How to nudge Midi notes an Octave up or down using different keys?

[sjoens]

26 minutes ago, Promidi said:

Not hard using the getInt command.

??

I actually have The Cakewalk Application Language Programming Guide for SONAR v2.2 but can't make any sense out of it.

[Promidi]

3 minutes ago, sjoens said:

??

I actually have The Cakewalk Application Language Programming Guide for SONAR v2.2 but can't make any sense out of it.

Yeah, it took me a while too - perseverance  

To use the getInt command, you first have to declare an INT variable

(int transpose_value)

Then issue the getInt command itself

(getInt transpose_value "Please enter transpose amount" -12 12)

Then apply the transpose_value

(forEachEvent (if (== Event.Kind NOTE) (+= Note.Key transpose_value))))     ; I think I have enough closing parentheses'

[Astraios]

5 hours ago, sjoens said:

Thanks!  That one works.  Your screenshot coding ends with "---" which apparently threw the error.  As I said, I copied it "exactly as written".

Confusing because the error called out "Event.kind" as the culprit.

Sorry, but confusion is my middle name 🙃 it's the ADHD, ha ha

[sjoens]

Thanks for clarifying.  So. . .

;; Transpose.cal
;;
;; This transposes notes up or down by semitones.
;;
(do
 (int transpose_value)
 (getInt transpose_value "Transpose by" -127 127)
 (forEachEvent
  (if (== Event.Kind NOTE)
   (do
    (+= Note.Key transpose_value)
   )
  )
 )
)

I found this works on a semitone basis so I changed the name.

I see a fixed numerical value puts a limit user can't exceed or he gets an error.  If the value is "-12 12" you have to run CAL twice to move 2 octaves.

Limit error seems to depend on where original notes are, so if notes are at C0, "127" will move them to G10, but if they are anywhere else, +/-127 throws an error.

I notice you can enter the minus character "-" from the main keyboard but not the Numeric Keypad.  Numeric +/- keys literally move present value up or down.

 

Is there a way to cancel a CAL without throwing an error?  And, How can we tell the current CAL version?

Edited Tuesday at 09:02 PM by sjoens

[Astraios]

;; Note Down.cal
;;
(do
 (forEachEvent
  (if (== Event.Kind NOTE)
   (do
    (-= Note.Key 1)
   )
  )
 )
)

 

;; Note Up.cal
;;
(do
 (forEachEvent
  (if (== Event.Kind NOTE)
   (do
    (+= Note.Key 1)
   )
  )
 )
)

 

 

[Steve Moddelmog]

There is a Cakewalk MIDI FX for transposing.  Insert just like you would insert an audio FX, but on the MIDI track.  And render it if you want to make the change permanent.

[Amberwolf]

3 hours ago, Steve Moddelmog said:

There is a Cakewalk MIDI FX for transposing.  Insert just like you would insert an audio FX, but on the MIDI track.  And render it if you want to make the change permanent.

Which works fine if you want to transpose the whole track...but the track header has a control for that anyway.

Neither one works for editing single notes or selected groups of them, however, whether in a single track (or clip) or multiple tracks or clips at the same time.

I don't know for sure that's what the OP wants, but 99.999999999% of the time, that's what I would want. 

 

[sjoens]

5 hours ago, Amberwolf said:

Neither one works for editing single notes or selected groups of them

err, unless you right-click > Insert Effect or Process Effect on a clip.

For a 1-step solution, a one-option CAL with hot key, like mentioned above, seems like the only option.  You just need a CAL and key binding for each one.

As mentioned, you can also use Process > Transpose and Event Module Pitch value on individual clips - but the OP was trying to avoid that.

I have Process > Transpose set to a Custom Module button and use it frequently.  Click button - enter value - click OK.  It's no faster or slower than Transpose.CAL as they both take 3 steps initially.  However, Process> Transpose only requires 2 steps if you use it more than once with the same value because it retains the value until you change it or the project is closed - like many of the built-in dialogs do.

 

Edited Wednesday at 07:10 AM by sjoens

[Promidi]

For me and my workflow, transpose buttons on an “always displayed” Studioware Panel wins. 

Select notes, click button on Studioware Panel.  Done!

[sjoens]

Oh great.  Another "dinosaur".  

[Astraios]

3 hours ago, Promidi said:

For me and my workflow, transpose buttons on an “always displayed” Studioware Panel wins. 

Select notes, click button on Studioware Panel.  Done!

Do Studioware Panels still work with new Sonar? I thought it is out of time now... I had this stuff  going 10 years ago

[Promidi]

1 minute ago, Astraios said:

Do Studioware Panels still work with new Sonar? I thought it is out of time now... I had this stuff  going 10 years ago

They sure do.  You just cannot edit them.

 

[Astraios]

On 9/10/2025 at 9:15 AM, Promidi said:

For me and my workflow, transpose buttons on an “always displayed” Studioware Panel wins. 

Select notes, click button on Studioware Panel.  Done!

The same here with the "Touch Portal" software (this seems to be quite close to the Studioware Panel concept, but with the advantage that you can edit all and everything) - octave up -down, only one click makes it happen... 🤓

Yes, okay, of course, it has the disadvantage or advantage of being hosted on an Android device via USB. The advantage, however, is that you can save a lot of space while working, and you don't have your entire monitor full of windows.

Edited Thursday at 11:40 AM by Astraios

[Amberwolf]

12 hours ago, sjoens said:

err, unless you right-click > Insert Effect or Process Effect on a clip.

Sure...but that's a pretty complex way to do that sort of thing, especially if you are doing it dozens of times.   

For me, that pushes it outside the limits of processes that do the job.   

It's much faster to reach for the mouse (trackball) and drag them to their new positions...but a keystroke is better. 

Edited Wednesday at 07:11 PM by Amberwolf

[sjoens]

No worries.  I was just clarifying.