How do you handle articulations?

[NYFC]

I've been using DP since version 7 and I love so many things about it. I'm half convinced that I do better work in DP compared to other DAWs. That being said, I kinda miss Cubase Expressions Maps. It just works so well with all of my libraries.

I've been reading and learning from so many of your posts about work flow and I'm curious how you all deal with articulation switching. Thanks in advance!

[stoecklem]

I would recommend checking out transmidifier. I stick it in a startup clipping window and always run it right along side dp using copperlan and built in virtual MIDI ports. it would be great to one day have more features in this area, keyswitching, channel filtering, velocity filtering...just some tools for MIDI processing in general. hopefully custom consoles will receive some updates at some point

[Shooshie]

Interesting set of questions you pose, but I'm confused. Expression Maps in Cubase work only with VST3 libraries that have been especially written to take advantage of them.

Here's a quote from the Cubase website:

With VST 3, Cubase is able to break free from the limitations of MIDI controller events by providing access to new VST 3 controller events that circumvent the laws of MIDI and provide articulation information for each individual note — even in a polyphonic arrangement. Articulating each note in a chord individually creates a much more natural feel, just like multiple players playing the same instrument at the same time but each one adding his own personality to the notes played. Of course, this not only requires a new set of controller parameters, the socalled VST 3 Controllers, but it also requires an instrument capable of playing back these new controller messages. HALion Sonic SE and HALion Sonic 1.5 are the first Note Expression compatible VST 3.5 instruments available on the market that support this revolutionary new technology.

Since your Expression Mapped libraries are written in VST3.5, you won't be able to use them with DP at all. I can see your frustration. If you want to use those, I suggest you use Cubase for that, since they are only usable with VST3 or VST3.5. Of course, since Expression Maps have been around for a few years, there are probably a lot of instruments now available for them.

Meanwhile, if you have other libraries that you'd like to use the old-fashioned MIDI way for which they were designed, you can certainly phrase them easily in DP. I'll show you what I do in the following video:
Digital Performer Articulations and Controller Editing

There is a reference in the video to a page in the DP Tips Sheet for a post called Working with Selections in DP That link will take you there, if you wish to learn about it. It is important to have the ability to manage selection of the specific controllers that modify specific notes or phrases. Otherwise, the selection of those controllers becomes an exercise in tedium and frustration. So, using commands in DP, I set up a method for that. As you can see in the video, it's nearly instantaneous, and it is essential to working with expressive phrases, whether editing them, moving, or even deleting them.

The rest of the video focuses on performing some actions on controllers with the DP MIDI Editing drawing tools.

Shooshie
[Video Revised for better audio]

[NYFC]

Hi Shooshie,

I think you are confusing Note Expressions in Cubase with Expression Maps. Expression Maps are for articulation switching (the name is confusing). I look forward to viewing your video none the less.

[Shooshie]

You are probably right — almost. I conflated the two into a larger idea, I guess. I read about both at Sternberg's site, and since both were foreign to me, but interesting, I responded to both in reply to "how do we do that in Digital Performer?"

I've been planning to make a video about working with expression in DP, so I used this as a practice video. I think I've got to work on audio balance! The music was much too loud. But I'm learning. [Edit: audio revised in a 2nd upload of the video]

Anyway, sorry if I misunderstood your question. I demonstrated some of my methods for creating and editing articulations in DP. Another part which I only brushed on for an instant in the video is Keyswitching, and I sometimes put those in their own tracks, with MIDI output identical to the track it modifies. Through a combination of these keyswitched articulations in libraries like Vienna, and simply expression control in all parts, I think I get closer to realism than the articulations alone will get you.

I'm interested in Cubase's Expression Maps. I've seen a complete video or two on the subject (as well as Note Expression), but I'm not convinced that it's moving in the direction I want to go in. I think I need to learn more about it before I can really understand it, much less decide whether it's something that would benefit my way of working.

Shooshie

[bayswater]

I haven't spent much time with it, but I assumed Cubase Expression maps are an elegant way of displaying, editing and managing key switching, and that users can built their own maps. Maybe there's a lot more to it.

[Shooshie]

I haven't spent much time with it, but I assumed Cubase Expression maps are an elegant way of displaying, editing and managing key switching, and that users can built their own maps. Maybe there's a lot more to it.

Well, my intentions are probably misunderstood, but I've wanted to make a video demonstrating some editing techniques that aren't unique to DP, but which DP's editing tools certainly enhance.

