Thoughts from the mind of jonperljonperl
<jonperl.public@...>, 22-01-2003:
>1) We have 10 registered EXS copies at our training program, so
>this isn't one of "those" posts... but: where is all the info about
>EXS-Mk2 consolidated.? We got these flimsy version 1 manuals.
>Then there is an AppleGuide for v.1 also (not very helpful). Then
>there is the upgrade pdf which discusses changes (helpful). I
>seem to remember there being a guide to the EXS in the Logic
>Platinum help file, but there's nothing there except a What's New
>section or softsynths. Am I missing something?
No. The flimsy manual and mkII pdf are all there is. Oh, and the
online help may have an EXS section as well (? not sure).
>2) Missing a consoldated currrent manual, can someone give a
>brief explanation of the functionality of the "Select By" options in
>the Group Editor (options are: Note, Group, Cntrl, Bend). Thanks
They allow you to switch between different groups using any of the
options as "switches". So you could have C1 select the pizzicato
group while D1 selects the legato group, etc. Ditto with
controllers: modwheel, values 0-63 could select one group, while
values 64-127 select another. The "select by group" is trickier than
the others. Last November (22th) I posted some thoughts on the
subject. I guess no-one will mind if I repost it here. So here goes:
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I hadn't even noticed, but indeed, in the Instrument Editor, if you
pick a "Select by" option in a Group, a second "Select by" is added
in which you can pick another selection criterion. This is all quite
esoteric stuff, I must say, and afaik hasn't been documented at all.
I just played around with it a couple of minutes, and think I got it
figured out -- the theory at least.
First of all, all Select criteria must be satisfied *simultaneously*
before a Group actually sounds. I.e. if you pick C1 as the Note to
select Group1, and additionally set the 2nd "Select" to "Controller
1, values 0-63", then Group 1 will only play after you've hit C1
_and_ CC1 has a value between 0 and 63.
So suppose you have 3 groups: group1 and group2 are both assigned to
Select by Note C1, and group3 is set to Select by Note C#1. You also
set group1 to Select by CC1, 0-63 and group2 to CC1, 64-127.
Now hit C#1: group3 plays, plain and simple. Hit C1: group1 or 2
plays, depending on the current CC1 value.
So you could use this to have two Notes select between e.g violin and
trumpet, and then use the modwheel to select between either violin
staccato/legato or trumpet staccato/legato. I'm not sure though why
you would do it this way: you might as well assign the 4 groups to 4
different keys, and use that to select between violin-s/l and
trumpet-s/l. As I said: this is the (or: my) theory. Any ideas for
real-world applications are welcome.
As for the Select by Group#, this is the most puzzling of all imo.
Again suppose there are 3 groups, G1, G2 and G3. Set G1 to Select by
Group:start, set G2 to Select by Group:G1, and G3 to Select by
Group:G2.
Now play staccato (i.e. unconnected) notes: you'll hear the notes
being played by G1, G2, G3, G1, G2... respectively. I.e. if G1 has
played, then the next note will be played by G2, since G2 is set to
Select by G1.
However (this is where it gets puzzling): play a note, and keep the
key down. Suppose you happen to hear G1 playing. Now play additional
keys: they'll all play G1. I.e. as long as you play legato
(overlapping notes) the next group will _not_ be triggered -- all
notes will be played by the same group. Only as soon as you release
all keys, and then hit a new key, will G2 sound.
Furthermore: one of the Groups must be set to "Select by Group:start"
for this feature to work. This is probably the way to "get the EXS
on its way". I.e. the EXS must know which group to start with. You
can't have 2 groups set up like "G1 selects G2, and G2 selects G1" -
you'll simply hear nothing.
Also the groups should be picked out uniquely. You can't have G1 set
to 'start' and then have both G2 and G3 selected by G1: only one of
the groups (G2 or G3) will actually sound.
Still there? Fine :-). I'm not sure how you would ever use this
"Select by Group#". One application (although not too sensible imo)
would be to have e.g. 6 kick-drums assigned to the same key, each in
its own group, and then have group2 be selected by group1, group3 by
group2, etc, so that each new kick-hit (which usually is unattached
from the previous hit) triggers the next kickdrum. This way
successive notes would cycle through all 6 kicks...
Rather pointless imo. What you _would_ want (maybe) is 6 layered
kicks, and each note picks out a _random_ kick-sound -- to give a
kind of natural variation. But _that_ can be achieved in the EXS
itself (not in the Instrument Editor I mean). Set the 'Select Range'
in the Instrument editor to adjacent ranges. With 3 groups (kicks)
that would be e.g. 0-42, 43-84, 85-127. In the EXS set the
modulation matrix to "dest: sample select, source: LFO1", and set
LFO1 to a random wave (2nd from below). Set an appropriate speed for
LFO1, and off you go.
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Hope this helps a bit...
--
Hendrik Jan Veenstra <h@...>
Omega Art: http://www.omega-art.com
