The effect racks we've explored so far lower the volume of the velocity-dependent effect chain either immediately or gradually based on the Fall value, essentially cutting off any lingering effect tails. This configuration worked in our favor for gating the snare reverb, but what if we wanted a velocity-dependent reverb or delay tail to decay more naturally? To prevent such jerkiness, I'll adjust Expression Control's Fall value to around 100ms, smoothing the shape of the velocity signal and essentially creating a release contour for the distortion amount.
I’ll tame the amount of distortion by pulling back the Max modulation amount on Expression Control (here representing the maximum Pedal Dry/Wet percentage) to 30%.Īs it's set up so far, there will be unnatural, immediate changes to the distortion amount whenever velocity changes. I can simulate this effect with a distortion effect that responds to velocity.įirst, I’ll add a Pedal device set to OD for subtle grit and use Expression Control to map MIDI velocity to Pedal’s Dry/Wet amount. Suppose I’m starting with a clean sounding instrument with few harmonics but I want it to sound dirtier the harder I play a note, similar to how a guitar or Rhodes might dynamically overdrive a tube amplifier when played more aggressively. Let’s begin with a few basic mappings and get a sense of the possibilities. The basics of velocity in the Expression Control device are simple - just press the Map button in the velocity row and then click any parameter you want to modulate with it.
MAKIGN SIMPLE DELAY PITCH FREE
If you're using an earlier version of Live or simply can’t find it elsewhere, it’s also included in the free Max for Live Essentials pack. It’s called Expression Control, and it’ll be our Rosetta Stone. It comes in Live 10’s Core Library, so you can find it already installed in the Max MIDI Effect folder if you have Live 10 Suite. To do so, we can use a free Max for Live device you probably already have but never use. So if we want to break out of the mold and let any parameter in on the velocity-sensitive goodness, we have to find a general solution - a way to translate the language of velocity into all other languages. In most cases, there’s no dedicated "velocity to." knob to be found. These means of translating velocity into instrument controls are straightforward, but limited to just a select few instruments and parameters.