Polyphonic Aftertouch: why isn’t it always represented?

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I notice that in many modern plugins I have to switch my GEM S2 to channel pressure because the software doesn’t react to polyphonic aftertouch. Is this something really difficult to implement? Seems like all the U-He and Arturia synths do, but even with MPE compatibility, the new Obsession from Synapse Audio does not. It’s part of the MIDI standard... why not implement it?
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polyphonic aftertouch, not many (midi)keyboards have it.
i think only the CS-80 V(3) responds to polyphonic aftertouch, of the arturia synths? pigments 2 perhaps, has certainly MPE.

MPE has always polyphonic pressure. but you have to have a MPE capable midi keyboard, the GEM S2 has a polyphonic keyboard. it is not a MPE keyboard.
MPE works different (with 16 midi channels, 15 for seperate notes, 1 channel for global).
polyphonic aftertouch are CC messages, 1 channel.

but it is a good question, why not implement poly aftertouch. it are only CC messages... but the synth must be capable to whatever the aftertouch controls/modulates, to do it per note. it is not only midi implementation, also the design of the synth itself.

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While I don't have a piano-style keyboard with poly aftertouch, I got used to having it on my Akai MPD32 pad controller and took advantage of it regularly when using VAZ Modular in my Windows days. Not sure if Poly AT was a common feature when I bought the MPD32, or if many pad controllers have implemented it since.

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Winstontaneous wrote: Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:29 pm While I don't have a piano-style keyboard with poly aftertouch, I got used to having it on my Akai MPD32 pad controller and took advantage of it regularly when using VAZ Modular in my Windows days. Not sure if Poly AT was a common feature when I bought the MPD32, or if many pad controllers have implemented it since.
most pad controllers have aftertouch, even poly. like push 2 and maschine mk3, it only does not work in ableton (poly, channel aftertouch works), in maschine (no aftertouch at all).
i had forgotten about that.

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The main reason is, that implementing it needs per voice modulation. MPE synths can do it in principle, the others mostly not, and why bother if there are almost no keyboards which support it...
Of course any CS-80 emulation has to, I wonder if Arturia will add MPE at least to the CS-80 V. They support it in Pigments, they know how to do it, and it would be a logical enhancement...

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I didn't know till recently that the two kinds of poly-at are different.
Regular poly-at uses one midi channel, and MPE poly-at uses all 16 midi channels.
So with MPE, you're basically stuck with mono-timbral if you're using one midi port,
unless I misunderstood something.
I don't really use it at all, but if I did, I'd prefer regular poly-at.

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With MPE you could totally have 16 different sounds on each MIDI channel. Fun stuff.

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EvilDragon wrote: Tue Jun 30, 2020 12:24 pm With MPE you could totally have 16 different sounds on each MIDI channel. Fun stuff.
i believe it is 15, one midi channel is for global stuff.
but 15 different sounds, is already mayem...

about the CS-80, it does not have to implement MPE, you can change your MPE controller, i think, to a single channel mode, with poly aftertouch. (roli can do it, i think joué en sensel, and the others could do it also).
playing the CS-80 with poly-aftertouch, on a roli (roli seaboard block), is great, the full power of the synth unleashed. it was meant to be play with poly-aftertouch (of course some patches don't need it), but is part of the design.

of course they make it MPE, but than the emulation is "gone", and why not. for me not necessary.

yes pigments 2 has MPE, and works great with MPE.

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felis wrote: Tue Jun 30, 2020 11:47 am I didn't know till recently that the two kinds of poly-at are different.
Regular poly-at uses one midi channel, and MPE poly-at uses all 16 midi channels.
So with MPE, you're basically stuck with mono-timbral if you're using one midi port,
unless I misunderstood something.
I don't really use it at all, but if I did, I'd prefer regular poly-at.
why not in one message, i am lazy...

with MPE you are not stuck with mono-timbral, with roli (and i believe in other MPE controllers, like joué and sensel morph, and then the expensive ones), you can set the roli in different modes,
for the CS-80 V3, for example, i use single channel, change the setting for poly aftertouch. and it works.

so a MPE controller can also be used for non-MPE synths. articulation for a Mini V3, for instance, but one note, one sound.
but i am making a template in voltage modular to make none-MPE synths, MPE synths, you have to load multiple instances within voltage modular. i for now, use 4 instances, is enough.
but also without voltage modular (MPE module + plugin host module), you can do still some great stuff for none MPE synth.

i know only about roli, because i bought the roli...

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In my view, with EDM, which most people using plugins seem to make, the subtleties of using poly AT are superfluous. So, most computer musicians don't get an expensive poly AT keyboard. Developers know that...

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I'm also pretty sure that developers know what their customers want/need. And, I'm also absolutely positive that MPE is a much bigger thing these days than polyphonic aftertouch ever has been.

TBH, I don't even use monophonic aftertouch... but, that doesn't have to mean anything, because I'm not a "player" type at all.

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Same here, my keyboard does not support any AT, my previous one did but I never used it because my playing is just not good enough, I am already happy when I manage to hit the right keys :hihi:

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True. I always hit the black ones. :D

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I took classical piano lessons for 7 years before playing any synths. Obviously, the piano is mightily expressive without offering AT. So, since my synth day 1, I have never cared about AT.

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i am not a educated keyboard player far from it. but i use aftertouch, and now MPE.
thé synth has also MPE... (which i don't own...).
of course it is understandable that aftertouch, poly aftertouch or MPE has no use for you.
not all synths, or synthesis, or.. or.. instruments.. or .. or effects have use for you.

piano, has three pedals, i always forget the other two, sustain, damping (it is called someting) else, and... o well, and a real piano, how you strike a key. so much articulation. and how the piano is build, etc. etc. and treated piano's. so in a way it isn't that far fetched.

is it interesting for everybody, aftertouch, poly aftertouch or MPE. of course not. it was you need, or want.

for me, aftertouch was already important (and strangelely even if you aren't a good player, you can achieve with aftertouch, more..), poly aftertouch is a nice touch, MPE, is sounddesign level. which i like, sounddesign (not at an expert level, my level...). o well, even with "simple" aftertouch, i could get some nice results (and of course, after the fact automation).

so many ways to achieve.... (fill in)
Last edited by WasteLand on Tue Jun 30, 2020 5:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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