Modulate This! - Electronic & Experimental Music Tech, Technique, & People

Using Ableton Live to Add Velocity to Incoming MIDI Notes from Tenori-On (or Launchpad)

In this YouTube Video, I demonstrate how to use Ableton Live 8 and the Velocity MIDI device along with a dummy clip to add velocity to incoming MIDI notes that are a fixed velocity. I illustrate this with the Tenori-On but this concept will work with any MIDI device.

Once velocity is introduced into the equation you can then do all sorts of interesting things with modulation. In the video I use velocity to modulate the filter frequency with Circle. Of course you could just as easily use this to play different samples in a velocity split with Sampler and so on.

Update: Note this same technique will also work for adding notes to incoming MIDI from User Mode 1 from a Novation Launchpad which is also fixed velocity.

Mark Mosher
Electronic Music Artist, Composer, Sound Designer
Louisville/Denver/Boulder

http://www.modulatethis.com
http://www.markmoshermusic.com
http://www.twitter.com/markmosher

Download/Buy my album REBOOT on Bandcamp
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FAW Circle Synthesizer Sound Design Tip: Hidden Tab Parameters + Modulating Filter with Keyboard Tracking

I’ve been doing some sound design work with Future Audio Workshop Circle Virtual Synthesizer.

While most of the parameters are visible on the main page of the user interface, some are only accessible via tabs along the bottom of the interface. So to search for sounds, access keyboard and arpeggiator controls, global settings, effects, and midi modulation routines use the tabs at the bottom.

For example, if you ant to modulate the filter so that it tracks the keyboard (the higher the note the brighter the sound):

1. Click the “Keyboard Tab”
2. Drag the grey modulation output dot on the bottom pane marked “keyb1 and…
3. Drop it on the modulation input hole for “Filter Frequency”

That’s all there is to it. Note this same modulator is mapped by default to oscillator “Course” tuning. If you remove this modulator from “Course” tuning the pitch for the oscillator will be static and not track with the keyboard.

In my previous post, I talked about the using the Wacom Tablet with Ableton Live. This same posts mentions how to configure Ableton Live to "-_EnsureKeyMessagesForPlugins". You'll need to follow the instructions in this post if you want to enter keyboard data into Circle - such as patch info. It's worth mentioning that the Wacom also works really well with Circle interface and is extremely well suited to the drag-and-drop modulation interface.

Links:

• Official web page for Circle
• Modulate This Review of Circle

Mark Mosher
http://www.modulatethis.com
http://www.markmoshermusic.com
http://www.twitter.com/markmosher

FAW Circle Soft Synth 1.0.3 Update Allows you to Create Your Own Wavetables

Future Audio Workshop has released a free update (1.0.3) for their Circle Synthesizer. It's now possible to add your own waveforms by using the "Circle Wavetable Generator"!

* Learn more

* Download Circle, and the Wavetable Generator

FAW Circle Synthesizer Tip: 1.0.2 Update and How To Reduce CPU Load

Future Audio Workshop has released the 1.0.2 update to their fantastic Circle Software Synthesizer. You can download it here. According to FAW:

In this update we have included a CPU economy mode in the setting pane. This allows Circle to use less CPU for a minimal reduction in audio quality.

Behind the scenes, there have been some updates to the OSC messaging and a bug related to the mouth filter clicking during modulation has also be fixed.

The CPU economy mode is off by default. To enable it, click the "Settings" tab at the bottom, then click the "CPU econ. mode" switch to set it ton "on" as shown in the image above. Note, don't set the mode till after you've selected the patch you want to use as changing to another patch seems to turn the setting off.

Another way to reduce CPU load is to freeze tracks in your DAW host software so that the clip in question is rendered to the hard disc prior to playback. Note not all DAW's support this but off the top of my head Ableton Live, Sonar, Cubase, and Logic do.

Mark Mosher
www.modulatethis.com
www.markmoshermusic.com

Future Audio Workshop Releases Circle, A Software Synthesizer that Focuses on Flow and Ease Of Use

Circle is a new subtractive/wave table software synthesizer that runs on Mac and PC. What makes it unique is it's interface. It has a fantastic new work "Flow" and feedback mechanism all presented via a high contrast single page user interface making it much easier to tweak and program than most synths.

Part of this flow is a scheme where modulate sources (LFO, Envelopes, Sequencers) have corresponding color coded "circles". Simply drag the circle to the parameter you want to modulate and you'll hear a preview. Drop the circle and the parameter is now connected to the modulation source (see a link to videos below). Very cool! The color coding makes it very easy to identify which modulation source is tied to what parameter making it easier to learn how Circle works.

The interface offers real-time feedback on parameters for the selected sound. For example, if you hit a note on your controller, this sends a circle down the volume envelope. Hold a key down and watch the LFO shape pulse. Again, this feedback system makes it much easier to see what's happening inside the synth and then tweak to get a different result. Awesome!

Aside from the interface a few other features to note are:

• Midi Learn capability. A real time saver when it comes to assigning knobs from your favorite controller. Each instance of Circle in your host can have it's own set of mappings.
• Wave morphing. Circle has a pre-defined set of waveforms. You can assign two to an oscillator and then use a modulator to morph.
• Built-in FX
• Sound browser not unlike Native Instruments Kore.
• Interesting "Keyboard" screen for setting up keyboard related modulations and more traditional arpeggiation.

To really get your mind around what I'm talking about, check out these Guided Tours of Circle.

Circle is now available for $69.00 / €49.00. Even you have other similar sounding synths in your rig, you should try the demo to get a feel for this innovative user interface.

More Info:

• Circle Web Page (mp3 demos of Circle in Action).
• Download a free demo

Mark Mosher
www.modulatethis.com
www.markmoshermusic.com