I equate keyswitching and expressive controller editing, because "articulations" mean different things as they are used in MIDI instrument libraries; it's a broader definition of articulation. I use both keyswitching and editing of expressive controllers, and they work together to get the job done.

In strings, we have a large variety of bowing styles and techniques. These do sound different, so keyswitching is important to start off with the bowing that makes the most sense for the passage. But the actual phrasing of each note or phrase is something I do with expressive controllers (Expression or Breath). And these must be editable unless you can play it in perfectly every time. So, keyswitching is only half the job. It's essential, but it's not complete. Without expressive performing and editing, it's just not going to sound as good.

All combined, it's "articulation." But too many people think that the keyswitching choices are your complete set of articulations, and many do not put enough emphasis on editing controllers.

I'm really interested in what Cubase did with Expressive Maps, but one of my first concerns is to see if they address the whole picture of "articulation" with it, or if it's just some enhanced method of keeping track of keyswitching.

I think the role of expression controllers is even more important in wind instruments, where there are fewer keyswitching elements, and much more room for expressive control.

This is why my video seems not to address what the original poster asked, when in fact it does address what I wanted to focus on in a response to that question. Did that make sense? I'm saying that until you edit controllers, you're not done. And DP gives you the ability to do very sensitive editing.

DP9 will have lanes for controllers. I don't know how they've laid that out, or what they will be focusing on, but it doesn't sound like they've gone as far as Cubase. The trouble with Cubase's approach is that it's got to have the cooperation of the VI developers. Their instrument libraries literally have to be designed for Cubase's Expression Maps, and/or Note Expression. That is both hopeful and worrisome. Hopeful, because it's potentially going to lead us away from MIDI, and I'd like to see something replace MIDI without low-rez, stair-stepping controllers. Worrisome, because it could lead to more fragmentation of the market, with Sternberg standards, MOTU standards, Avid standards, etc. I doubt that Apple will even get involved, if their current attention levels toward Logic are any indication. If we could convince developers to work together and compromise to come up with a standard that serves everyone, we might get completely out from under MIDI for In-The-Box virtual instruments, at least. The hardware industry may be less likely to follow. MIDI would still be there for them. It would only change for those of us DAW users who run VIs.

Anyway, my video was intended to emphasize the part of expressive editing that I think is important, where keyswitching is only the foundation, and not the actual expression.

Shooshie

[bayswater]

Anyway, my video was intended to emphasize the part of expressive editing that I think is important, where keyswitching is only the foundation, and not the actual expression.

Shooshie

And it does a great job of showing that, particularly towards the end with the controller edit on one note.

[Gravity Jim]

I just use whatever keyswitching is available in the instrument, and it works great. On some percussion and string libraries for Kontakt, I can play the ensemble easily in real time, a huge time saver when building parts.

[Shooshie]

I just use whatever keyswitching is available in the instrument, and it works great. On some percussion and string libraries for Kontakt, I can play the ensemble easily in real time, a huge time saver when building parts.

Depends your intent and purpose, of course. Sometimes our expectations are set by the clock; sometimes not. It's nice to have tools and methods that make even your highest capabilities possible without breaking the clock.

Shooshie

[Shooshie]

Ok, I guess I'm going to have to step up and ask our original poster to join in. I kept hoping to draw him out, but he's not talking.

NYFC, you asked how we handle articulations. I explained in great detail that personally, I'm very meticulous about them when I'm creating something for myself. If I were doing it for a TV show or something, I wouldn't have that luxury, of course, and my answer would probably be more like Gravity Jim's: use the keyswitches and be done with it. The result is very good.

Of course, when you have a lot of instruments, it's hard to remember all those keyswitches; not just the codes, but exactly how they sound, how they behave. One person's sustain is another's legato. One's marcato may be another's detaché. That's why there are soloists who play entirely differently, and yet they're all famous and respected. Different strokes, and all that.

You introduced the Cubase Expression Maps in the beginning. I've done some reading and watched some videos, but I'm still not sure what I'm looking at, and why it's better than the existing keyswitches in, say, VSL. Maybe you could explain why it makes things easier for you, and what it's like to use them.

I think this is one of the least-developed areas within any DAW, and certainly DP is no exception. It sounds like Cubase has made some strides toward a system. Could you fill us in? Maybe it's time to start asking MOTU to move in that direction.

