Sugar Bytes - drum computer. Control over how velocity affects volume?

[hesnotthemessiah]

Just sent the following to Sugar Bytes support. Wonder if anyone here might have some info or views:-

I like the control that drum computer has over parameters using velocity. Or at least I would if it were not for one strange conundrum. I have a problem in that I can't find any way of setting how velocity affects the volume control of each part in a kit. Velocity seems to be set to full to control volume with no option to change this. So Velocity of "1" = almost no volume. Velocity of "127" = maximum volume. So, for example, with velocity set to affect pitch, pitch will now be affected by velocity, but the volume of the drum part will also be increased/decreased also. Which drastically reduces the usability of velocity as a control parameter. Extremely frustrating. And, if you don't mind me saying, daft!

But maybe I am overlooking something. Please let me know, as I am severely restricted in the way that I can use drum computer at the moment. To the point where I am just not using it.

[DanielPL]

I'm not sure I get you right (please don't mind me if I'm wrong) but you can modulate pitch in the same way you set velocity. In addition you can set up your own modulation by using mod option on the sequence tab. Please check following part of sequncer demonstration video:

[hesnotthemessiah]

Thanks for the reply DanielPL. I don't use the sequencer in drum computer so I won't touch on that.

I was going to try and write a full explanation of what I mean but things can get quite difficult when it comes to explaining volume, velocity etc. in words.

This should explain my problem:-

Load the SB Init patch (patch 20 of the Sugar Bytes bank).

Put a set of notes in your DAW's sequencer to trigger Sound Engine 2.

Set the velocity of each note in your DAW's sequencer to various amounts so that you can hear the difference in volume for each note.

Now, in drum computer, remove the velocity control of the volume for Sound Engine 2 so that each note does not alter in volume.

Please let me know how you get on.

[DanielPL]

Each resonator has it's own Pitch-Mod envelope which can be controlled by velocity when you activate it. In addition you have modulation area for each resonator. Please find following image, is this what you want to achieve?
I don't find any other way to set this up.

drumcomputer_velocity2.jpg

[hesnotthemessiah]

Each resonator has it's own Pitch-Mod envelope which can be controlled by velocity when you activate it. In addition you have modulation area for each resonator. Please find following image, is this what you want to achieve?
I don't find any other way to set this up.


drumcomputer_velocity2.jpg

You are not understanding my issue. Trying to explain this in words is pretty tricky

I have no problem modulating parameters as you have shown in the image you posted. Except that you are always stuck with velocity assigned to volume for each engine and this cannot be adjusted. So, for example, with velocity set to affect pitch, pitch will now be affected by velocity (as you have described in your post) but the volume of the drum part is always affected by velocity. In other words, you could say that velocity is hardwired to control the volume of each of the 8 sound engines and it is hardwired in such a way that you have no control over this. You could assign additional velocity control to the volume of a sound engine using the mod matrix on each sound engine but you would still have that "hardwired" velocity assigned to volume for each engine which cannot be adjusted. This drastically reduces the usability of velocity as a control parameter.

Like I said, it can get quite difficult when it comes to explaining volume, velocity etc. in words. Please try the following which should show you the issue I am referring to:-


Load the SB Init patch (patch 20 of the Sugar Bytes bank).

Put a set of notes in your DAW's sequencer to trigger Sound Engine 2.

Set the velocity of each note in your DAW's sequencer to various amounts so that you can hear the difference in volume for each note.

Now, in drum computer, remove the velocity control of the volume for Sound Engine 2 so that each note does not alter in volume.

Please let me know how you get on.

[DanielPL]

You're right, it's hardwired to volume and you can't unbind it. I've been able to reproduce your desired configuration in UVI Drum Designer (I'm using Live). I set velocity to 0 and then reassigned velocity to both pitch and master volume of a kick with usage of Ableton's Expression Control plugin.
However, it still doesn't allow me to directly control velocity mapping inside the vst (it's hardwired to gain and LP1 frequency) and that's what you would like to have in the plugin.
Maybe you should make a feature request to Sugar Bytes or switch to different plugin.

drumdesigner_velocity.jpg

drumdesigner_automation.jpg

[hesnotthemessiah]

Thanks for your help DanielPL I am really suprised that I seem to be the only person who recognises this as an issue. Surely there must be others out there who create their own drum sounds in drum computer and want to use velocity to control parameters such as pitch, filter cutoff etc. but don't want velocity to affect the sound engines volume? If I have assigned velocity to control the pitch of a sound engine, so that higher velocities increase the pitch for example, I might want to change the way velocity affects the volume of that sound engine. At the moment, with the way that velocity is "hardwired" to volume, this is not really possible.

I sent Sugar Bytes an email but they didn't seem to understand my issue. They advised, as you did, about using the velocity control on the envelopes and the modmatrix for each engine. I have since replied back explaining the issue further. I will email them with a link to this thread.

[hesnotthemessiah]

Just had a thought....perhaps it would have been simpler if I just asked "How do you remove/prevent the velocity control of a sound engine's volume in drum computer?"

[DanielPL]

Just had a thought....perhaps it would have been simpler if I just asked "How do you remove/prevent the velocity control of a sound engine's volume in drum computer?"

It's a good idea to ask them for a feature to control how much level of velocity impacts all parameters to which it has been (hard)wired. They already give many modulation options in DrumComputer which I find cool.

[Sugar Bytes]

00

[Sugar Bytes]

level-velocity is indeed fixed in DC.
there was a velo-scaling in earlier beta versions, but it had to go

we will think about a solution for either switching off level-velocity or adding velo-scaling with a mysterious witchcraft move....

have a nice 21!
rico

[Dave N]

So i bought DrumComputer and see that this has never been resolved in the plugin. It's very awkward because it renders the velocity modulations basically unuseable. What good is controlling pitchmod thru velocity if it also controls volume at the same time? For a plugin like this it's a very bizarre limitation.

[Caine123]

would be good to send support the infos as Sugar Bytes are really great so far with support in my experience.

[Dave N]

It's not a bug because the function to control it isn't there at all so they probably won't change it because of me. It's just so strange to me because its such a fundamental option to have in synthesis. You just cant fully use mod modulation thru velocity if velocity>volume is fixed.