Note and controller chasing – M-AUDIO Pro Tools Recording Studio User Manual

Page 619

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Chapter 29: MIDI Editing

601

Note and Controller Chasing

Note Chasing

Note Chasing allows long, sustained MIDI notes
to be heard when playing from a point after
their start time. For example, if a note’s start
time is at 1|1|000 and lasts for 8 measures (until
9|1|000), note chasing lets you begin playing
from bar 5 and still hear the note that started at
1|1|000 as it continues to sustain until 9|1|000.

Note Chasing

is an option that can turned on and

off individually for each MIDI or Instrument
track. By default, new MIDI and Instrument
tracks have Note Chasing enabled.

To enable Note Chasing for a MIDI track:

„

Click the track’s Playlist selector and select the

Note Chasing

option.

Make sure to disable Note Chasing when working
with samplers that are playing loops. If a MIDI
track, for example, is triggering a 4-bar drum
loop and you begin playing at bar 3, the loop
will begin playing at the wrong time and be out
of synchronization with the other tracks.

Controller and Program Chasing

Pro Tools always chases continuous controller
events and program changes for MIDI tracks.
This ensures that controller values and patches
for MIDI devices are always set correctly.

For example, suppose a MIDI track lasting 32
measures starts with a MIDI volume of 127 and
in the last bar fades down to 0. If after playing
the track in its entirety you attempt to play from
bar 8, the initial MIDI volume of 127 is chased
and sent to the track’s assigned device—other-
wise the track would not be heard since the most
recent volume event sent would have been 0.

Chasing also occurs for a MIDI track’s default
program change, along with any program
change events residing within the track. There-
fore, if you have chosen a default program
change for a track, when playing from any point
within the track, the program change event is
sent to the track’s assigned device.

Default Controller Values and Chasing

Though new MIDI tracks appear to have default
values for continuous controller playlists, this is
actually not the case. For example, when view-
ing a MIDI track’s Mod Wheel playlist, you’ll see
that the breakpoint line is set to a default of
zero. However, since the modulation wheel on
your MIDI controller may be purposely set to a
different value, the default value in the track is
not transmitted when playing.

For example, if you record Mod Wheel automa-
tion that changes from 0–90 towards the end of
the track, and you then play from the beginning
of the track, or from anywhere before the
change, having the Mod Wheel value remains at
90 until the 0 value is reached is not likely to be
what you want.

Note Chasing enabled in Playlist selector

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