I compsose a music for orchestra with Cubase. I quantize after having recorded midi with my keyboard, but the result is awful. It’s worst that if I don’t use quantize. Here is an example with violas. In the midi editor, it’s visually perfectly quantized. And yet…
Cubase offers what it calls “iterative” quantize. You may also record with Auto Quantize on or off.
Using Midi Modifiers as a MIDI Insert you may further “humanize” things with some randomness to pitch, velocity, position. If you like, you may assign a Key Command to Open/Close the Quantize Panel. I use Cltr-Shift-Q for it, but that’s up to your preference.
You can select notes within a track and apply different quantize values to selected notes. Selecting Notes can be done by hand in the Key Editor or with the Midi Logical Editor. You can also select measures on the Project Window and apply quantize to the measures selected.
I’ve seen some reports about issues with quantize, but, all in all, I’ve found the quantize functions in Cubase to be excellent and accurate.
Just for info, I don’t recommend to record with Auto Q. You will never get the original (played) position then.
In Cubase Quantitation is a non-destructive process. So you can get back to the original position at any time and re-quantize, what is very important for me.
I don’t use Auto Q, and my iterative quantize is not enabled, so the quantize should be set to 100 per cent. For now, I didn’t find the exact solution, but meanwhile, I make this part played by the cellos players, who apparently have better rythmic abilities (no offense for the viola players!).
I ALWAYS record with Input Quantize turned OFF, otherwise you will have a true mess if doing orchestral stuff.
Quantize post record if you will, this way you can select ANY note or notes and adjust the q value and percentage you need.
