Step Recording (p. 405ff) is a useful procedure when, due to the
technical nature of a particular music passage, realtime recording may
be difficult. An example would be a fast, technical run.
Rather than try again and again to play the run correctly, it would be
more expeditious to use the Step Recording process to record the
passage. The drawback of Step Recording is that it tends to lack
the element of human expression.
To Step Record, have the appropriate track highlighted, then, press
the Step Record button--the Control Bar button with the feet.
The Step Record dialog box appears.
From the left column, Step Size may be selected for the individual
rhythmic value of each note. From the right column, the duration
of each value may be selected. If the values are to be the same,
check the Follow Step Size box. If, however, you wish to enter
staccato quarter notes, for example, you should choose Quarter from
the Step Size column and Eighth from the Duration column. This
will result in "short," or staccato, quarter notes.
After you have selected the appropriate size/duration and starting
point (via the scrollbar), simply press the desired keyboard note (or
notes, if you need to record a chord). As long as Auto Advance
is checked, as soon as you release the note(s), you will be set to
enter the next note(s). If the rhythmic values are all the same,
you do not need to make any changes. If the rhythmic values
vary, simply change the menu selection prior to entering the next
note. If Auto Advance is not checked, you will need to click on
the Advance button to advance to the next rhythmic entry point.
If you wish to go back a step, use the scrollbar or the arrow
buttons.
Dot: If you need to enter a dotted-note value, simply
selected (Dotted). When you select the next step size, the
Dotted option is automatically unchecked, in that dotted notes are
almost always followed by nondotted values. (The Dotted option
applies to both the step size and the duration.)
Note: With some timebases--120 ticks, e.g.--a dotted 32nd
note cannot be expressed in a nonfractional number of ticks. You
are allowed to select this option anyway, but the value is not correct
and your step recording will gradually fall behind and off the beat if
you use a dotted 32nd note for the step size.
Delete: You can delete a step by using the Delete
button on the computer keypad if you make a mistake.
Pattern: This option lets you more easily record an
exactly-repeating rhythmic pattern, including one with
rests. There are 64 steps available per pattern. For
example, the pattern 12.4 is interpreted as "one, two, rest,
four. The pattern 1.345.78 skips over the second and sixth beats
of an eighth-note pattern. You don't have to click Advance to
skip the beat. (See Rests, below.)
Rests: To insert a rest in Step Record, press the
spacebar or enter a period (.), followed by clicking the Advance key
after each rest entry.
Moving through time: You can skip a step by not
playing any notes and clicking Advance. You may also use the
scrollbar. Click the scroll arrows to advance or rewind in
step-size increments. Drag the scroll box to advance by measure
increments.
When you are done Step Recording, click Keep to keep
everything you've done. If you want to discard what you've done,
click Close.
As long as you specify the correct data entry points
(measures/beats) during Step Record, you should not have difficulty
with other realtime-entered data being erased.
Step Record the following excerpt: (use a harpsichord patch)
