KVR Audio

kadar · Post by **kadar** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 3:10 pm

I want a tool that can produce random velocity levels for my piano part. Is there anything useful out there ?

Jafo · Post by **Jafo** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 3:34 pm

kadar wrote:I want a tool that can produce random velocity levels for my piano part. Is there anything useful out there ?

Most hosts have a randomizing function. The problem with this is that it sounds, well, random, unlike the purposeful choices made by even an unskilled pianist.

Many synths do not need velocity control to sound good; piano does.

Do it right; go to the trouble of actually recording the part instead of mousing it in. Or just manipulate the velocities individually; even if you do them in small identical groups, it'll sound better than no variation at all.

bduffy · Post by **bduffy** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 3:56 pm

Myabe he doesn't have a keyboard controller. I don't, and I have to "mouse in" my piano parts all the time.

I do go back and edit the velocities myself (Pain in the ass, but I'm used to it). I tend to use Cubase's randomize parameter more for drums or special fx.

As for the question at hand, I can't think of any downloadable MIDI FX at the moment...

LpD · Post by **LpD** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 4:01 pm

http://www.tobybear.de/p_midibag.html
Humanisator

bduffy · Post by **bduffy** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 4:19 pm

Hey, there ya go, I knew there was something.

Jafo · Post by **Jafo** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 5:46 pm

bduffy wrote:I do go back and edit the velocities myself (Pain in the ass, but I'm used to it). I tend to use Cubase's randomize parameter more for drums or special fx.

This is a perfectly acceptable solution, particularly with parts that repeat a lot. The human designs the overall patterns, and lets the computer work out the little details. It's a nice division of labor, sounds good, and it's easy to learn.

You've hit upon the key: it's not just randomness, but ordered randomness which is responsible for the "human feel" and "style." (Loose terms, but we can all agree on them well enough for this discussion.) There's little things like accenting specific beats, or chordal stabs, or staccato notes, or a host of other techniques -- and doing them consistently. Pattern is just as important to this as chance.

Simply randomizing the notes a bit does a lot of this, but it's just as likely to do it the other way, since it's random, after all. Your chordal stabs can respond nice and loud one time, but be weak the next -- and accenting the wrong beats completely changes the feel.

Of course, it can also be a lot of fun to just let the computer go at it with minimal supervision; even though it's like giving brushes to a monkey and selling the result as a "painting," the results can be worth it.

Sorry for the run-on; the influenza has shorted several of my self-critical circuits.

bduffy · Post by **bduffy** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 6:16 pm

Agreed, I think.

kadar · Post by **kadar** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 3:43 am

thanks guys.....I think ill follow your method Jafo...and ill try tobybear midibag stuff....cheers

AndrewSimon · Post by **AndrewSimon** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 4:30 am

Depending on the host, if you can draw velocity curves that would probably be the best solution.

Auto Velocity plugin ????