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  • How best to use breath controller with Vienna Instruments, Particularly strings

    K
    K

                I last saw you guys at the 2007 Winter NAMM show.  AT that show, one of you was using a breath controller to add what I’m sure was additional expression to a Vienna Instruments track.  Would you be willing to explain in greater detail just how a breath controller such as the Yamaha BC3 can be used to enhance the expressive character of a Vienna Instruments performance?  I’m assuming you have it set to send controller 11.  However, I could be missing something and I would love to learn as much as I can about how the realism of my tracks can be improved with the addition of breath control. 

    Thanks,

    Kevin 

     
  • D
    D
    Hi Kevin,

    You will need a controller keyboard with a breath controller input,
    or get the BC3 to MIDI convertor and plug it into a midi interface.

    I use a CME UF8 and it has the BC input.

    I use the BC3 and I assign it to Vel XFade or Expression or
    both depending on the patch and music.

    It took a while to get used to it and for some its impossible to use
    but I like using it for volume swells and for that alone it is worth it to
    me. I can do complex dynamic changes much easier than with the mod
    wheel or drawing it in the piano roll.

    Hope that answers your questions.
    DM33
  • K
    K

    Dear DM33,

                I would probably use the MIDI Solutions breath converter with the BC3A.  I understand through a friend that you must power the MIDI Solutions converter using MIDI through an interface.  I have some unused MIDI OUTs for this purpose. 

                What I don’t completely understand is how you can assign the BC3 to more than one parameter at a time.  How can you send both Velocity Xfade and Expression in one pass? 

    Thanks,

    Kevin

  • D
    D
    Its easy to assign one controller to multple parameters.

    First I bring the Vel Xfade fader all the way down and right click on it and breath into the BC3,
    now its assigned.

    Next, I bring the Exp fader all the way down and do the same thing.

    Now they are both assigned to the BC3.

    You have to do it one at a time.

    The VI does not cancel the assignment if the same
    controller is assigned to 2 or more parameters.

    DM
  • K
    K

    Dear DM,

                I should have accounted for the assignment of multiple MIDI learn functions to a single physical controller such as breath. 

    Once you assign breath to expression, do you have a situation where the absence of breath automatically brings the value of Expression 11 to 0?  Ideally, I think I would want a situation where there was a base line volume or expression to the sound which could be added to with the BC3 but not subtracted from in its absence.  Am I making sense?

     

                I don’t own a BC3A or a converter box yet.  The answers to these questions will help determine whether it’s practical for me to get one. 

    Thanks,

    Kevin
  • D
    D
    Hi Kevin,

    Yes, on the side of the BC3 is a dial which sets the minimum value for the controlled parameter.
    When breath input stops the parameter(s) drop back to this value.

    DM
  • fritzflotowF
    fritzflotowF

    How a breath controller is generally used has been explained many times in this forum. I would be very interested in the details. You can set up your enviroment in Logic to translate the full range from 0 - 127 to any smaller range. I do that with expression pedal and BC, because I don't want it to start from nothing. You could also transform it to many simultanious CCs (like a diffrent amount of filter and expression at the same time for some brass instruments).

    If you found out some combinations working well, please share them here.

    Fritz. 
  • D
    D
    Those are the 3 main parameters I control via the BC3:

    Vel Xfade
    Filter
    Expression

    If I want a harsh brass sound I link Vel XFade with Filter so the sound gets brighter
    and with velocity.

    If I have simple/small volume changes I use Expression since Vel Xfade has to cross
    a threshhold for the next layer to trigger and some patches only have 1 or 2 layers.

    If I have wide dynamic changes and only 2 layers or less then Vel XFade with Exp.

    If a patch has 4 layers I can just use Vel Xfade.

    I find though that some 4 layer patches are a little too sensitive when playing them and dynamics are
    hard to control so I opt for 3 or less layer patches a lot of times. This also cuts down on polyphony
    as well.

    DM
  • K
    K

    Dear DM,

                In the case of repeated notes, particularly for strings, how does tonguing affect the sound?  If you hold down a note on the keyboard and interrupt the air flow with the tongue, do you get machinegun or a fresh articulation?  What’s the best approach for this situation?  
  • D
    D
    If you hold down a note automate the volume you will not be triggering a new attack so
    yes the result would be the machine gun effect.

    DM
  • C
    C
    I have been looking at a breath controller for a while, but haven't gotten one yet. I have a Kurzweil PC1X keyboard, so I owuld have to use the converter. Can I use the midi in on the keyboard, which would accept the signal and send it to Logic? Just want to make sure this setup would work. Colin Thomson
  • K
    K
    last edited
    last edited

    If you use the MIDI Solutions converter, you will need to use a MIDI OUT to power the unit via the MIDI IN of the converter, as I understand it. Any MIDI OUT on your interface will probably do. Go to www.midisolutions.com for more info.

  • C
    C
    Oh, I see. Midi goes from the keyboard to the converter, which also takes from the headset, and sends both to your interface. I see. Thanks.