Topic by dondascher

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Topic: Velocity Curves Misplaced ?

The VELOCITY CURVE section of this website seems to imply that the velocity curves being suggested are designed to accomodate differences in the midi velocity values being generated by the various keyboards.

Of course, this makes sense.

What doesn't make sense is that those velocity curve values are then attached to each preset within Pianoteq.

It would seem that once you have determined the correct velocity curve for your particular keyboard you would wish for that velocity curve to stay the same regardless of the preset you are using.

That would give rise to a GLOBAL VELOCITY CURVE.

I do recognize that for various presets (jazz, blues, etc ...) you may wish to CREATE a slightly different sound at varous keypress velocities for whatever reason.   I would suggest that these differences could then be addressed with a PRESET VELOCITY CURVE MODIFIER which would ADD or SUBTRACT from the GLOBAL VELOCITY CURVE.

This seems so logical that I am surprised it has not been addressed at this point. 

Am I missing something ?

Reply by EvilDragon

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Re: Velocity Curves Misplaced ?

Yes, you are missing the Freeze option once again


You can freeze the velocity curves so they apply to all presets

Hard work and guts!

Reply by dondascher

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Re: Velocity Curves Misplaced ?

EvilDragon wrote:

Yes, you are missing the Freeze option once again


You can freeze the velocity curves so they apply to all presets


And, as in the other case I presented (detuning, I believe) it is not a good solution, a workaround at best.

Also, in this case, many of the various presets contain predefined Velocity Curves designed to bring out the particular sound strived for in the preset.... blues, jazz, etc...

I have to assume the each of these custom velocity curves are designed with the assumption they are being applied to a keyboard with a "normal" velocity curve to begin with.   If that particular keyboard is not "normalized" prior to applying the preset velocity curve, the velocity curve will not have the desired effect.

In other words, if I have a "crappy" keyboard and I utilized a velocity curve suggested by the preset, I am still going to get "crappy" results.   However, if I first normalized it with a GLOBAL VELOCITY CURVE and then apply the preset velocity curve to the "normalized" keyboard, it will have the desired effect.

This same concept could be applied to other preset parameters, as well.   However, in the case of velocity curve, it seems too elementary a concept to have been missed.

The FREEZE option, in my opinion, is a poor solution to an otherwise very straight forward need.

Reply by Gilles

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Re: Velocity Curves Misplaced ?

You can also save your prefered velocity curve in the mini preset and load it from there.

Reply by dondascher

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Re: Velocity Curves Misplaced ?

Gilles wrote:

You can also save your prefered velocity curve in the mini preset and load it from there.


I am not familiar with a mini-preset.

But regardless, that still does not address the issue of Velocity Curves included with presets being dependent upon being applied to a "normalized" keyboard.   It is basically an application of the "Garbage In - Garbage Out" concept.   If your keyboard has poor velocity characteristics and you apply and particular Velocity Curve to that keyboard you will get a poor result.   The keyboard must be "normalized" prior to applying the preset velocity curve in order for it to result in the desired sound.

Reply by Gilles

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Re: Velocity Curves Misplaced ?

dondascher wrote:
Gilles wrote:

You can also save your prefered velocity curve in the mini preset and load it from there.


I am not familiar with a mini-preset.

Right-click on the VELOCITY graph and choose "Manage presets...". This new feature is not obvious at first. It may not be what you want but I find it a useful way of loading your prefered curve by name (using "Save as..." to name it).

Last edited by Gilles (29-04-2012 18:28)

Reply by dondascher

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Re: Velocity Curves Misplaced ?

Gilles wrote:
dondascher wrote:
Gilles wrote:

You can also save your prefered velocity curve in the mini preset and load it from there.


I am not familiar with a mini-preset.

Right-click on the VELOCITY graph and choose "Manage presets...". This new feature is not obvious at first. It may not be what you want but I find it a useful way of loading your prefered curve by name (using "Save as..." to name it).


Ok, found it.   Thanks.

Well, like you said ... it does not address the issue I describe, but may be useful at times.