I use Reaper and I am growing tired of the way it handles things in the Midi editor. I mostly get frustrated when I am drawing notes with mouse (this is the only method I can work with) and when I have to also program CC data (like Modwheel or CC11). In order to get a higher precision in the CC lane, I have to switch my editor's grid resolution from 16 to 128. This switching back and forth kills the joy of music IMO.

Is there a DAW which offers CC lane editing in a more graphical, or perhaps curve based style? Independent of the grid resolution which I prefer to keep at 16th notes.

Please advise.

 

Agreed Reaper's piano roll is quite weak and graphically disappointing to me.

Studio One's Piano roll offers in curves as well as other shapes but im pretty sure it also snaps to the piano roll resolution.

Still.. my fav. by far and well worth a look, graphically pleasing and very comprehensive quantizing features and even scale snap and groove quantizing.

 

Fl´s piano roll is my main editor. I´ve not worked in Reaper so I can´t say that FL is better here, but (if you use only your mouse, like me) you can work with internal FL Midi Out channels, write on the Midi Out piano roll, and assign graphical curves to every CC parameter and tweak them in the playlist. You can also draw CCs (if I remember well) inside the piano roll, but I´m not used to do it because is messy for me, and also the CC tweaking works better for me against the complete arrangemen´s flow. I´ve worked also in PT´s piano roll, but it´s not as handy for me like FL´s.

 

FL's not my main, but I think it has the best midi editor/piano roll by far. Remember, this is my "opinion"

 

i use logic, and the last version isn't that bad. but i've to say that studio one v2 and digital performer are better.

 

fl piano roll is the best but what keeps me from using it the most are the shortcuts, i hate them, u need a big hand to choose draw pencil or eraser ...other than that i use Studio One ...too bad it not have more chord scales to choose from ...great one ...

 

Cubase (because that's what I use, still).

Zynewave Podium and Cockos Reaper both have bezier curves.

 

Former FL Studio, current ableton live user to due to mac migration, i must say that i've almost tested them all and FL piano roll is by far the best one. It's a shame they didn't release a (real) mac version yet.

 

to be honest, Live

 

FL Studio>

keep the right mouse button down + use the mouse scrollwheel (also works in the playlist editor)

 

FL Studio Piano roll. It's been said several times before but it's pretty much the best out there for midi editing. There are things it could use, like select by volocity and a few other things but Nothing really compares. When it comes to midi editing. Not saying it's the best for anything else, but as a midi editor. A+

 

FL is the best MiDi Editor & Piano Roll for sure

 

If you are in need of midi CC - it should just be used when no envelope is available through VSTi - then you should have a look for the "cc to parameter" plugin! You can map easily (well, more or less) EVERY midi CC message into an envelope!!

http://stash.reaper.fm/v/11357/CC%20to%20Parameter

 

Logic Pro!

 

As far as what you can do within the piano roll, FL Studio's piano roll is unmatched, in my opinion. I'm a Live and Logic user, but man I wish they implement some FL features onto Live or Logic in future updates. Just look up some videos of advanced users making tracks to get the whole picture on why some of us here think its pretty damn sweet.

 

hmmm...Imma go with Lives piano roll.

FL studio is ok and has alot of features, but it missed out on essentials that we actually need...like it can't do logical swing notes and the quantization is weird...
it doesn't do proper 1/8th note 1/16th note quantization or whatever...

It does have a cool glide feature though which I used sometimes but it only works with FL plugins so it was kinda pointless third party wise...

 

When it comes to the Piano Roll and midi editing...

There's FL Studio.....and then everybody else. (Of course, that's my opinion as well)

 

ahhhhhhhhh...FL Studio...lawl...back when I was like 6-7 till up about when I was 10...AHAHAHAHA... if only I didn't give up on production I prolly would've Madeon'd my ass through music... and of course when I was 6-7 I had no fucking idea what I was doing...or what the fuck it was...I was just playing with all the samples and dragging them onto the playlist claiming it as my own...
'THIS DJ IS SOO FUNKY MAAAN!!!' AHAHAAHAHAHAHA!!!! That kid is probably the same age as I am now lol...

But woulda coulda shoulda...

 

There are a few ways to automate parameters/CCs in Reaper and bigboobs just added one more. There's also a JS plugin called MIDI CC Mapper that does pretty similar thing already in Reaper JS effects. Maybe consulting the manual would help you? I almost never use the automation in MIDI editor because of all the reasons you've mentioned, too.

Have you tried, for example, pressing "Param", then "FX Parameter", choose the parameter/CC that you want to automate? There are 3 options there: by audio [really cool], by LFO, or by other parameter in the VSTi so it acts like a modulation matrix for the synths that don't have any. ;) You can also show the parameters as buttons on tracks so they are always there and you don't have to look for them.

Having said that, it would be really nice if they made CCs independent of the MIDI grid resolution, I absolutely agree, and just make the whole automation experience in the MIDI editor better, easier to do.

 

For me, it's Cubase 7. Second to that, Logic Pro as that's what I use and does everything I need it to.