Topic: Possible for pitch bend to only change "last pressed note"?

I know this is weird, but I've always wanted to pitch bend with piano... but I don't want to bend every note currently sounding (as pianoteq appears to do in response to a pitch bend by default), I only want it to bend the "last note pressed".

Anyone know if this is possible to setup with pianoteq? Maybe using some sort of 3rd party midi software or something? Any ideas?

thanks!

-Seth

Re: Possible for pitch bend to only change "last pressed note"?

This is only somewhat possible with aftertouch, in the aftertouch curve settings (it has an option to only work on highest active note, not latest).

Hard work and guts!

Re: Possible for pitch bend to only change "last pressed note"?

I agree with Mr. Dragon, and offer this additional information:

If aftertouch is offered in a given keyboard, it usually takes the form of "channel aftertouch," meaning that the highest value of aftertouch (for a given chord or cluster of notes) will prevail for that entire channel at any given moment.  Some keyboards offer "polyphonic aftertouch," meaning that individual notes are capable of responding to aftertouch.  However, be forewarned this is a "touchy" issue, because in my own experience aftertouch is relatively hard to control with any degree of authority.

Here are two rather old URLs that mention polyphonic aftertouch:

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/aftertouch/
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/r...cWxydO3p8J

My ancient Roland A-80 (vintage 1990) has this feature.  A quick google search should reveal other vendors and models with PA.

Cheers,

Joe

Last edited by jcfelice88keys (21-03-2017 18:22)

Re: Possible for pitch bend to only change "last pressed note"?

jcfelice88keys wrote:

because in my own experience aftertouch is relatively hard to control with any degree of authority.

This depends on two factors: hardware and software. On hardware side, AT can be more or less sensitive. For example, from my experience, Roland has the worst aftertouch of them all, since it takes a ridiculous amount of force to activate it. On the other hand, Korg, Kurzweil (Yamaha too) are on the more sensitive side, but (in case of higher tier Korg and nearly all Kurzweils that have full VAST editing) with added benefit of their engines - they allow processing the output from the aftertouch with a lag processor (slew limiter), which makes aftertouch REALLY great, since the response is greatly smoothed out, and then it starts to sing!

Last edited by EvilDragon (21-03-2017 19:29)
Hard work and guts!

Re: Possible for pitch bend to only change "last pressed note"?

Yeah, I tried AT and my keyboards are just too jumpy (or maybe its my control, either way :-P).

hmmmm, maybe I could rig up a midi-in-the-middle software to repatch pitchbend values into AT for the last note pressed.... thanks, at least this gives me some idea how I might tackle this!

Re: Possible for pitch bend to only change "last pressed note"?

The Ensoniq keyboards has a function close to this.
There's a mode where the notes held with the sustain pedal will stay at pitch, but the key(s) that is also pressed/hold (with your fingers) will bend with pitch bend.

Maybe a midi function that could be included in a Pianoteq update :-)

Having this along with polyphonic aftertouch on the Ensoniq's let me play a nice pedal steel (alike) with two semi tones for the pitch bend and one semi tone for the aftertouch
Many nice chord bends can be done with that

Re: Possible for pitch bend to only change "last pressed note"?

Seth, Olepro, very interesting ideas. I think there's certainly potential somewhere in there.

Re: Possible for pitch bend to only change "last pressed note"?

The modern way of doing this is with Midi-controllers that support the MPE MIDI extension.
This shunts notes onto different channels to allow them to use channel pitchbend messages on individual notes.

Typically the controllers that support this try to emulate continuous pitch over MIDI rather than traditional keyboard controllers.
The Seaboard by ROLI though is an interesting hybrid design. The synth that comes with it (Equator) allows for this.

As far as I know Pianoteq does not yet support this extension (something that I hope is remedied in the next version)

Re: Possible for pitch bend to only change "last pressed note"?

As an aside - the Hammond Organ model XB-3M (circa 2000) had monophonic aftertouch on each manual.  The interesting thing is that five totally different string preset/samples could be layered on each keyboard and each of those could be assigned a different range for the aftertouch . . . huge-fat ensemble effect.

But then again, back to the pianos!

Lanny