I am writing to request the ability to automate the muting of MIDI notation for MIDI instrument tracks. I would like to see the option to Mute MIDI notation, separate and apart from the mixer, in the form of each MIDI instrument track having a NEW “Mute” automation lane under the MIDI instrument channel on the song page. Although its function would be different, the location would appear on the song page under MIDI instrument automation, just as it currently appears as an option for audio channels!
The reason for this request is the fact that the only current option to automate the muting of audio generated by MIDI instrumentation is from the mixer, and it immediately cuts off all audio for that channel when activated:
With many virtual instruments now being created with built in effects, the need for processing outside of a given virtual instrument is drastically reduced. The downside of this fact is the longer audio tails that result. Longer audio tails can also happen without insert effects. For example, when the release time of a virtual MIDI instrument is extended, this also causes a longer audio tail and makes muting from a mixer channel undesirable.
The current options for muting a MIDI instrument part are:
Muting instrumentation note-by-note via the piano roll / pattern editor
Muting an entire MIDI event.
While these options do serve their intended purpose, I would like to see this request implemented to speed up production turnaround times. I would also like to see the resulting notation visually muted in the piano roll, pattern editor, and song pages. For example, if an entire event has been muted because of a MIDI note mute automation, I would like to see that event has been visually muted as well.
If approved, the loop based MIDI workflow would go something like this:
Produce your 4-64 bar basic loop for each musical section (intro, verse, chorus, bridge outro, etc)
Duplicate all basic instrumentation for however long as needed.
Write MIDI NOTE MUTE AUTOMATION across all instrumentation to simplify the arrangement process in 1 go (or more if needed).
Quantize or manually fine tune the resulting MIDI NOTE MUTE AUTOMATION(s).
Add any other remix special effects audio candy, build ups drops, etc.
Mix to taste.
The result of this request would be like automating the enabling or disabling of MIDI Local/Rx/Tx on an external keyboard workstation. Having the option to utilize this function in real-time across multiple instruments simultaneously would be a huge time saver when applied as a write automation! I would also like the option to quantize this simple on/off automation to further expedite the process.
The goal of this request is speeding up the workflow for MIDI editing overall. Although it may be most beneficial for producers of electronic, loop, or pattern-based music, it will ultimately benefit anyone who has integrated MIDI recording, arranging, or sequencing as part of their production process – and who hasn’t!?!
Also, consider the fact that the process of song arrangement tends to involve variations on a theme. Songwriters may sometimes write different aspects of their completed work over an extended period, which later forms a completed work. Then at other times, a song writer’s completed work might start out as a huge aggregate of different aspects that have to be sorted out and filtered down into something that music consumers can audibly digest and enjoy.
In either case, and all cases in between, arrangement of those different musical aspects plays an import part in the process of creating a finished work. With MIDI Note Mute Automation song arrangement doesn’t have to take a long time anymore! Sure this request could be avoided by using other current means, but all other current options with Studio are exponentially slower than the what is being recommended in this feature request.
It also presents a more achievable solution to a previous feature request:
https://answers.presonus.com/66012/could-impact-updated-include-drag-drop-functionality-files