my tips:
1. use, two channels, one with all the bars filled out, and the other one should look the same. but you open the other one in pianoroll. and move the notes.
2. try and automate the arpggiator and change the note range from the preset of 3 to 1.
3. look for a little box on the top of teh screen that says "snap" above it and "line" in teh box. change it to 1/2 step or maybe even quarter step, open piano roll, put the notes down.
4. Just a quick tip for those of you who like drumrolls like above:
- Open the pianoroll for the drum you want to 'roll'
- Draw in one note, and make it as long as you want the drumroll to be (stretch it)
- Go to the menu in the top-left corner of the pianoroll and select: tools>chop
- in the dialogue-box, play with the 'time mull' knob and see instantly how your one-note is being chopped into a nice drumroll, as fast or slow as you like.
- In the lower half of the pianoroll you can then paint in the velocity, making the roll increase volume over time.
Working like this saves you the laborious work of manualy drawing in every note. Also, like this you can make the roll as long as you like, and are not limited by the patternlength.
If you place another note after the first created roll, select it and return to the chop menu, you could for instance make a drumroll that starts out slowly, changes tempo a few times and ends in a rhythmic frenzy....
Another tip on the subject of drumrolls:
- fatten them up by introducing other elements
You could do this by starting with a long snare-roll, halfway adding an increasing kickdrum-roll and nearing the end throw in a few crash-cymbal hits.
Good Luck,
Wings