys, I was just wondering if anyone could help with any clever ways to draw/edit midi events with gradual increases/decreases in velocity? Ta!!!

[Skelm]

Hi BassMasterGeneral,

You can select the Draw tool on the toolbar, which will work on the velocity lane in the piano roll, if the notes already exist. You can also draw repeats of existing midi notes with the Pattern tool. There is also a Transform tool which you can select in the PRV at the bottom left, which allows you to change the "shape" of a series of controllers or velocity indicators. Hope this helps.

[Max Arwood]

There are several ways to do this - here are 2 more!

1)[audio or midi] Easiest-You can insert a volume or gain envelope on the track  

2) [midi] process | cal - this is a programming language built into Cakewalk which is very powerful and has many different premade scripts. 

[Promidi]

If you have multiple notes in a row that are all of the same velocity, there are a couple of ways to make a gradual change in velocities from the first to the last.

Open the velocities in the PRV controller lane.  Then with all selected:

1) Use the Line Tool to draw a ramp (up or down) line over the velocities.

2) Use the Smart Tool , hold SHIFT while dragging over the velocities to create a ramp (up or down) of velocities.

3) Hold CTRL while adjusting either the first or the last velocity to create a ramp of velocities. Adjust a middle velocity to create a crest of trough of velocity values.

4) Use the Transform Tool over the velocities.

Edited June 21 by Promidi

[OutrageProductions]

1 hour ago, Promidi said:

2) Use the Smart Tool , hold SHIFT while dragging over the velocities to create a ramp (up or down) of velocities.

This has always been somewhat 'hit or miss' for me. I have to REALLY make sure that I'm pressing intently on the shift key and wait, because the response time is longer than expected as compared to the other tools. But I'm practicing and it works.

[Promidi]

1 minute ago, OutrageProductions said:

This has always been somewhat 'hit or miss' for me. I have to REALLY make sure that I'm pressing intently on the shift key and wait, because the response time is longer than expected as compared to the other tools. But I'm practising and it works.

I have found that you have to press the left mouse button first , then press and hold the SHIFT to change the (already changed) velocities to the line.

[BassMasterGeneral]

Thanks guys, seems like there loads of ways of doing this thankfully, is there any that work with a drum map? Ta!

*Edit* ignore me, I've managed to get the velocity curve thing to open on it after it wasn't playing nicely!

Edited June 22 by BassMasterGeneral

[BassMasterGeneral]

Right I do actually have another question about this! Is there any way of it not smoothing out the values when it's doing this? So like gradually making things louder by a certain factor so you don't lose the emphasis of certain notes that you've already done? e.g. if you have a weak then a harder hit of a snare or something, but want that sort of effect with increasing velocity? Would that be something one of the CALs would cover? Being able to use the line on the velocity view makes life alot easier though!!!

Edited June 22 by BassMasterGeneral

[Max Arwood]

Yes select several midi notes I like using the piano view. Then use the process menu. Select  velocity put in 2 numbers like 120 then 75. Click the magic button “percentages” This is great to save the natural volume variations of a human playing the notes in, but also allowing crescendos or decrescendos to be added after the performance. 

[OutrageProductions]

12 minutes ago, BassMasterGeneral said:

...Is there any way of it not smoothing out the values when it's doing this? So like gradually making things louder by a certain factor so you don't lose the emphasis of certain notes that you've already done?

Technique #3 from @Promidi previous post is just the ticket for that scenario. 

[BassMasterGeneral]

Amazing, thanks so much guys!