Midi Editor Color Scheme

Former user wrote on 8/31/2018, 11:37 AM

A suggestion: the color scheme for the midi editor makes it very difficult to use. I am seeing blue and blue-gray notes on a gray background, and this is definitely a difficulty. Recommend that background color options for the editor be provided for. I have noticed a strong, almost fanatical change over the years in many movie, photo, media editors to set the background as black or dark colors, often with no provision for change. It may be preferable to some, but it is definitely not for others. The ability to have choice or change is what is most important in all cases, I hope that this will be set up in the midi editor as well. I do see the means to change the track colors, and that helps. Being able to set defaults would be another improvement there. Maybe there is a method, but I do not see it yet. Thanks for any considerations, CEC

Comments

johnebaker wrote on 8/31/2018, 11:50 AM

@Former user

In the MIDI editor you can change the colours by applying selecting Options, Apply MIDI Channel colours

HTH

John EB

Former user wrote on 8/31/2018, 12:16 PM

Hi John,

Well, a little bit of change here. I went from gray-blue to blue (flopping between velocity and midi color) but still not sure to change the midi channel color itself, or the background, something to be able to increase the contrast between notes and background? I will keep looking for additional options, screen shots of what I am finding and seeing are included. Thanks much, CEC

johnebaker wrote on 8/31/2018, 2:19 PM

@Former user

Below are the first 16 different channel colours and the option to turn them on.

Note: AFAICS by default every MIDI object will default to channel 1 ie the mid blue.

You can zoom horizontally and vertically in the MIDI Editor using the zoom controls at the bottom right of the pane to make the notes clearer.

HTH

John EB

Former user wrote on 8/31/2018, 4:34 PM

Now I am seeing more of the nature of the problem. I never see the color bar, I have no idea why yet. I am attaching two screen shots. I thought it might be a screen resolution issue (1366x768) but this does not seem to be the case as the full window version is showing no problems that I can see. I also moved the task bar out of the way to see if anything is gained there, but it makes no difference. So now the question is, why am I not seeing the color bar? It obviously would have taken care of the question, but I have never seen that yet. It will be of great benefit to see this bar, no doubt about that. Thanks, CEC

johnebaker wrote on 8/31/2018, 4:59 PM

@Former user

Apoligies if I did not explain enough.

The image is a series of notes in the MIDI Editor each assigned to a different MIDI channel as identified by the numbers I added underneath the colour bar.

Turning on the MIDI channel colours option shows the difference in colours associated with each channel ie channel 1 is identified with a mid blue colour, channel 2 is cyan and so on.

. . . . something to be able to increase the contrast between notes and background? . . . .

The point being that if you turn on the channels colours - the blue/blue grey you were seeing becomes a more intense blue which should aid you in identifying the notes better, it also helps if you zoom the vertical axis to make the bars a little taller so the border is not interfering so much - in the image the zoom is set quite high both horizontally and vertically.

AFAICS there is no way to set the default colour to for example yellow which shows up well against the grey background.

HTH

John EB

fan-boy wrote on 8/31/2018, 9:39 PM

Shift + mouse wheel to increase the vertical size . Ctrl + mouse wheel to zoom in\out horizontally .

if a monitor\TV itself , brightness and contrast are not set right , can have significant effect on seeing proper color depth and black levels . That's why some Games have a Gamma screen to adjust gamma , brightness and contrast , using in-Game sliders . Even with that , the TV\monitor needs to be set correctly too .

I have no issues seeing the notes you speak of . When a note's Velocity is reduced , the notes get displayed as a pale blue . while max Velocity of 127 are dark blue notes . I see all shades of blue notes just fine on the gray Editor .

check your TV\monitor settings . that's the only thing I can think of .

extra note : the RGB data values of an image are "what they are" . however , 5 different displays might display 5 different results , depending on how each TV\monitor is adjusted . so , sending pics of this nature might not pan out , as I might see it differently here , because the TV here is adjusted differently then you have .

video card here , is at Default settings , so that is Never the issue . Next , the TV\monitor needs to be adjusted. Try making your own black white gray scale bars , I can see down to about level 4 gray bars , and I can see to about 250+ white levels . this TV isn't perfect , so there is some clipping at the extremities . Carful manual adjustment improved visuals significantly , for critical viewing .

the main TV adjustments here are : Back Light Level , Brightness , Contrast , Color Temperature .

Former user wrote on 8/31/2018, 11:35 PM

Thanks for the feedback, I think that the immediate need and problem has been resolved. I suspect the method used is what related to what John EB was communicating to me. Basically if I set the output of the VST to a particular channel at the time of creation of the midi track to a particular channel, then I can have a color of preference, and hence contrast, used. This is all that I needed for now, and it is a crucial feature so I am grateful to have worked it out. Thank you.

I understand if my monitor was brighter or varied the issue would not be as pronounced as it is; however, I run on solar power here and power management is a very big issue. I do not have the luxuries mentioned, but I also acknowledge the benefits possible there. The direct solution to the problem is to simply be able to control the color schemes and there is some provision for doing so. Great, and I can carry on to the next discovery, as I am sure there are plenty ahead.

I will also, however, maintain my original suggestion. Being able to control the background and colors of an interface is a fairly standard programming requirement, and I think the benefit of that remains. I have found it to be equally important and valuable in the track property options. Folks generally have their own preferences with respect to color use and the most direct way of providing that is simply to allow the change by the user. I hope that you will forward this suggestion to the programmers.

I have a practical work around for now, thanks much for all the info as it was helpful. If you have further suggestions or advice please do not hesitate to mention them to me, every day is a learning curve.

Best regards, CEC

(In addition, AFAICS, I learned an new acronym in the process, with a detour of looking for an international organization governing midi standards along the way, now that one is under my belt!.)

fan-boy wrote on 9/1/2018, 2:46 PM

one extra thing on TV\monitor adjustments . I Never use ( "Dynamic contrast" , "Noise reduction" , "game mode" , presets ) . None of that . Dynamic Contrast will truncate gray levels of around RBG 32 , 32 , 32 , and below , to RGB 0 , 0 , 0 full black , and the gray levels above RGB 235 235 235 , to full white 255 255 255 . Sure , at first the picture looks Extra contrasty . but soon , it is obvious the dark areas are too dark , and the white areas look too Specular ( blown out whites ) . The image is Clipped at both ends . Manual setup is the only way .

The TV here is adjusted so that , even when a game thing has in-game gamma slider adjustment , I never need to use it , cause I can see their calibration image just fine . That confirms the TV is adjusted pretty good .

to better see the black levels below RGB 32 , 32 , 32 overlap the gray bars ,...do the same at lighter gray levels above 245 , 245 245

I made black bars or squares at RGB 000 , 222 , 444 , 888 , 12,12,12 , 16 , 16, 16 , 32, 32,32 . and light gray bars at 245, 245 ,245 , 250 , 250 , 250 , 251 , 251 , 251 , 252 , 252 , 252 , 253 , 253 , 253 , 254 , 254 , 254 , 255, 255 ,255 as overlapping . Color bars most likely will NOT be needed . as your TV\monitor most likely has accurate color . It is the gray scale that needs adjustment , in the TV\monitor .

Just one .png image , made using mspaint . easy to do .

No calibration Spider needed .