v4: Grid improvements?

[AdamWathan]

I noticed we now have a better behaving grid when it comes to note values (respects time signature properly now) but I think there are still a lot of improvements that could be made.

1. We still can't have a proper "1 bar" grid that respects time signatures, it uses 1 as a simple whole note which is always 4 beats regardless of time signature. I personally feel this is less useful than being able to have a grid that is only on each bar line, and stays on the bar lines even if you change time signatures.

2. The grid gets messy when using odd time signatures. If you are in 9/16 and have the grid set to quarter notes, there will only be a grid line at the beginning of every 9th bar. Really there should be a grid line at the beginning of EVERY bar, and each bar should reset the 1/4 note count, which is exactly what happens when actually playing and counting music.

So instead of this (current Reaper behavior):
(Top is Reaper grid lines, bottom is 16th notes with bar lines)

|       |       |       |       |       |       |     
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

We should be getting this:

|       |       | |       |       | |       |       | |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

So you should end up with a grid that goes quarter, quarter, quarter, sixteenth, quarter, quarter, quarter, sixteenth, etc. The bar line resets the grid count.

3. This is the easy one! Please add a grid drop down to the arrange window transport just like there is in the MIDI editor! Please please please! It is totally silly to have to open an options window to set the grid. I love how the MIDI editor has a drop down for the grid value, and then another drop down that lets you quickly toggle to triplets or dotted for that grid value!

[Bevosss]

Originally Posted by AdamWathan

I noticed we now have a better behaving grid when it comes to note values (respects time signature properly now) but I think there are still a lot of improvements that could be made.

1. We still can't have a proper "1 bar" grid that respects time signatures, it uses 1 as a simple whole note which is always 4 beats regardless of time signature. I personally feel this is less useful than being able to have a grid that is only on each bar line, and stays on the bar lines even if you change time signatures.

2. The grid gets messy when using odd time signatures. If you are in 9/16 and have the grid set to quarter notes, there will only be a grid line at the beginning of every 9th bar. Really there should be a grid line at the beginning of EVERY bar, and each bar should reset the 1/4 note count, which is exactly what happens when actually playing and counting music.

So instead of this (current Reaper behavior):
(Top is Reaper grid lines, bottom is 16th notes with bar lines)

|       |       |       |       |       |       |     
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

We should be getting this:

|       |       | |       |       | |       |       | |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

So you should end up with a grid that goes quarter, quarter, quarter, sixteenth, quarter, quarter, quarter, sixteenth, etc. The bar line resets the grid count.

3. This is the easy one! Please add a grid drop down to the arrange window transport just like there is in the MIDI editor! Please please please! It is totally silly to have to open an options window to set the grid. I love how the MIDI editor has a drop down for the grid value, and then another drop down that lets you quickly toggle to triplets or dotted for that grid value!

+1 to all that, it'll really help with odd times.

OT but related sorta, count-in/pre-roll at current tempo/sig is another must for punching in at a tempo marker...you have to do a render macro workaround or it throws the artist off.

[hopi]

...and Bevosss we do live in odd times

[Bevosss]

Originally Posted by hopi

...and Bevosss we do live in odd times

...

[henge]

Originally Posted by AdamWathan

I noticed we now have a better behaving grid when it comes to note values (respects time signature properly now) but I think there are still a lot of improvements that could be made.

1. We still can't have a proper "1 bar" grid that respects time signatures, it uses 1 as a simple whole note which is always 4 beats regardless of time signature. I personally feel this is less useful than being able to have a grid that is only on each bar line, and stays on the bar lines even if you change time signatures.

2. The grid gets messy when using odd time signatures. If you are in 9/16 and have the grid set to quarter notes, there will only be a grid line at the beginning of every 9th bar. Really there should be a grid line at the beginning of EVERY bar, and each bar should reset the 1/4 note count, which is exactly what happens when actually playing and counting music.

