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  • Perfected expression maps for Synchronized libraries

    G
    G

    Dear friends,

    I am on the lookout for perfected Cubase expression maps for my Synchronized libraries. The maps VSL has provided us with seem not to be perfect yet. Maybe it's me being new to this all but there seem to be two problems in those expression maps.

    1: When I play an instrument on my keyboard some keys within the instrument's range appear to be silent as those keys are used in the expression map to send commands. I have already fixed this by transposing those key commands 3 or 4 octaves lower or higher than they were originally programmed. My question: Is this the only way to fix this or is there a more simple solution?

    2: Synchron Strings Pro switches automatically between velocity X-fade on and off when one plays an instrument that needs to be played using keyboard velocity or -when desired- velocity X-fade. The synchronized libraries (woodwinds, dimension strings, dimension brass and solo strings) have not been programmed this way. By adding a CC28 command line for every single articulation in the expression maps it's possible to fix this so that we're okay to only use one instance per instrument in Cubase. Thing is it will cost me at least a week of hard work to fix this and there is no time to do so. My question: Is this the only way to get this fixed? And anybody out there who has gone the distance and likes to share these perfected expression maps?

    Does anyone else encounter the same problems or did I oversee something?

    Thanks for your time!

    Gregor
  • BillB
    BillB

    Can you give a specific example? The kwyswitches are always set to be outside the instruments range

    Dorico, Notion, Sibelius, StudioOne, Cubase, Staffpad VE Pro, Synchon, VI, Kontakt Win11 x64, 64GB RAM, Focusrite Scarlett 18i20, August Forster 190
  • G
    G

    Sure Bill. Which of the following libraries do you own to check this? I will attach a original expression map and one I made corrections to. Cheers!
  • andiA
    VSL Team
    andiA

    Hi Gregor and welcome to the forum!

    As Bill has already written, the remote switches are outside the playback range by default. If you have a different root key in your Expression Maps Setup than C0, the remote keys will be transposed and may be in the playing range because of that. So please don't "fix" the settings in the Expression Maps, but set your root key to C0.

    Our Expression Maps will not be enhanced with CC28 commands to turn Velocity XF on and off. Some users will always Velocity XF to be turned on, some want it always to be turned off and some others may want to decide themselves when it should be turned on and off. I think an automatic switch would be very unpopular for some users. You can always turn it on and off yourself with a MIDI command.

    Best regards,
    Andi

    Vienna Symphonic Library
  • G
    G

    Thanks Andi. The first problem of setting the root key to C0 has been solved immediately. Thank you! This saves me big hassles. 

    I completely understand the idea behind not including CC28 into the expression maps. Everyone chooses his/her own workflow. However somehow you guys came to the wonderful idea to program Synchron Strings Pro the way you did. To me this workflow seems to me the best!

    And thanks for welcoming me to this forum. Your libraries and Synchron are wonderful and simply the very best. Have a wonderful weekend!

    Gregor
  • G
    G

    However Andi. I do understand that all composers choose their own workflow. And they should of course. I prefer to have the workflow exactly the way VSL have programmed Synchron Strings Pro. So keyboard velocity control for pizzicati, staccato, portato and the likes. And velocity X-fade for legato, tremolos, non-legatos and the likes. This seems so logical. I presume you may agree on this given the fact that Synchron Strings Pro has been programmed exactly in the way I prefer. If VSL would offer us expression maps based on that principle our templates would be half as big. I calculated that fixing this would cost me more than a week of hard work. Given my time and my agenda this would be sheer impossible at the moment. It would be wonderful if VSL would get this fixed for all of us here who own Synchronized VSL libraries and share the same desires like I do. If you'd put two engineers on this it won't cost you more than 3 days.

    Cheers!

    Gregor