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  4. Portamento Confusion

  • Portamento Confusion

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    N

    I thought that when I first used my VSL strings that the portamento would glide from any starting note to the next, withing range.

    I haven't used the library much and this may be my error, but now I only get the portamento when I hold down a note, play another and then lift off the second note while still holding down the first. THEN the note glides up or down to the first, still held, note.

    Is this right? 
  • D
    D

    You should play a note and when you play legato to the second note you will hear a slide up to it. The slide does not happen to the first note, only the second.

    DG
  • P
    P
    If by "hold" you mean the first note must be held throughout the second, that's incorrect. But the first's note-off message must come after the second note-on message. The overlap can be slight. In the Performance Tool, there was a "Legato Threshold" setting to adjust just how much overlap was necessary. It was usually quite brief, like 10 milliseconds. I don't think there's a setting for it in VI.

    Are you in Logic? Perhaps Logic 8's issues with the EXS PT have scrambled the legato settings to require an unusually long overlap.
  • D
    D
    [quote=plowman]In the Performance Tool, there was a "Legato Threshold" setting to adjust just how much overlap was necessary. It was usually quite brief, like 10 milliseconds. I don't think there's a setting for it in VI.
    You are correct. There is no way for the user to change the legato threshold in VI, and as it is set abnormally high, it is one of the few failings of the VI player. It seems to be aimed at people who can't really play,  but for those of us who can, it means that in order to force a start note we have to leave a rather big gap. In Giga I think I used to set it to 0, and then either play legato or not.

    DG
  • N
    N
    I'm pretty sure the way it was happening when I first got the software was the way portamento worked on my other synths. As long as the note on of the 2nd note is slightly before the note offf of the first, you'd get the slide. Now it only works if I sustain the first note THROUGH the second note and then it only slide BACK to the first note when I release the second note. In other words, it doesn't slide to the second note at all. Not when playing legato or when holding the first note. So bassically, I can't get the second not to slide at all. Just get a slide back to the first note if I'm sustaining it. I know this can't be right. I must have changed a setting or something as this type of portamento is useless.
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    last edited
    last edited

    @NealF said:

    I'm pretty sure the way it was happening when I first got the software was the way portamento worked on my other synths. As long as the note on of the 2nd note is slightly before the note offf of the first, you'd get the slide. Now it only works if I sustain the first note THROUGH the second note and then it only slide BACK to the first note when I release the second note. In other words, it doesn't slide to the second note at all. Not when playing legato or when holding the first note. So bassically, I can't get the second not to slide at all. Just get a slide back to the first note if I'm sustaining it. I know this can't be right. I must have changed a setting or something as this type of portamento is useless.

    OK, it sounds as if you're doing everything correctly, although for some reason it is not working.

    Please can you post a MIDI file where the behaviour is exhibited and either the patch name or an .fxb file so that I can try it out here.

    DG
  • N
    N
    Hi DG. There's no midi file to send. I'm just playing live through Digital Performer 5 on a Mac G5. OSX Tiger. It's happening across the board with any preset that has portamento in it. I've got the solo strings and the Orch strings. Happens on both. BTW, what's a .fxb file?
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    And I'm pretty sure it wasn't that way when I first got the library. Could I have changed some global setting without knowing it?
  • D
    D

    I don't mean to be unhelpful, but unless I can see what you are doing I can't tell what the problem is. Please record a MIDI file that doesn't play properly, and tell me what patch you used, so that I can load it up on my system to see if there is an errant controller somewhere.


    DG
  • N
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    I created a SMF but can't find any way on this forum to upload the file. How do I do that? Also, what is an .fxb file?
  • N
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     I really need to get this solved quickly. It seems like there's a global setting that got changed.

    I don't know that the midi file is going to be much help but I'll upload it as soon as I figure out how to do that. Is there a button for uploading that I just can't see? I'm on a Mac using Safari and Firefox.
  • D
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    No, you just have to host it somewhere. DG
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    This might sound dumb, but how do I host it? Also, please explain what a .fxb file is. Thanks.
  • D
    D

    Check your emails.
  • N
    N
    By "check your email" I'm assuming you mean the forum inbox. Nothing there. No email coming to my email address either except the notification of a new post.
  • N
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    Never mind. Your email just arrived. I'll get the file to you later today.
  • J
    J

    Was this ever solved?  I'm seeing the exact same behavior as described earlier.  I have to hold one note, then press another note (while holding the first) then when I release the 2nd note, I get a Portamento (slide) back to the first note.  Nothing else seems to trigger the Portamento making it useless for composition.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.