So instead of this (current Reaper behavior):
(Top is Reaper grid lines, bottom is 16th notes with bar lines)

|       |       |       |       |       |       |     
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

We should be getting this:

|       |       | |       |       | |       |       | |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

So you should end up with a grid that goes quarter, quarter, quarter, sixteenth, quarter, quarter, quarter, sixteenth, etc. The bar line resets the grid count.

3. This is the easy one! Please add a grid drop down to the arrange window transport just like there is in the MIDI editor! Please please please! It is totally silly to have to open an options window to set the grid. I love how the MIDI editor has a drop down for the grid value, and then another drop down that lets you quickly toggle to triplets or dotted for that grid value!

This would be fantastic. It would make editing in odd time signatures alot easier. Great suggestions Adam.

[PitchSlap]

I think grid presets would help a lot too, that way people can more easily share what's working best for them, and presets can be made to approximate other DAWs.

[EvilDragon]

I very much agree with all of this!

[pbk]

I think that instead of limited combo-box selections or a single entry grid specification, we should have the possibility to input a string in a text form that gives us complete flexibility on a pattern to be used as time signature or a grid. Eg, something like

"4/4,4/4,3/4,7/8"

so it repeats that time signature as long as a new time signature change is placed.

[ivansc]

Currently struggling with a tune that has a couple of odd bars in 5/4 in the middle of a 4/4 song and adam is right.
Not elegant.

[IXix]

Originally Posted by AdamWathan

(lots of words)

^^ What he said ^^

[arbogast]

+1, of course!

[dadek]

++ This please.

[fiddler59]

++1 please !!

db

[Lawrence]

I agree with Adam (frankly, I don't recall him ever saying anything I disagree with) but let me also take this opportunity to whine about actual grids... like a sample grid and a seconds grid and a frame grid.

Maybe (just asking, not demanding ) we should actually have all of the relevant grids before worrying too much about what they do or don't do.

Anyway, a standing +1 for whatever Adam happens to suggest at any time in the future. He is (and Airon) like Nostradamus... he seems to predict the future, or at least one good version of it.

[airon]

It's a great idea for any beat based grid. Time based grids(if we had them) need some "what timecodes do I actually show in the ruler" love as well, but I've mentioned this numerous times.

[AdamWathan]

Originally Posted by Lawrence

I agree with Adam (frankly, I don't recall him ever saying anything I disagree with) but let me also take this opportunity to whine about actual grids... like a sample grid and a seconds grid and a frame grid.

Maybe (just asking, not demanding ) we should actually have all of the relevant grids before worrying too much about what they do or don't do.

Anyway, a standing +1 for whatever Adam happens to suggest at any time in the future. He is (and Airon) like Nostradamus... he seems to predict the future, or at least one good version of it.

I'm looking at it from the other side, if we only have the one damn grid we might as well at least make it work the way it should, hehe... Not asking to add any real "features" or anything, more just fixing something that wasn't really done right in the first place!

I also really hope for a grid to match every ruler option as you do!

[synth]

+1

.

[beatbybit]

http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.p...201#post633201

please

[bblue]

Pretty please, even.

--Bill

[airon]

It won't work without the sugar on an exact replicated likeness of Justin, Christophe and Schwa, in cake form.

[musicbynumbers]

Sent to them by 12 tomorrow at their office or the llama gets it!

[Melvin J.]

+1 Improve the grid, boys!!!

[bblue]

I'd really like to see grid lines below the last track, gone. Or a setting that selects whether they show or not. Personally, I can't see any reason to ever show grid lines if they aren't over a track.

--Bill

[foxAsteria]

Originally Posted by bblue

I'd really like to see grid lines below the last track, gone. Or a setting that selects whether they show or not. Personally, I can't see any reason to ever show grid lines if they aren't over a track.

--Bill

indeed, those are hideous. hopefully the new "walter" system will allow them to change color on muted tracks as well.

[musicbynumbers]

Agreed ...

[EricM]

Originally Posted by bblue

I'd really like to see grid lines below the last track, gone. Or a setting that selects whether they show or not. Personally, I can't see any reason to ever show grid lines if they aren't over a track.

--Bill

Cannot agree more, +1 for purpose and aesthetics.

e