Breath and footpedal control for u-he synths recommendations

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I'm thinking of expanding the playability and expressiveness of synth patches with Push, and thought of buying a simple footpedal to use in input jack 2 (jack 1 is for sustain only), to control whatever parameters I wish with it. Just read that you can only freely map this input in User mode. Bah! I'm getting the idea that they're on/off control inputs only as well.

Any suggestions and recommendations for Push and/or general use with synths regarding foot control? I use ZebraHZ and Bazille almost always, and those beg to be used in this manner.

I'm also very interested in using breath control - it seems to have the potential to be FAR more expressive than using any form of modwheel, fader or encoder to modulate parameters.

An ideal setup example: sitting in front of Push, playing away at some Zebra/Bazille instrument, modulating the vibrato with a footpedal, volume with aftertouch, and using breath control to add accents, usually in the form of Cutoff/Attack modulations. This would also cause me to never go out again. I'm fine with this.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: You can laugh, but I always shrugged off breath control and assumed for one reason or another it's simply another name from developers for the expression pedal .Technically it IS the same processing of data - but I had no clue there were actual controllers responding to human breath strength. This is amazing to me. Like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnCMnXxxous

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Never heard of Push, but Torley did an interesting video on the TEControl breath controller.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm-U44k ... STnqTI_nlQ
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Push is a dedicated controller for Ableton Live. Great piece of hardware, but lacking in certain features - most glaringly in relation to softsynths - modwheel functionality. You can get this via third party devices but none are ideal.

Cheers for the video. After some quick Google searches, it seems the best (and possibly only) option is TEControl:

http://www.tecontrol.se/products

The breath and bite controller could be the one. It could practically take over an XY pad's function in Zebra, for example, enabling super expressive real-time playing. Very expensive though...189 euro excluding VAT, or 99 euro for breath controller on its own (no neckpiece)

Has anyone had any experience with these things and Ableton Live + u-he?
Last edited by tedlogan on Sat Nov 22, 2014 4:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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I really enjoy using breath input (on my eigenharp) to control synths, its fun and I think adds an extra dimension, that feels quite natural.

I mainly use it for 3 purposes
- control over volume (+ some other parameters), to use the patch like a wind instrument
- control to add expression, often things like cutoff to add brightness
- control over sustain, rather than using a pedal

specific to u-he synths, it works well for all (diva, zebra,ace, bazille) usually they can be programmed per patch (i.e. mod matrix or wires) and this is my preferred route, but also by midi learn.

my only gripe, which Ive raised here, is that on some u-he synths (e.g. diva), the final output volume is not able to modulated fully. basically you cannot put the volume at zero, and then use breath to drive it … as the mod input is a multiplier. (see my other thread for details)
but you can workaround, by using midi learn so its not too a fatal flaw :)

pedals, I've still to experiment with… I think useful too, but i need to practice with them :)

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I'm really happy with my Yamaha FC-7 expression controller.

It's accurate, very adjustable, heavy and built like a tank! :hihi: It's also very accurate, in shaping whatever param you assign to it. I usually use it where after touch would be used - or mapped to the params controlled by after touch. Since most of my gear is Roland, you'll bloody your fingers, by the time you've applied enough pressure to get what you're looking for... :x And the added cool thing about the expression pedal, is that you don't have to "stop playing" (channel after touch, not poly) - you can shape things as you play.

I have a "custom patched" EWI 4000s also - and it's also got MIDI IN/OUT, as standard, but I haven't yet gotten around to any custom programming on it with Zebra 2 or Diva yet. With "thumb rollers" to fly up and down 9 octaves, pitch bend and other "shaping stuff" it's wild - and a lot of fun. It's got several "key modes" you can assign different fingerings as with (Bohm, trumpet, etc.) - and even though I used to play trumpet years ago, I'm still a much better keyboard player than an EWI player - it's very cool, though. An experienced (competent)sax player with a WX-5/WX-7, EWI 4000s and almost any U-he offering would be impressive to behold, indeed! :tu:

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