Improved Usability, Step Input

Hi.   First thing that occurs to me, assuming "step input mode" as stated, is for the number keys to represent different step sizes.   There are potentially 20 choices here, 10 for the normal numbers, and 10 for numbers on the numeric keypad.

Of course a well-chosen set of default assignments  for these is desirable, with an optional stretch goal being a dialog UI to let the user create custom assignment sets.

This approach is "one-touch" direct to any desired new step size (from the set of 20).   You can't get quicker than that!

Of course, be sure to have a "rest" key, which advances the step without inserting anything in it.

Another possibility is to use the up/down arrow keys to bump the step size up or down.  

Oh, that's nice, that you consider this.

Essentially, I know of two different input methods, each of which has its advantages and disadvantages:

First method:

1. You press the desired notes on a MIDI keyboard
2. You press one of the numbers 1 to 7 on a computer keyboard. This enters a note where the number represents the note length. For example, “1” is a whole note, “2” a half note, “3” a quarter note and so on up to the 64th note. For triad notes for example a key combination like "T" and a number is to be entered
3.  If you then release the keys on the MIDI keyboard, the playhead goes one step further and you can enter a new note.
4. Several notes with smaller note values can be combined to larger note values by not releasing the keys on the MIDI keyboard after a step. For example, if you need a dotted quarter note, press the number key for 8th notes three times without releasing the key on the MIDI keyboard in between.
5. For pauses, do the same as above without pressing a key on the MIDI keyboard.

The advantage of this method is, that is relatively quick when you're getting practiced. But it's not particularly intuitive and you have to constantly concentrate on which number key to press and to coordinate left hand and right hand.

Second method:

1. You preselect the note value with the numbers on the computer keyboard (like above).
2. Then you can play notes on a MIDI keyboard
3. Each time you release a key, a note with the selected length is entered.
4. To enter longer notes, hold the key on the MIDI keyboard and press the space bar on the computer keyboard. (Alternatively, you can of course also change the selected step length).
5. To enter rests, simply press the space bar without pressing a note on the MIDI keyboard.

I prefer the second method. Typically, I simply set the shortest note value to be entered and then usually don't have to change that step size at least for a few bars. So if you set the step width to 16th, you can enter 16th notes, but also 8th, quarter notes, dotted notes etc.. Simply press space bar as often as you need without releasing the notes on the MIDI keyboard. If the music you want to enter then comes to a part in which only 8th notes or longer notes appear, it makes sense to change the step width to 8th notes.

It is even better if you can use a foot pedal instead of the space bar on the computer keyboard. Then you have both hands free to press the notes and use the foot pedal to enter the steps. The computer keyboard is then only needed from time to time to switch the step size. That's super intuitive and after a while you enter the notes faster than if you were playing them live. 

The only disadvantage of this method comes into play when you want to enter music in which triplets (or quintuplets, etc) and regular note values are constantly changing. Then you also have to change the step size constantly. But this doesn't really happen that often.

Juergen's comments  are excellent, IMO.

I would caution against assuming the input device is  a)  a standard keyboard, with b) lot's of "extra" octaves to the left or right.    

Many people are working with, say, 25 key keyboards (e.g. Triton taktile, Launchkey 25, both of which I happen to have, but neither of which is normally even hooked up).

Perhaps fewer, but ever more, people are working with alternative controllers  (e.g. Sensel Morph, or Linnstrument, which is my primary).

I'm all for slick UIs that let whatever physical touch-ables the user happens to have, on whatever gear, be assigned to control whatever is desired to control - but the UI design and development to enable that can become much more of a project than originally hoped for rather quickly this way.

The computer keyboard is the common denominator which everyone has.   I suggest to make use of it first for that reason.   Other possibilities could be added in the future, in competition with other features awaiting attention.

(FWIW, optional "one-hand, one-touch" exclusive snippet launching is the usability issue most pressing for me personally.   Of course we must all allow for the great variety of hopes for Synfire's future ;^) 

Is it worth considering notation apps for step entry?  Dorico for example.  

https://www.steinberg.help/r/dorico-pro/5.1/en/dorico/topics/write_mode/write_mode_note_input/write_mode_note_input_c.html "In Dorico Pro, you can only input notes during note input, which is when the caret is activated." ... so very similar.  "You can input notes in different ways and using any of the following devices, including switching between them at any time: MIDI keyboard; Computer keyboard; Mouse or touchpad; Keyboard, Fretboard, and Drum Pads panels"  Too many choices ...

https://tutorialtactic.com/blog/steinberg-dorico-shortcuts/ ... all 136 of them with Note Entry the first group.

https://forums.steinberg.net/t/fast-note-entry/967170  ... customising by key mapping.

