The Transpose functions

Introduction

Nuendo offers transpose functions for audio, MIDI and instrument parts and for audio events. These allow you to create variations of your music or change the harmonics of an entire project or separate sections.

Transpose can be applied on three levels:

• On the entire project

By changing the project Root Key in the Project window toolbar, the whole project will be transposed (see “Transposing an entire project with the Root Key” on page 115).

• On sections of the project

By creating Transpose events on the Transpose track you can set transpose values for separate sections of your project (see “Transposing separate sections of a project using Transpose events” on page 118).

• On individual parts or events

By selecting individual parts or events and changing their transpose value in the info line, you can transpose individual parts or events (see “Transposing individual parts or events using the info line” on page 118).

The transpose functions do not change the actual MIDI notes or the audio, but only affect the playback.

Apart from the transpose features described in this chapter, you can also transpose all MIDI notes on the selected track using the MIDI modifiers (see “Transpose” on page 346), selected notes using the Transpose dialog (see “Transpose” on page 357), and MIDI tracks using MIDI effects (see the separate manual “Nuendo Expansion Kit – Cubase Music Tools for Nuendo 4”).

Transposing your music

In the following sections we will describe the different possibilities of transposing your music. Note that these can also be combined. However, we recommend you to set the root key first, before recording or changing transpose values on the transpose track.

As a general rule, you should always set the root key first when you work with content with a defined root key.

Transposing an entire project with the Root Key

The root key you specify for a project will be the reference that audio or MIDI events in your project will follow. You can of course exclude separate parts or events from being transposed, e.g. drums or percussion (see “The Global Transpose setting” on page 119).

Depending on whether you are using events which already contain root key information or not, the procedures differ slightly:

If the events already contain root key information

Let’s say you want to create a project based on loops. Proceed as follows:

1. Open the Mediabay and drag some loops into an empty project, see “Browsing for media files” on page 316.

For this example, import audio loops with different root keys.

2. Now, open the Root Key pop-up menu in the Project window toolbar and set the project root key.

The entire project will be played back with this root key. Note that by default, the project root key is not specified (“-”).

A loop-based project with different event root keys

The separate loops will be transposed in order to match the project root key. If you e.g. have imported a bass loop in C and the project root key is set to E, the bass loop will be transposed up by 4 semitones.

3.Now (with the root key set), record audio or MIDI.

The recorded events will get the project root key.

4.When you are done and satisfied with the result, you can change the project root key and your events will follow.

If you work with drums or percussion, you should exclude these from being transposed by setting the “Global Transpose” setting on the info line to “Independent” (see “The Global Transpose setting” on page 119).

If the events do not contain root key information

Let’s say you have created a project by recording audio and importing some MIDI loops, and you want to match the root key of the whole project to the register of a certain singer.

Proceed as follows:

1.In your project, open the Project menu and select “Transpose” from the Add Track submenu (or right-click in the Track list and select “Add Transpose Track”) to add the Transpose track.

You can only have one Transpose track in a project.

2.Set the project to the desired root key by selecting the corresponding option from the Root Key pop-up in the Project window toolbar.

3.Right-click in the Track list for the Transpose track and select “Set root key for unassigned events” from the context menu.

This sets the project root key for all unassigned parts or events. You can undo this command by selecting Undo from the Edit menu. The “Set root key for unassigned events” option is only available, if a project root key has been set.

If you work with drums or percussion, you should exclude these from being transposed by setting the “Global Transpose” setting on the info line to “Independent” (see “The Global Transpose setting” on page 119).

Recording with a project root key

Let’s say that you want to record a guitar line for a project that is in D# minor, but your guitar player prefers to play A minor and G major. In this case, you can change the project root key to A, so that you can record your guitar. Proceed as follows:

1.Open your project and set the project root key to A.

All parts and events will be transposed in order to match the root key.

2.Listen to your project and verify that no drums and percussions have been transposed.

If drums have been transposed, select them and set their Global Transpose setting to “Independent”.

3.Record your guitar line as desired.

4.When you are done and you are satisfied with the result, you can change the project root key back to D# minor and your events will follow.

For recorded audio events and MIDI parts, the “Global Transpose” setting on the info line ist automatically set to “Follow”, i.e. the events or parts will get the project root key.

Changing the Root key of single events or parts

If you want to check if an audio event or part has root key information or if you want to change it, proceed as follows:

1. Open the Pool and display the Key column by selecting “Root Key” from the “View/Attributes” pop-up menu in the Pool.

To check the root key setting of a MIDI part, proceed as follows:

1. Select your MIDI part in the Project window and check the Project window info line.

A MIDI part with a root key set to “E”

2. Click on the root key value in the info line to open the Root key pop-up menu in the Project window info line and select the desired root key.

If you change the project root key after setting the event root key, the events will keep their own root key settings, and will be transposed to match the project root key. If you record an audio or a MIDI part and the project root key is specified, this root key is automatically set.

Transposing separate sections of a project using Transpose events

Sometimes you may want to transpose only certain sections of your project, e.g. to create harmonic variations. This can be done by creating transpose events. Transpose events allow you to add a relative transpose offset by specifying transpose values in semitones. You can e.g. brighten up your loops in C major by transposing them by 5 semitones, so that the subdominant on F major is played back, or you can turn your hit more interesting by transposing the last chorus one semitone upwards.

1.In your project, open the Project menu and select “Transpose” from the Add Track submenu (or right-click in the Track list and select “Add Transpose Track”) to add the Transpose track.

You can only have one Transpose track in a project.

2.Select the Pencil tool from the toolbar and click in the Transpose track to create a transpose event.

A transpose event will be created from the point where you clicked until the end of the project.

3. To create another transpose event, click with the pencil tool on the first transpose event.

By default, the transpose value of new transpose events is set to 0.

You can add more transpose events by clicking with the pencil tool.

4. Click in the transpose value field and enter the transpose value for the transpose event.

You can enter the desired value with the computer keyboard, use the mouse wheel or [Alt]/[Option]-click on the transpose value to open a value fader. You can specify values between -24 and 24 semitones.

If you move the mouse over the transpose event, the cursor turns into a hand symbol. This indicates that you can use the mouse wheel to change the value.

5. Play back your project.

The parts of your project on the same position as the transpose events will be transposed according to the specified transpose values.

Ö You can also transpose the whole project by means of the transpose track. This is useful e.g. if your singer does not reach a certain pitch. In this case you can transpose your whole project by e.g. -2 semitones. Always remember to verify that the “Global Transpose” setting for drums and percussion is set to “Independent” on the info line (see “The Global Transpose setting” on page 119).

You can erase and move transpose events, but you can not mute, cut or glue them. The option “Locators to Selection” does not apply on transpose events.

Transposing individual parts or events using the info line

You can also transpose individual audio and MIDI parts and events via the Info line (or the Inspector). This transposition will be added to the global transposition (i.e. the root key or the transpose events). Proceed as follows:

1.Select the event that you want to transpose.

2.In the Project window info line, adjust the Transpose value as desired.

Ö A global transpose change will not overwrite individual part or event transpose, but will be added to the transpose value for the part or event. In this case, it might be useful to keep the transposition within the octave range (see “Keep Transpose in Octave Range” on page 120).