Wishlist to make orchestral writing not suck

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Semproser
Wed Feb 08, 2023 4:27 pm

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Wishlist to make orchestral writing not suck

Hi all,

People have individually raised these complaints over the years but none have been addressed, so I'm putting this together as a bundle just to mark what affects this particular demographic of user in the hopes that if image-line ever care to make orchestral writing better on FL Studio, they can know what to focus on. Feel free to add your own grievances related to orchestral writing below.
Here's my list of things that hold back FL Studio from being considered by the orchestral writing community, that I think could all be addressed:

1. You can't disable a channel to save state whilst unloading RAM
- This means templates that hold the whole orchestra that would require 100GB+ can't feasibly work. You can't just load 10GB of initial instruments and then enable parts you need when you want them like in other DAWs.
This is extremely important for writers who use sample based VSTs.
> No, Smart Disable doesn't even come close. All that does is save CPU power, it doesnt save RAM.
> Cubase has this feature

2. The in-piano-roll CC editor is extremely limited
- Every line of midi in orchestral writing is accompanied by dynamics that are written as CC, often times there can be more. Working with these dynamics sucks because:
> there's no way to copy and paste these without going through the pattern editor
> there's no way to shift chunks side to side
> there's no way to set accurate or even specific values without pixel perfect trial and error with the mouse, guessing at what CC value it has
> there's no node-based controls like the CC editor in automation clips.
now to anyone saying "just use automation clips then", you cannot record live inputs into automation clips, which is extremely important for natural dynamics.

3. Ghost notes only work for the pattern editor, not for song
- This means recording and then aligning 15 instruments in the song editor when you can't see ghost notes is a complete pain, meaning its much much easier to avoid the song editor entirely and put the entire musical piece into one single pattern, because otherwise you can't compare an instruments note data to every other instrument.

4. You can't make changes across multiple instrument tracks at once
- Meaning lets say you want to move all the notes in a selected section across 20 instruments up by one, you have to manually do this for every single instrument every time.
> The ghost notes are all right there, just let me select them all at once and edit them.

5. You can't change the tempo without affecting every piece of midi data
- Often you will want to start off-grid with no regard to the metronome/tempo, and then later progress onto an on-grid part. If you've written 40 seconds worth of midi notes and accompanying cc data across 20 instruments and then you need to set the tempo and realign to the grid, you're completely screwed because:
> Changing the tempo essentially stretches all the midi data and cc that were already written in the timing you wanted. Unlike audio sample clips, you can't opt out of this stretch effect for midi data.
> The often referenced work around is to just select all the midi data and use the scale-all handle. This is a complete nightmare for this scenario, because of point #4. Then on top of that, you have no way actual way to do the same to the CC data. There is literally no mechanism to rescale midi cc horizontally, which means this action is impossible without re-writing everything manually, further proving why point #2 is so impactful.

6. You can't copy and paste note data AND midi cc associated with it using copy/cut paste on the instrument list
> If you want to move/duplicate a solo from the flute to the clarinet, when you copy from the instrument menu it only comes with the notes. You have to manually go through and copy each cc data associated with it. See below for the long list of potential MIDI CC data you might have

7. Layers can't send MIDI CC
- If I wanted to use a layer to play 5 solo instruments at once, I can only do that with the notes, not the dynamics.
> The work around is that you'd have to play in the dynamics 5 separate times and hope you get it right, or program the dynamics in on only one instrument and paste to all the others, meaning you have no idea what it's going to sound all together like when you're recording it.


**Note to anyone that doesnt work with this kind of music, some typical MIDI CC that you often want to automate in real time includes:
Dynamics (how hard they play), Expression (raw volume), Articulation Mapping (staccato, staccatissimo etc), Vibrato, Legato trigger (allows single-note patches to play chords), Style (whether or not to add a mute to the strings, e.g. Con Sordino), Flutteretc.
Hopefully that explains why MIDI CC control is so important in orchestral writing.


DavidAntagon
Tue Feb 21, 2023 9:24 pm

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Re: Wishlist to make orchestral writing not suck

To continue with your list request... also we d...
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Semproser
Wed Mar 08, 2023 3:34 pm

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Re: Wishlist to make orchestral writing not suck

DavidAntagon wrote: ↑Tue Feb 21, 2023 9:24 pm T...

q_80_
Wed Mar 08, 2023 9:42 pm

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Re: Wishlist to make orchestral writing not suck

Semproser wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 3:34 pm Davi...

Semproser
Thu Mar 09, 2023 6:30 am

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Re: Wishlist to make orchestral writing not suck

q_80_ wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 9:42 pm Semprose...
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q_80_
Thu Mar 09, 2023 9:06 am

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Re: Wishlist to make orchestral writing not suck

the fact you have to do that - is kinda the poi...


q_80_
Mon Mar 13, 2023 3:13 am

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Re: Wishlist to make orchestral writing not suck

looking at it from IL's perspective...it's easy...






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