Here’s the docu of Opusmodus ((https://opusmodus.com)) for MIDI Entry (I own the software and these are screenshots).

I like Jurgen's second method but would love it if there were options to switch between computer keyboard and learnable midi notes or CC values. That way people could use a midi controller's triggers, mod wheel, splits on a midi keyboard, with a fallback to a computer keyboard if none of the other devices are available to select note length and next step.

"If I understand correctly, step input is mainly useful for transcription, i.e."'
You can do also drum programming with step edit  

I have been always looking for a text input of the step parameter (like for velocity or length).

With all the different values this is maybe not an easy task - especially if you want to keep it intuitive. 

But typing "4 8 8 4 4" to get a simple pop pattern would be nice :-)

The first thing we will probably do is to allow all steps on the toolbar to be mapped to keyboard shortcuts.\

I hope this means keyboard shortcuts that are specific to being in step-entry mode, rather than keyboard shortcuts that compete/conflict with the in-general keyboard shortcuts that exist now.

It would be desirable to deliver a default mapping of such.   The default mapping could be clearable, both with a one-touch-clears-all action, and via one-by-one replacement with different user-chosen mappings.

From the user POV, being able to save/load sets of step-entry mappings (e.g. from a text file) would allow such to be posted and shared.

Returning to the default mapping should also be a one-action operation, as this will probably be the desired/necessary first step in any troubleshooting of this feature.

If I understand correctly, step input is mainly useful for transcription, i.e. you look at a printed score and enter that into the program. That's probably why I haven't used it much yet. I usually import existing scores. There are apps that scan a printed score and convert it to MIDI, if you don't have a MIDI file already.

I'm not saying that step input is the best solution for all situations, but there are definitively use cases. It is always a good option if you have a clear idea of the notes you want to enter. Does not need to be sheet music, it can also be used for entering musical ideas if you are able to transcribe it into notes in your head. Then it is certainly quicker than recording it live on a MIDI keyboard, because with a live recording you probably need several attempts until the result is satisfactory and then you still have to do some post processing.  And of course you are dependent on the level of your personal playing skills :)  

As you mentioned score scanning software. Do you get good results with it? The last time I tried it (about 5 years ago maybe), it was quite a mess. If you include all the post-processing time, in most cases the step input is also faster than this. And more accurate. And when I want to enter music from existing sheet music into Synfire, we're usually only talking about a few bars. An interesting motif, for example. I'm not going to take out the scanner software for that. Apart from that, we want to do everything in Synfire as much as possible and not have to rely on external software, right?

The only objection I have is using the spacebar (or other transport commands). Space runs the transport. This would require the application to go into a completely different mode of operation 

Yes of course, step input would be a separate mode. 

As for the modes: I could imagine a note entering step mode and a symbols entering step mode mode. The note entering mode would produce a Take with absolute pitch notes. The symbols entering mode would work with just the white keys of a MIDI keyboard (like with the scaleboard windows) and produce symbols. Successive symbols should be connected to a segment automatically. A special keyboard command would set a cut and start a new segment. 

Since step input happens in the context of the phrase editor

It should be implemented also in the track view, because I also need to see what the other instruments are playing when I enter notes.

Step input for Figure is much more complex than Take. 

It would be ok if this mode initially would only be able to generate Takes. But to be honest I don't see the problem why it shouldn't be possible to generate Figures directly. 

The vertical position of the Figure symbols would be selected with the white keys of the MIDI keyboard (as I said: similar to the entry with the scale board) and the time position and length is determined by the steps according to the method described above. A new segment would start by hitting a special keyboard command, say "S" (split). Then, after entering a couple of notes (sorry: Symbols), you hit "S" again.  Then  the previously enter segment is completed and a new one would start. Where should the anchor be placed? How should the symbols of a segment be connected? Just as if I were to select the group of symbols I have just entered and press Ctl-G (the grouping command).