Aftertouch -> Vibrato

[Leslie Sanford]

Hello!

In trying to make my performances more expressive, I've taken to using the Mod. Wheel to control the overall dynamics of whatever synth/sampler I'm playing. This leaves me needing another way to control vibrato. I've tried controlling both dynamics and vibrato at the same time with the Mod. Wheel, but that leads to situations where I'm adding vibrato when I don't want any, i.e. I need a separate way to control vibrato.

I was thinking aftertouch might do the trick. Play a note, and when I want vibrato, lean into the key a little.

My current MIDI controller doesn't have aftertouch. I was thinking of buying one that does. My concern is whether aftertouch is a suitable choice for simple vibrato. I'd want to make sure that the controller I get doesn't require too much pressure to send aftertouch events, else I'll wear my fingers out.

Any thoughts on using aftertouch for vibrato? And/or which controller would be a good one to get? I'd like to stay under $300 if possible.

Thanks!

[fluffy_little_something]

Pedal?

[Leslie Sanford]

Pedal?

Hmm, that might be better. My first thought is to not trust my foot to be coordinated enough to work with my hands. But for something simple like vibrato, it might work.

[Bandaide]

What controller are you playing with now?

Can you just assign vibrato to one of your knobs/sliders?

[jdoo]

I typically program aftertouch to vibrato / LFO on the vast majority of patches I create. It frees up mod wheel for pitch bend, foot controllers for filter cutoff, etc. I have an Axiom Pro and Arturia Laboratory controllers, which both sport great aftertouch. I also have a Roland JD-XA which is not well suited (though supports) aftertouch. Aftertouch has gone from being a 'nice to have' performance feature for me ... to a 'must have'. Once you get used to using it -- you get spoiled.

[himalaya]

Any thoughts on using aftertouch for vibrato?

It works, and works very well. I used it a lot.

However, how you trigger vibrato via aftertouch all depends on the aftertouch mechanism of your MIDI keyboard. Some MIDI keyboards have a very 'stiff' aftertouch response, some more easy to trigger.

Tip (if you you're not doing it already): when you do make your LFO-vibrato, don't just set it to a constant rate. Try to make the rate dynamic, so as you press, you go from a slower-to-faster rate. This will make your vibrato much nicer, more 'organic' and just more enjoyable. The change in rate does not have to be really big and obvious, and even smaller values will help to make a nice vibrato effect. For example, try going from 4.50Hz, to 5.20Hz (or faster).

[Leslie Sanford]

What controller are you playing with now?

Can you just assign vibrato to one of your knobs/sliders?

I have a M-Audio Radium 49. It's got plenty of sliders and knobs, but they're not really handy when I'm playing live. I have my left hand controlling the dynamics using the Mod. Wheel, and my right hand is playing notes. There's a data slider next to the Mod. Wheel, but I just find it too difficult to try to use both the Mod. Wheel land the data slider at the same time.

[Leslie Sanford]

Tip (if you you're not doing it already): when you do make your LFO-vibrato, don't just set it to a constant rate. Try to make the rate dynamic, so as you press, you go from a slower-to-faster rate. This will make your vibrato much nicer, more 'organic' and just more enjoyable. The change in rate does not have to be really big and obvious, and even smaller values will help to make a nice vibrato effect. For example, try going from 4.50Hz, to 5.20Hz (or faster).

Very cool tip, thank you!

[JCJR]

Dunno how many synths easily do the trick, but on synths where you can program delayed vibrato, sometimes it can "do the right thing" without even having to worry about mashing a key or pedal harder to get vibrato. If you can set it up to play no vibrato at note-on, and then vibrato gradually fades in some time after the key has been held down. Usually vibrato is applied to long notes and not short notes, so sometimes just setting delayed vibrato "just right" and getting used to playing the patch "just right" works great.

Something I keep meaning to experiment with one of these days-- My Studiologic SL88 has several pedal inputs. I've always used ordinary "switched" on/off sustain pedal. There are several flavors of continuous sustain pedal, but I read that some of them (not all continuous sustain pedal designs) are just variable resistors like expression pedals, except the variable resistor goes from min to max as you push the sustain pedal further down. And because its spring-loaded, you don't have to use muscles to "pull back to zero" a sustain pedal, as you have to do with an expression pedal. You just let go of the sustain pedal and it bounces back up to the "off" position.

So I've wondered if using a continuous sustain pedal and telling the keyboard that it is an expression pedal, that a continuous sustain pedal might be real ultra-controllable and fast for stuff like vibrato or wah-wah effects.

[aMUSEd]

I usually set my aftertouch to tiny pitch bends then if I want a vibrato effect wobble my finger on the key, feels more natural and I have more expressive control that way than just using a lfo based 'vibrato' effect. Couldn't do that with a pedal though.

[himalaya]

@aMUSEd,
Yes, this technique you have described is also very nice. But I suppose it's for the real fan of 'vibrato-expression'.
Maybe, after this the only way up for a truly liberating vibrato expression is the Continuum/Linnstrument/Soundplane/Seaboard and similar.

[zzzxtreme]

vibrato is one reason I always go for keyboards with aftertouch.
besides vibrato, I may also set it to increase volume (or in combination with vibrato) . useful for programs like choirs

[aMUSEd]

@aMUSEd,
Yes, this technique you have described is also very nice. But I suppose it's for the real fan of 'vibrato-expression'.
Maybe, after this the only way up for a truly liberating vibrato expression is the Continuum/Linnstrument/Soundplane/Seaboard and similar.

I tend to think of it as closer to how a violinist or cellist would do it.

[jdnz]

So I've wondered if using a continuous sustain pedal and telling the keyboard that it is an expression pedal, that a continuous sustain pedal might be real ultra-controllable and fast for stuff like vibrato or wah-wah effects.

Works well - I've got the roland continuous 'sustain' pedal hanging off my rd64 and it's great (also works nicely for half pedalling in things like pianoteq)

[JCJR]

So I've wondered if using a continuous sustain pedal and telling the keyboard that it is an expression pedal, that a continuous sustain pedal might be real ultra-controllable and fast for stuff like vibrato or wah-wah effects.

Works well - I've got the roland continuous 'sustain' pedal hanging off my rd64 and it's great (also works nicely for half pedalling in things like pianoteq)

Thanks, sounds encouraging. I have several of the old style roland switch sustain pedals accumulated over the years. Just that they haven't worn out yet and work fine.

I made a pedal board for a "live rig" with a half-inch plywood base, and routed out a recess sized for the roland switch-type pedal (with that swivel front rubber piece removed, that is sposed to sit under foot to reduce chance of the pedal slipping around on the floor). I don't like "too tall" sustain pedal action so routed out the recess so that pressing the pedal all the way down brings it nearly to the level of the top surface of the pedalboard, and extended the pedal board far enough toward me in front of the pedal so my entire foot rests on the pedal board. So anyway, that way the pedal in "up" position isn't too high, and in "down" position is about level with the top of the pedal board.

It would be nice if it turns out that the roland continuous pedal has about the same footprint, so it would fit in the same routed-out recess in the pedalboard. The SL88 remembers the pedal assignment in each of its "patches", what midi channel, port, and message to send from each pedal. So presumably I could save some patches with the pedal set for continuous sustain, and others set for expression or mod-wheel or whatever.