Fluid Harmonics: How To Create Keyswitches to Change Scenes During Playback?

[Musical Gym]

I'd like to create KS for changing arp scenes in FH. Now I can assign mod wheel to do it, but that is not precise. Is there an easier way?

[jancivil]

I'd like to create KS for changing arp scenes in FH.

Define the instruments you'll want keyswitched as [particular] groups. EG: you can create an empty group for one of your arp things and drag the sample in.

Now you define the condition for activating this group as a key. See Group Start Options (turn Edit All Groups off). Below Group Start Options are 2 'Group Starts' dialogs. In the top one, in the dropdown select 'on key'. To the right you'll see 'If key is between' and 2 boxes with key names. Make these the same for your basic KS. In the Group Starts dialog below this, select 'Always'.
Done.

[Musical Gym]

Thanks for reply. Will your instructions apply to Scenes knob for each of the three sequencers? Arps was a misnomer on my part as each sequencer also holds pitch, pan, volume, and cutoff values in their own separate grid.
KS would apply to switching between 8 adjustable scenes in each of the three knobs.
KS applies to Scenes only, not necessarily instruments and not any samples assigned in mapping editor, as far as I know.
I can try your solution, but at first glance, it doesn't make sense to me.

[Zombie Queen]

I understand you want to automate a knob with keyswitches.
I don't think there's direct solution in Kontakt. You may try the attached multiscript. It lets you define a keyswitch, which will send CC message with defined value. You can then use midi learn to automate any knob in any instrument. You will have to set values to match desired knob position. It's a rough draft, but it seems to work.

keyswitches.zip

[Musical Gym]

Wow, thanks Marcin! I'll try it and report back; it could take awhile for me to get it.
There is actually one scene knob for each of the three sequencers, so that may be trickier.
I can start with one and go from there.
There are no empty slots, so I'm not sure where to insert code.
Edit: Code inserted above instrument.
12 fields each for key, learn, and value, but only 1 field for cc. Is that correct?
Edit 2: I think I better leave this alone for another day, but I'll save script for a time when I'm more proficient with scripting. I may have changed the key color-coding of the instrument inadvertently.

[Zombie Queen]

Oh, I assumed there's one knob to automate, hence one CC. I updated it so you can assign different CC to each key and multiple keys work. Here's a vid tutorial:


You set it above all instruments, not into the instrument, as in the video. Multiscript can't set key colors, so if it's messed it's not there.

keyswitches2.zip

[Musical Gym]

Thanks very much Marcin! Will try it out.

I must say I'm glad I got FH. Key/scale lock for pitch grid in all three sequencers works great, very inspiring. Unfortunately, Scenes do not retain individual key/scales when switching, so any time the key/scale is changed it's global for all scenes. Maybe in an update, Mario could enable scenes to contain dedicated key/scale lock to scene.

Edit: I applied pretty much exact maneuvers as you, except to two Scenes knobs and the knobs moved in opposite directions from each other, min/max I think, and seems expected based on cc/values assigned.
Will need to experiment to see if I can get three knobs working in tandem; it could get complex with 8 scenes per knob and exponential possibilities of knob/scene combinations.
If I can get just one knob working, switching between all 8 scenes for that knob on fly, that will be excellent.

Edit: Playing around with initial tweaks with no changes from video settings is still cool and is basically what I'd envisioned: changing scenes on the fly while sequencers running.
If I trigger scenes from my keyboard controller, Kontakt keyboard does not indicate pressed keys. Is there an easy way to color the keys after they are defined?

Edit: Starting to get fairly good results using initial cc numbers from video combined with different values.
I think I need to re-save patch in order to keep changes persistent from patch to patch. Edit: Changes did persist after reloading patch subsequent to another patch change. Thinking ksp value assignments will also persist from patch to patch.

Edit: Currently have 5 scenes holders keyswitched in place. Highest kudos to Szcz (Marcin)! Thanks again.
Check out his mind-blowing offerings at fairlyconfusing.net.

