# Drawing an Orchestra



## noiseinmymind (Aug 3, 2020)

Hello, does anybody not use a midi keyboard when composing orchestral music and instead draw it in with a mouse? I know people use notation software, but I am specifically asking about midi notation. I could not really find any answers anywhere and am curious to know. Thanks!


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## ptram (Aug 3, 2020)

To give my humble contribution, I will say that I work both ways: sometimes type the music, some other record it. Often in the same score.

I never enter music with the mouse. I use the mouse (trackpad) for editing.

Recording gives more expressive and musical results, so I tend to prefer it for the leading voices.

Paolo


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## noiseinmymind (Aug 3, 2020)

Yeah, that seems to be the norm. I really prefer to draw everything in and move it to get the time time and feel by mouse. It's just the way I have always worked. I have a lot of problems with cubase with early/late/stacked notes and really have not been able to fix it. So I just continue to draw instead.


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## marclawsonmusic (Aug 3, 2020)

Forum member Carles did some amazing mockups by drawing in CC data.





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It's ok for libraries? (Full Album)


+1 What the others are saying, Carles. Great mixing, too!



vi-control.net


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## noiseinmymind (Aug 3, 2020)

marclawsonmusic said:


> Forum member Carles did some amazing mockups by drawing in CC data.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Wow, that's some amazing stuff. Very inspiring!


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## marclawsonmusic (Aug 3, 2020)

Indeed! Carles is one of the most inspiring members on this forum. Haven't seen him in a while. Hope he is busy writing more great music.


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## jbuhler (Aug 3, 2020)

I enter with mouse and I play in depending on the circumstance. Often I work a basic sketch on paper then draw that in with mouse. I almost always do the CCs by drawing. But when I learn an instrument I initially play them in to learn basic automation shapes. And if something isn’t working I’ll play it until i get what I want. And then try to learn that shape.


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## Jeremy Gillam (Aug 3, 2020)

I am not much of a keyboardist, and while I do play some stuff in, MIDI and controller data always gets edited with the mouse.


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## dzilizzi (Aug 3, 2020)

I do a lot with the mouse. But I also use things like Chord Track and EZKeys midi to get started. Its easier to edit midi than to start from scratch.


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## Scalms (Aug 3, 2020)

I try to use the keyboard as much as possible. I’ll re-record the same part over and over again until I get a take I like. I tend to think this humanizes it more and that my emotion is magically transported through my fingers to the keys to midi.


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## noiseinmymind (Aug 3, 2020)

dzilizzi said:


> I do a lot with the mouse. But I also use things like Chord Track and EZKeys midi to get started. Its easier to edit midi than to start from scratch.



Chord track is a time saver!


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## VMC (Aug 3, 2020)

noiseinmymind said:


> Hello, does anybody not use a midi keyboard when composing orchestral music and instead draw it in with a mouse? I know people use notation software, but I am specifically asking about midi notation. I could not really find any answers anywhere and am curious to know. Thanks!



Well, I write in different ways. I don’t know exactly what you mean by drawing (Entering notes in a DAW or entering them in a Notation Software, using a Mouse?). Quite confusing was that. Or may be you meant midi automation? That of course everybody does it. It helps, before mixing or while, sometimes.

VMC


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## noiseinmymind (Aug 3, 2020)

VMC said:


> Well, I write in different ways. I don’t know exactly what you mean by drawing (Entering notes in a DAW or entering them in a Notation Software, using a Mouse?). Quite confusing was that. Or may be you meant midi automation? That of course everybody does it. It helps, before mixing or while, sometimes.
> 
> VMC


I am talking about drawing the actual midi notes, not notation software. You don't draw notes in notation software...


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## purple (Aug 3, 2020)

Of course it's possible and people do it, but the keyboard is just wayyyy faster even when I don't need to use it to be "expressive"


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## hypnotize (Aug 4, 2020)

I use a mouse, but I know a lot of people who use keyboard. It is most likely a matter of skill and ability to play the keyboard. I'm not a keyboardist, so I've learned to work with a mouse over the years.


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## bigcatJC (Aug 4, 2020)

For the first few months I was learning, I entered exclusively with the mouse in the notation view of Reaper...I didn't have a midi keyboard! Now, I play in what I can on the midi keyboard, but I am not a great keyboard player. So...I enter what I have to with the mouse. Even when I do play in on the midi keyboard, I will draw in or dub in CC data later. I'm just not good enough to play with one hand and accurately move a mod wheel or fader! Practice, practice, practice...


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