Steinberg Retrologue

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Thanks for the headsup!

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There is something weird, unless I am missing something obvious:

In the filter section one can set the key follow hinge note. So I set it to C3 (in order to compare the synth to Invader 2, where it is C3 as well), but when I keep C3 key pressed and change the key follow knob, the filter cutoff clearly changes, which it shouldn't. However, when I set the hinge note to C2 instead of C3, and then play C3 and change the key follow control, the cutoff stays the same, the way it should be.
But obviously the whole thing is an octave off 8)

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e-crooner wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 6:45 pm In the filter section one can set the key follow hinge note.
I didn't know that. That's brilliant. I always hope that other synths allow that. Some synth's pivot note (I think that's how it's called) is way off, and even when you modulate the filter cutoff with an envelope, the filter never fully opens. Or, it opens for most of the parameter range, which can be bad as well, because you won't be able to get some snappy tones out of it.

Often overlooked thing by developers, it seems.

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Yes, the fact that one can set it freely is cool. Some synths have it set to C1 or even lower than that, I don't like that.

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chk071 wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 6:49 pm
e-crooner wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 6:45 pm In the filter section one can set the key follow hinge note.
I didn't know that. That's brilliant. I always hope that other synths allow that. Some synth's pivot note (I think that's how it's called) is way off, and even when you modulate the filter cutoff with an envelope, the filter never fully opens. Or, it opens for most of the parameter range, which can be bad as well, because you won't be able to get some snappy tones out of it.

Often overlooked thing by developers, it seems.
But you can fix this, by simply transposing the Midi notes one or two octaves up and the oscillators down?! I hope I understand the problem correctly.

Within Reaktor Blocks, I use a separate Quantizer to pitch down/up the notes for filter keytrack....

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Steinberg's "Middle C" has always been like this. C3 being middle C is mostly an american thing. Not so in Germany and Japan as well as some others.


e-crooner wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 6:45 pm There is something weird, unless I am missing something obvious:

In the filter section one can set the key follow hinge note. So I set it to C3 (in order to compare the synth to Invader 2, where it is C3 as well), but when I keep C3 key pressed and change the key follow knob, the filter cutoff clearly changes, which it shouldn't. However, when I set the hinge note to C2 instead of C3, and then play C3 and change the key follow control, the cutoff stays the same, the way it should be.
But obviously the whole thing is an octave off 8)

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RobustAmerican wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 10:34 pm Steinberg's "Middle C" has always been like this. C3 being middle C is mostly an american thing. Not so in Germany and Japan as well as some others.


e-crooner wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 6:45 pm There is something weird, unless I am missing something obvious:

In the filter section one can set the key follow hinge note. So I set it to C3 (in order to compare the synth to Invader 2, where it is C3 as well), but when I keep C3 key pressed and change the key follow knob, the filter cutoff clearly changes, which it shouldn't. However, when I set the hinge note to C2 instead of C3, and then play C3 and change the key follow control, the cutoff stays the same, the way it should be.
But obviously the whole thing is an octave off 8)
Still, shouldn't C3 be one and the same note within their own product? Why is the C3 as a note played different from the C3 set as the center note for key follow?

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e-crooner wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 6:45 pm Still, shouldn't C3 be one and the same note within their own product? Why is the C3 as a note played different from the C3 set as the center note for key follow?
Works here as expected in Cubendo. Might need to use the HD 1080p setting so you can see the key follow center key in the video below. The video shows C3 and C4 but I also did this with C2 and that works correctly as well. Steinberg's Middle C is C4. So a controller or another daw will/might be an octave off.


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RobustAmerican wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 2:29 am
e-crooner wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 6:45 pm Still, shouldn't C3 be one and the same note within their own product? Why is the C3 as a note played different from the C3 set as the center note for key follow?
Works here as expected in Cubendo. Might need to use the HD 1080p setting so you can see the key follow center key in the video below. The video shows C3 and C4 but I also did this with C2 and that works correctly as well. Steinberg's Middle C is C4. So a controller or another daw will/might be an octave off.

Thank you. Yes, it's probably due to my using Reaper instead of a Steinberg DAW...
Notes such as C3 are precise Hz frequencies so a C3 should be a C3 no matter what.

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RobustAmerican wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 10:34 pm Steinberg's "Middle C" has always been like this. C3 being middle C is mostly an american thing. Not so in Germany and Japan as well as some others.
I always thought it would be a German thing.

Studio One, another DAW by German developers, also shows C4 as a C3.

I tested a few synths yesterday, BTW. Here are their pivot notes for the filter keytracking:

Spire: C3
Pigments: C3
V-Station: C3
Subtractor: D#3
Largo: E3
Massive X: C2
Monark: F0
Sylenth1: ?
Massive: ?

So, yep, C3 seems to be the golden standard. Or C4. Or whatever. ;)

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chk071 wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 11:10 am
RobustAmerican wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 10:34 pm Steinberg's "Middle C" has always been like this. C3 being middle C is mostly an american thing. Not so in Germany and Japan as well as some others.
I always thought it would be a German thing.

Studio One, another DAW by German developers, also shows C4 as a C3.

I tested a few synths yesterday, BTW. Here are their pivot notes for the filter keytracking:

Spire: C3
Pigments: C3
V-Station: C3
Subtractor: D#3
Largo: E3
Massive X: C2
Monark: F0
Sylenth1: ?
Massive: ?

So, yep, C3 seems to be the golden standard. Or C4. Or whatever. ;)
On Sylenth1 it seems to be C0 (in Reaper), way too low...

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How did you test it on Sylenth1? I had no clue, because of that weird global filter control.

Edit: Thinking about it, I don't think the global filter controls change anything about it. And, you're right, the pivot note is somewhere down there. I even measured A-1. Really low, but, it actually might have to do with the global filter controls.

Massive is C-1, BTW. Didn't even think of searching so low, lol...

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The global cutoff control is just another absolute cutoff offset, it works just like the layer cutoff controls. No impact on the key follow center note. But you have to turn them down enough so that you hear the difference when operating the key tracking control.

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Slightly off-topic:
I remember (a while ago) checking on Rob Papen synths, and they seem to be tuned an octave lower than some synth plugins out there.

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e-crooner wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 9:03 pm
I just installed Retrologue 2 and was wondering if there is a trick way to reize the display?
Last edited by Examigan on Fri Oct 08, 2021 2:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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