How to use a Wind Controller with The Trumpet
How to use the Wind Controller with The Trumpet
Dear Friends,
A peculiar aspect of the Wind Controller is that it yields low velocities if played at lower dynamics. In other words, if you play a pp note, the associated velocity will be low. This is how the Wind Controller works, and cannot be modified.
This mode, (dynamics equals velocity) represents a limitation when the Wind Controller is used to play The Trumpet. As with all instruments conceived to be played with a midi keyboard, velocity is a controller in itself. Controlling the dynamics by the expression (CC11) allowed to get maximal expressiveness. As you may already know, in detached (or staccato) mode, the note-on velocity (or better to say, its interaction with CC11) is used to control the attacks. In legato mode, i.e. on overlapped notes, the note-on velocity only effects the legato/portamento duration.
If the played dynamic determines the velocity, as with the Wind Controller, the consequence is that, in legato mode, the low dynamics will always yield long, glissando-like transitions, which is of course undesirable.
A possible, though only partially effective, workaround may be to make the legato/portamento time much less dependent on the velocity.
Try the following:
On the GUI, select the Velocity Rescaler from the drop down menu. Activate the velocity rescaler by clicking on the button “Mapping” until it turns yellow. Now draw in the upper window a horizontal line. This yields a constant output velocity for any input velocity. Hence, the legato/portamento duration will be constant, independently of the velocity. If this is excessive, please try to draw a straight line, starting from the coordinates, say, 0,32 (left) to 127, 86 (right). This will only partially link the transition time to velocity. Try different curves to fit your needs.
The disadvantage of this approach is that you will no longer able to get long transition times.
It´s also possible to introduce another velocity source using a transform function of a sequencer. In this case it will be possible to get independent control on the transition time. This may advantegeous in case long portamentos are needed as well.
One can of course use the Wind Controller as a breath Controller only, using the keyboard to play the notes.
We are looking forward to receiving your feedback, to develop even better strategies.
Best wishes,
Giorgio & Peter
Dear Friends,
A peculiar aspect of the Wind Controller is that it yields low velocities if played at lower dynamics. In other words, if you play a pp note, the associated velocity will be low. This is how the Wind Controller works, and cannot be modified.
This mode, (dynamics equals velocity) represents a limitation when the Wind Controller is used to play The Trumpet. As with all instruments conceived to be played with a midi keyboard, velocity is a controller in itself. Controlling the dynamics by the expression (CC11) allowed to get maximal expressiveness. As you may already know, in detached (or staccato) mode, the note-on velocity (or better to say, its interaction with CC11) is used to control the attacks. In legato mode, i.e. on overlapped notes, the note-on velocity only effects the legato/portamento duration.
If the played dynamic determines the velocity, as with the Wind Controller, the consequence is that, in legato mode, the low dynamics will always yield long, glissando-like transitions, which is of course undesirable.
A possible, though only partially effective, workaround may be to make the legato/portamento time much less dependent on the velocity.
Try the following:
On the GUI, select the Velocity Rescaler from the drop down menu. Activate the velocity rescaler by clicking on the button “Mapping” until it turns yellow. Now draw in the upper window a horizontal line. This yields a constant output velocity for any input velocity. Hence, the legato/portamento duration will be constant, independently of the velocity. If this is excessive, please try to draw a straight line, starting from the coordinates, say, 0,32 (left) to 127, 86 (right). This will only partially link the transition time to velocity. Try different curves to fit your needs.
The disadvantage of this approach is that you will no longer able to get long transition times.
It´s also possible to introduce another velocity source using a transform function of a sequencer. In this case it will be possible to get independent control on the transition time. This may advantegeous in case long portamentos are needed as well.
One can of course use the Wind Controller as a breath Controller only, using the keyboard to play the notes.
We are looking forward to receiving your feedback, to develop even better strategies.
Best wishes,
Giorgio & Peter
Comments
Then there is an additional parameter in the glide plate, which can be assigned to CC23 for example. Another additional parameter is the deformation of the mouthpiece which produces a pitch bend, for vibratos. Two plates at the right thumb position are for larger pitch bends. And finally, vibrato-similar tremolos can be produced simply with variations of the breath strength at the end of a note. This sounds very natural, and all in real-time. If I edit MIDI, then only for correcting my playing, not for adding vibrato or expression etc.
In short, The Trumpet and the EWI fit perfectly together, there is no need for an update in my limited opinion as an amateur musician.
But this is completely different with ordinary sample libraries and the EWI. There I have to program and change a lot, and I have to adapt the playing technique to the sampler which I find horrible. And even then, the result is rather poor.
Actually, The Trumpet is the only instrument that is satisfyingly playable with the EWI. Even mistakes sound natural. Maybe the Gofriller Cello might work as well, but playing cello with a wind controller seems to me more strange than to play it with a keyboard.
I must say that I am more than pleased with The Trumpet, because I bought the EWI not long ago without thinking much about playability, and was much disappointed to find out that there existed no sampled instrument at all for the EWI that took advantage of its features. Until now.