I think I'm limited to these ccs for assignment:

Undefined MIDI CC List
9
14-15
20-31
85-90
102-119

[jancivil]

Thanks for reply. Will your instructions apply to Scenes knob for each of the three sequencers? Arps was a misnomer on my part as each sequencer also holds pitch, pan, volume, and cutoff values in their own separate grid.
KS would apply to switching between 8 adjustable scenes in each of the three knobs.
KS applies to Scenes only, not necessarily instruments and not any samples assigned in mapping editor, as far as I know.
I can try your solution, but at first glance, it doesn't make sense to me.

Yeah, and I never heard of that product and did not consider 'Scenes' or what it entails and simply showed you how to create keyswitches 'normally'.

I looked at the manual for this product since but I am still uncertain as to what a 'Scene' entails.
It looks like it contains the Layer, the Pitch, the Filter and probably the Amplifier settings at least.

So if what you really have to have is a Keyswitch to switch from one to the other (rather than CC or Host Automation, which is easily assigned to single knobs using the normal Kontakt ways) the simplest thing I can think of is to obtain this; saving your Scene to an .nki, loading all useful Scenes as .nkis in a multi [but w. same MIDI channel] and using that app to set KS for the individual nkis.

[Zombie Queen]

If I trigger scenes from my keyboard controller, Kontakt keyboard does not indicate pressed keys.

Yes, because the script kills the note and sends CC instead. Otherwise the defined keyswitch would also play a note on target instrument.

Is there an easy way to color the keys after they are defined?

No. Key colors can't be changed from multiscript, only at instrument level (there are different colorings for different instruments). And if you have no empty script slots in the instrument, there is no way at all.

I think I'm limited to these ccs for assignment:
Undefined MIDI CC List
9...

Not really. It depends if the instrument you want to use it on has CC automation assigned or scripted. You would have to check instrument manual, or experiment, see if sending given CC does anything.
By default instruments will react to CC64 (sustain pedal), CC7 (volume), CC10 (pan), CC123 (all notes off), but you can turn if off in Kontakt options, see manual page 78.

If you need more keyswitches, they are easy to add.

[Musical Gym]

Thanks again guys; I appreciate all the ideas and help.
Big thanks again to SzcZ for updating multiscript (not posted here) to accommodate 36 KS with scrolling in KSP UI for viewing all.
This capability has definitely taken the library to a whole new level.

There are also key and scale knobs on the interface of Fluid Harmonics that are functional but not easy to use as knobs. The keys and scales are basically hidden from view unless you manually move the knobs. Drop-down choice menus for these would have been much more user-friendly.
However, with the new KS multiscript, I'll be able to assign all keys and scales to KS for instant access and changing on fly. Hooyah!

Starting to assign KS to scales now. Fluid Harmonics has 21 scales. Try switching from number 3 to 20 with the knob only or assigned to MW...or don't.

Scales switching is working well, except arp stops when switching from pentatonic major to pentatonic minor. Arp stays engaged when switching to other scales so far.

Scales and Scenes switching can occur simultaneously with two KS pressed at same time which is nice; new pattern and scale on the fly.

Saved the multiscript with ks assignments to user preset and then saved FH instrument and ksp user preset as multi. Reloaded new instance of kontakt, loaded up newly created multi and all scales/scenes ks assignments are preserved. This really expands the facility and worth of the instrument.

[EvilDragon]

Maybe in an update, Mario could enable scenes to contain dedicated key/scale lock to scene.

Probably not, because the instrument is intended to stay in one scale for all 3 layers.

Scales switching is working well, except arp stops when switching from pentatonic major to pentatonic minor.

This doesn't happen over here...

The keys and scales are basically hidden from view unless you manually move the knobs. Drop-down choice menus for these would have been much more user-friendly.

Yes, they would. They would also NOT be automatable or MIDI learnable then

[Musical Gym]

Thanks Mario, drop-down in combination with knob would provide easy access choice before or instead of automation for zeroing in on a particular scale; could clutter UI, but KS doesn't make it as important anymore, I guess.

[EvilDragon]

Yeah, we didn't want to clutter the UI with a menu. In any case, you go once through the list, then you know which number from 0 to 20 which scale is. Pretty easy from there.

[Musical Gym]

Maybe I can figure out how to make labels in ksp user preset above instrument. My scripting skills are basically non-existent, but I can sometimes mimic code ok. Memorization is probably easiest.