Of course, I'll always do my phrases the way I would play them. I mean, it's mostly in the playing to begin with. Only occasionally do i have to change that for some reason, but when I do, I like having DP's drawing tools. They do things that one might not expect, and they can produce musical results very quickly. I always feel like explaining what I do makes it sound difficult. The actual doing of it is easy and fast. It's trying to demonstrate it for someone else which makes it cumbersome.

So, NYFC, Open our eyes! Teach us a thing or two!

Shooshie

[buhardilla]

I use for handle articulations an interesting app for iPad: MidiPads (http://midipads.com)
This is a multipurpose MIDI controller app but it allows you a full and easy customization. In this case you can write the name of articulations and assign keyboard switches and controllers to pads, faders, XY faders.. etc (a "low cost copy" of mr. Zimmer's touchscreen displays )
https://www.dropbox.com/s/59wozwsiyhzpo ... 9.jpg?dl=0

[NYFC]

Too funny Shooshie!

I'm taking a break from the Connecticut cold and came to Maui to thaw out. My wife respectfully asked me to stay of the Internet for a bit, but I promise I'll jump back in this discussion late tonight. And by late tonight I mean late Hawaii time.

[Shooshie]

Looking forward to it. After all, what possible fun could you possibly be having with the love of your life in Maui, while the rest of Connecticut is just trying not to calve New Haven into the North Atlantic? (Daughter graduated from Yale; I love CT)

Of course, if you reconsider and find you might like to wait, I'll be hurt, but I guess I could get over it.

Seriously, enjoy your time there. My best friend spent three years on Kauai; it was enchanting enough to make one forget the internet and DP.

Shooshie

[NYFC]

I have to confess that I misrepresented my wife's request for me to stay off of the internet. What she actually said was "If you don't stop looking at your phone, I'm going to throw it in the ocean"!

I'll now do my best time to explain some of the functionality of Cubase's Expression Maps and how I use them, although I'm no match when it comes to the communication abilities of many of the members of this forum.

First, I think that "Expression Maps" is a misleading title, "Articulation Maps" might have been a better choice.

An Expression Map is basically an insert in a Cubase MIDI track and its function is to facilitate articulation keyswitching. MIDI notes can be designated as keyswitches and pass through unfiltered, or have one or more transformations performed on them. Let's suppose that MIDI note #24 is assigned to switch your available to a staccato articulation and note #27 is assigned to legato- in the Expression Map setup you could simply set the input and output notes to the same value. So what would be the point of that? You could accomplish the articulation changes without using the maps. One difference is that the score and piano roll editors no longer show those ultra low keyswitches notes. No more having to deal with 93 ledger lines in your score. Instead of these out of range notes being displayed, a symbol or text of your choice is shown. The other difference is that no matter where you locate, the intended articulations will always be played back. You don't have to go back to where you had recorded a keyswitch note.

The next level of complexity, I suppose, is to have the map perform a transformation upon the inputed keyswitch note. One use of this would be to make the keyswitches for various libraries match. If a tremolo is triggered by note #29 in library A and #33 in library B, you simply create a map for library B in which an input of #29 results in an output of #33. This way you can use the keyswitches you are used to from one library and get the same results from another.

This all gets way more interesting when you start piling on operations on the ouput of the map. For instance- let's say you are using a Vienna Instruments preset that contains multiple articulation matrices. Let's suppose that each matrix is recalled by a program change and the x axis of each matrix is controlled by MIDI notes and the y axis by CC1. In this case you could create a map in which inputting specified MIDI notes would result in an output of a program change, and MIDI note value, and a CC1 value.

With my EastWest libraries I like to load multiple articulations into an instance of Play and assign them to different MIDI channels. In the map I create for each EW instrument I then create keyswitches that change the MIDI channel of the other notes I'm playing. In Cubase you can set the MIDI channel output to 'any' so I can hit a keyswitch and change the output channel of the MIDI track. In this way I can make any library keyswitchable or create my own keyswitch patches if I don't like the options provided by the developer. (EastWest).

I forgot to mention the each articulation can operate in one of two modes- direction or attribute. Direction applies an articulation to a series of notes and remains in effect until there is an articulation change. Attribute applies to individual notes and reverts to the previous articulation on the next note.

Wow, I sure hope I was somewhat clear about this. My original question remains- I want to learn some workflow tips regarding articulation switching in DP because I want to switch to DP full time if possible.