Quantize

Quantizing changes the attack and release times of MIDI note

events and audio soundbites to make them more rhythmically
precise. Attacks and releases are aligned with a grid, a set of
locations that occur on the beat and its subdivisions. Quantize is
useful in correcting perceived rhythmic inaccuracies after your
sequence is recorded. It does a rhythmic cleaning up based
upon your specifications.
What to quantize: The What to quantize menu gives you the
following choices for what you can quantize:

Notes
Soundbites
Notes and soundbites
Beats within soundbites
Beats within soundbites and notes
Controllers
Custom

The Custom option gives you complete control over what you
wish to quantize, including markers, patch changes, and tempo
events in the conductor track. You can quantize anything except
loops.
Groove Quantize
Digital Performers Groove Quantize feature is easy to use and
from a creative standpoint one of Digital Performers most
enjoyable features.
In musical terms, a groove is a unique rhythmic feel. Many artists
are famous for a certain feelor groovein their music that
makes their sound unique.
Digital Performers Groove Quantize feature gives you complete
reign over this important aspect of your music.
The effect of adding a groove to an otherwise mundane track can
be stunning: the music instantly feels like it has a third
dimension, and the sensation can be similar to that moment
when you put on 3-D glasses in an old 3-D movie. Sometimes, the

effect is subtle. Often, however, youll find that a groove

completely transforms music, making it sound totally different
from its original form.
The elements of a groove
To master grooves, it is important to recognize the musical
elements of a groove. A groove is generated by variations in the
timing, accent, and duration of the notes being played. This is
true for either MIDI data or audio data. In Digital Performer, a
groove consists of a combination of the following elements:

A quantize grid that affects the timing of notes (attacks

only)
A note-on velocity map
A note duration map
A meter
A length (in measures)
An overall beat subdivision
For example, a swing groove is usually based on a swung 8th
note beat subdivision. If its a hard swing, the eighth-note
offbeats may be played quite late. The durations of the notes in
such a groove tend to be longer, and the velocities emphasize
the offbeats. The length of the groove is usually two bars, and it
is often in 4/4 time.
When you apply a groove to some MIDI data in a track, the
selected notes are modified according to these groove
parameters.
Create Groove
The Create Groove command lets you create your own Grooves
from MIDI note data or audio data (loops, audio tracks any
rhythmic audio) in any track. The source material can come from
any Digital Performer file, any standard MIDI file or any audio file.
Grooves can be any length.
Smart Quantize

Smart Quantize is especially designed for quantizing MIDI note

data that will be transferred to music notation software. Digital
Performers built-in QuickScribe Editor, however, does not require
quantization of any kind; it will notate original, unquantized MIDI
data.
Smart Quantize is great for quantizing large sections of music
when you dont want to have to decide what the quantize grid
value should be. For example, if a sixteenth note grid wouldnt be
appropriate for the music, nor would any other particular
quantize value, try Smart Quantize. It uses a floating grid
depending on the music, and it even recognizes tuplets.
Humanize
The Humanize command lets you add a random elementor
humanized feelto your music. With this command, you can
randomize any combination of the following elements of your
music:
Note placement
Soundbite placement
Note durations
Velocities
Pitches
Tempo
In addition, you can create a unique blend of these humanize
elements and save it as a humanize style, which you can recall
and use at any time. You can use the Humanize command to
create arpeggiation effects, hi-hat (or other percussion
instrument) grooves, and other dramatic musical effects.