Understanding 'Legato' in Tracktion Waveform, and maybe MIDI in general

[mkeveney]

Experienced musician and computer geek, but new to DAWs and MIDI.

I've entered a piece as four separate MIDI tracks, and have configured a synthesizer plugin to play the sounds (Surge XT using a pre-configured patch). This piece has lots of long, legato phrases.

I've entered the note lengths as sheet music would indicate, but each note is being articulated independently, even though the next begins at precisely the same time the prior note ends. *

I can still hear a distinct articulation on each note, as though I touched the reed with my tongue when playing the oboe.

If I extend the length of the previous note so it _overlaps_ the next, I get the desired sound.

But that can't be right. First off, it's way too much work, but more importantly, I'd hear the overlap on a polyphonic synth.

I'm looking for some kind of midi property that would be the equivalent of a slur line in conventional music notation, joining a sequence of notes to be articulated as legato (or _un_articulated, I guess).

How?

--

* Waveform's Midi editor has a feature called 'Legato notes' that seems to automatically extend note lengths to the start of the next selected note. That doesn't help me here, though I can see how it might be handy.

another note: I found this post, which seems to assume some context I'm missing. Is articulation some sort-of of side-channel I need to enter? If so, how?

viewtopic.php?p=8444726

-Matt

[effie]

mono mode. overlapping notes are the way to go.

[mkeveney]

> mono mode. overlapping notes are the way to go.
That stinks. Is there some convenient way to extend the length of selected notes? (by as little as possible, I guess).

[pough]

I'm not an expert in this, but I did a little searching and testing because I was curious.

But that can't be right. First off, it's way too much work, but more importantly, I'd hear the overlap on a polyphonic synth.

Unfortunately, it is right. For the most part. A lot depends on how the VST is coded, and also how the preset is set up. Not every preset will do anything like legato and not every VST has that capability at all.

I'm looking for some kind of midi property that would be the equivalent of a slur line in conventional music notation, joining a sequence of notes to be articulated as legato (or _un_articulated, I guess).

Technically, it seems to exist. In the MIDI spec. But I've never seen it mentioned anywhere and I don't know of any VST that has been coded to do it. Mind you, I never tried - until a few minutes ago.

MIDI CC#68 is "legato pedal". 0 (up to 63) is off. 127 (down to 64) is on. I just tried it using SurgeXT on the "Flute 2" preset and it doesn't seem to do anything, even though overlapping notes does the legato thing. There might be a way to edit a preset to get SurgeXT to use it properly. Or maybe some other VST does. I have no experience with either the CC# or SurgeXT.

* Waveform's Midi editor has a feature called 'Legato notes' that seems to automatically extend note lengths to the start of the next selected note. That doesn't help me here, though I can see how it might be handy.

I'd never noticed that before. It's kind of funny, in a way. Legato notes! Do they do legato? Ha ha no. They get you right to the edge of legato, but not all the way there. What a tease!

another note: I found this post, which seems to assume some context I'm missing. Is articulation some sort-of of side-channel I need to enter? If so, how?

That sort of articulation is a fake-it thing. Some VSTs, especially the more advanced samplers, will allow you to use specific MIDI notes to trigger code. For example, Tracktion's Dan Dean Bass VST has notes that go down to the low E for a bass. Some of the notes below that can switch the samples from regular plucks to slides. It's far from a standard; more like a cheat code in very rare cases.

[Peter Widdicombe]

Yeah, things like the BBC Symphony orchestra or other have "unique" articulations per instrument; but not really sure if it helps for legato. You often CAN play with envelopes yourself, but that's probably more cumbersome than note overlapping. Techniques also will vary from instrument to instrument (VST) and type (i.e. piano or strings).

Cut'n'paste of phrases in a DAW will also be challenging, as a phrase you have split and rejoined may not sound quite the same if using a legato performance. (End of a "clip" will often silence rather than follow an envelope, past the end of the clip). A loop ending will typically have an "all notes off" message through MIDI; even though naturally you might expect the envelope to fade, which it might to in the middle of a clip.