Upgrade Piano Roll to match FL's for a better User Experience

[Lokan]

I agree that FL is kind of bloated with features, but it also offers well-designed modifiers and good amout of shortcuts so in most cases people don't even need to switch tools.
For cutting notes, I think ctrl+shift click (to cut only one spot) or drag (cut multiple notes) will be handy.
Shift+right click would be a good option too,
Or, maybe we can have a new tool, toggleable like draw tool.

I also agree that draw tool needs improvement. For now, it's quite limited to making snare roll, sequencing trap hi hats, and other repetitive stuffs.
It should be like other DAWs so click to place note and then drag to set its length, and ctrl+shift for current behaviour.
This is gonna help people who sequence a lot of midi notes, reducing amout of clicks,

[jonljacobi]

If they do it via keystroke, it should probably be the same Ctrl + E that's used to split clips. I think there's a suggestion for that.

[Lokan]

If they do it via keystroke, it should probably be the same Ctrl + E that's used to split clips. I think there's a suggestion for that.

But there is no way to select a note partially. Ctrl+E makes sense but it should't be the only option.

[jonljacobi]

Try it with clips. Same deal. The only drawback would be if you wanted to split one and not another at the same spot.

[Lokan]

Try it with clips. Same deal. The only drawback would be if you wanted to split one and not another at the same spot.

You already know what's gonna be the problem. Ctrl+E is not enough

[jonljacobi]

Have you tried shortening and duplicating?

[Lokan]

Have you tried shortening and duplicating?

Please stop suggesting workarounds. Although it's been a year and a few months since I switched to Live, I successfully finished some commercial projects and I'm pretty much aware all the features.

If you want to split eight notes, which each lengths is different, you have to do eight precise drags but with a cut tool it's only one precise drag, with Ctrl+E it's much simpler.

But if you want to keep the lowest note intact, it's better to have a dedicated split tool.

Resizing a long note is a quite cumbersome thing, since you have to move around in the piano roll, or zooming in and out. This happens a lot when working with pads or orchestral stuffs

[Scoox]

I also come from FL and I don't necessarily like everything about it's piano roll, though I agree Live would benefit from copying some of FL's piano roll functionality.

People are forgetting about MIDI 2.0.
It will bring big changes for MIDI in hardware and software.
So probably any big Live's Piano Roll changes will come only after MIDI 2.0 is released.

Genuine question, what's MIDI 2.0 got to do with all this? Advanced MIDI piano roll editing tools is not a limitation of MIDI at all. I could be wrong but do DAWs even use MIDI internally to trigger plugins? I thought MIDI was only used for triggering outboard gear.

MIDI 2.0 might bring higher resolution and other goodies BUT that's not preventing Live from having a note Split tool.

[jonljacobi]

Have you tried shortening and duplicating?

Please stop suggesting workarounds. Although it's been a year and a few months since I switched to Live, I successfully finished some commercial projects and I'm pretty much aware all the features.

If you want to split eight notes, which each lengths is different, you have to do eight precise drags but with a cut tool it's only one precise drag, with Ctrl+E it's much simpler.

But if you want to keep the lowest note intact, it's better to have a dedicated split tool.

Resizing a long note is a quite cumbersome thing, since you have to move around in the piano roll, or zooming in and out. This happens a lot when working with pads or orchestral stuffs

Okay, I won't try to be helpful. Instead, I'll just say that many of us use Ableton Live because it keeps things simple. It minimizes the number of functions and tools in favor of increased user facility with those that exist so you can perform live with it. Yet, you can still do just about anything you want with it. If it's not quite as easy for some obscure operations, such as splitting one long note eight different ways, then it more than makes up for it with the speed of common functions and unencumbered workflow.

I can't speak for Ableton, but I'm assuming that the reason there is only one tool is that they don't want to risk mistakes during live performance. If they ever implement a "non-performance" or "composition/studio" mode or more granular configuration of features, then you might get your wish.

[Tau7ty6]

some features I'd personally like to see:

The 'Play Selected' feature to easily preview all notes in a vertical line on your cursor. This seems so handy for hearing whole chords or even making rhythms by clicking around on the piano roll. Currently you have to drag your cursor over notes and it plays them whenever the drag box hits them so it's not nearly as consistent or useful.

Stamp: adding predefined chords selected from a menu. This would be SO nice for getting quick ideas out there. Also stamping scales would be awesome.

Chop: the ability to easily turn your chords into divisional patterns. Think of how much this would simplify turning chords into plucks or vice versa.

Glide: easy glide notes in the piano roll. how frcking sweat would this be.

Ok, honestly, all the tools from the FL Piano Roll are so cool and it would be incredible if we can have some of these. Not so one can say, Ableton is better or equal than XXX, but just so Ableton can offer its users really cool features.

Thank you again.

Upvote this! We really need - single left click add and single right click or command click to remove feature rather than double clicking. Also having the scales selected on the entire piano roll is a neat idea along with the ability to place one click chords.

[Bergtun]

+1 on overhauling the Piano Roll. Live is amazing in so many ways, but lagging behind on the Piano Roll.

[jonljacobi]

-1

[SewedUp]

Absolutely. I really really really want to switch to Live completely. But man, the Piano Roll is just unnecessarily convoluted to use. I dont understand how a DAW that has this many cool Features suffers from making a vital Part of a lot of peoples workflow this bad. I mean you can use FL as a rewire slave or as a VST, but that CANT be the solution for this.
Please do this. Please. Please please please

[drillababy]

This is so accurate and I could not agree more. Abelton's workflow triumphs any daw in literally every other aspect other than the piano roll which sometimes can halt my production process. Maybe a petition should be presented! Literally!

[2MUCHCAP]

Facts. FL's Piano Roll is on a different level but Ableton does everything else better IMO. But I hate Ableton's Piano Roll.