WaveDesk
Choose an instrument and a starting point
Create an instrument track and choose a suitable VST3 instrument. The instrument slot is separate from the effects insert section: the instrument generates the sound, and subsequent effects process it. Test a single note first so you can check MIDI input and sound generation separately from processing.
You can use the WaveDesk MIDI exercise as a starting point. It is designed for 120 BPM. Import it into your project and assign it to an instrument track. The file provides note information; you choose the tone through the instrument and preset.
Edit pitches and note lengths
Open the MIDI part in the piano roll. Start by moving individual pitches rather than changing the whole motif at once. Vertical position determines pitch; horizontal position determines musical timing. Check each change in the context of the rest of the motif.
Next, adjust the note lengths. Short notes can separate a phrase more clearly; longer notes connect it. How long a sound actually rings out also depends on the instrument's envelope, release and, where applicable, pedal commands.
Shape the attack with velocity
Velocity describes how strongly a note is played. Depending on the instrument, it changes volume, tone or both. Accent the musically important notes and reduce accompaniment notes slightly, rather than giving every note the same value.
Start by changing a small group of notes. Differences that are too large can make an otherwise calm phrase sound uneven. With very short notes, a soft instrument attack may make the sound barely audible, so check the preset too.
Use grid, scale and patterns deliberately
In the pattern sequencer, place notes in step view and refine them in the piano editor. Choose a root note, grid and length that suit the motif. Scales and chord tools provide guidance, but they do not replace the decision about which notes suit your song.
Swing changes the rhythmic emphasis. Try small adjustments and keep pauses intact. Use protection markers to protect suitable note parameters from randomizer changes. Save useful variations in pattern banks before experimenting further.
Develop an arrangement from the motif
Use “Into Project” to add a pattern as an instrument track. The arrangement uses the project tempo. Compare the phrase with bass, chords and rhythm there, rather than working exclusively in solo mode.
Develop a second variation with a few focused changes: a different final note, a pause or an altered velocity curve. MIDI CC curves can modulate suitable instrument parameters. Whether a particular controller affects the desired sound depends on the instrument and its mapping.