Key Switches vs. Single Articulations

[Aaron Garner]

I know this is kind of a worn out topic to some and there is never going to be a "right" answer, but I'm still trying to figure out the best way to build my orchestral template in regards to keyswitches vs. multiple articulaions. I've tried both ways of working and there are advantages to both methods. I'm curious how others work and why. I'm working with a PC slave with 128 GB of RAM plus my iMac with 32 GB of RAM so I do have a decent amount of memory. Thanks, Aaron

[Cyril Blanc]

What software do you use ?

[Aaron Garner]

I use Cubase Pro.

[Cyril Blanc]

Why dont you use Cubase Expression Maps 

 

[Aaron Garner]

Cyril, I do use the expression map, but I was interested in other people's workflow - key switches vs. using individual articulations on different MIDI channels. Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but it seems like more people tend to record individual articulations for each instruments when they are available for a given library. Thanks, Aaron

[Cyril Blanc]

If there was Logic Expression Maps, I will use it 😃

[JimmyHellfire]

One track per instrument for me. It has several reasons. But obviously, a big one is that I don't want to stare at 15, 30 or 45 tracks in my sequencer window instead of one, and constantly open, close and re-open all kinds of MIDI events all over the place. It's ridiculous, I'd go crazy and lose interest in making music on the computer altogether.

And then it's also just counterintuitive to the way I think when I compose or sequence performances. It's just not practical to have articulations on different tracks if you like sculpting your perfomances a little more detailed. For example, when I'm doing short note passages, I like to puposefully switch back and forth between different patches because it really helps with creating a more musical sense of motion, tension, accents, etc. I might constantly switch between staccato, spiccato, short detache, portato, repetition patches, whatever. I can't goof around with stuff like that across 5 different MIDI tracks.

I also like to have everything in one track so I can concentrate on the performance of the instrument and edit velocity curves etc. in a continuous way. I just can't look at short passages independently. In my mind, that's a musician, or a section, playing their part.

Mixer view stays clean and tidy too. 😃

[Aaron Garner]

Jimmy,

First off, thank you for the detailed explanation of your workflow.  Everything you said is how I think and like to perform at this point.

A tiny bit of background.  I'm a music professor full-time (theory/comp), but I decided to do another graduate degree in film score composing.  Naturally I'm mostly working with VIs.  I'm relativiely new to orchestral sequencing so I really haven't developed a workflow - I'm still working it out.  Although I'm not ancient, I am old enough to remember writing everything out by hand and having real musicians play my music.

Pretty much all the instructors for the graduate program I'm in for the most part separate articulations, but so far it just doesn't fit the way I think for the very reasons you said.  I can see that for STEMS it could be useful which is one of the reasons why they do it that way.  They group all of the articulations into one instrument buss so they can control volume, add effects etc.

I'm still trying out different ways of playing the parts in initially.  Currently I play a part in with say a legato patch and if there are short notes (or other articualtions), I just play them in how I want them to sound.  It's not perfect because while you're playing it in, you don't quite hear it like it should sound.  Then I'll go back and change the articulations with key switches.  Somebody even suggested layering patches and then deleting notes on each track - example: legato and staccato - then delete the legatos on the staccato track and staccatos on the legato track.

It's all a learning process, but I'm learning a lot from those who have years of experiecne.

Thanks again,

Aaron

[DG]

Using separate MIDI channels for each articulation is the old fashioned way of doing it. The fact that many libraries use the terms "longs and shorts" tells you that it is based in the past. These days it is far faster and more economical to put everything on one staff per instruments. You also have to realise that many people working in the profession write by layering, rather than by conceiving an orchestral sound, so the 1 track per articulation makes more sense in that situation

However, when working as an orchestrator it can be a little annoying, as with this approach one needs an articulation legend to know what each KS does. So there are pluses and minuses,

DG

[Aaron Garner]

DG,

I had it completely backwards, I thought using key switches was the old fashioned way.  What you said makes sense.  It's very confusing for me to have say 10 tracks for one instrument.  I usually write things out by hand even if it's in sketch format so my brain thinks one instrument per track.  The advocates for multiple articulaions on separate tracks are saying you have more control, but I can get a balanced sound manipulating the various cc numbers even down to one note.

I have over 3 TBs of libraries and most of them have various single articulaions so a template can get massive if you load multiple tracks for each instrument across several librares.  I really like how VSL's Vienna Instruments works - to me it's very simple and flexible and I wish other companies did it similarly.

Thanks for the input.

Aaron

[Babe]

I hate keyswitces.  I switch artiulations via program change or cc if possile.  I use 1 or 2 tracks per instrument.  

[DG]

@Babe said:

I hate keyswitces.  I switch artiulations via program change or cc if possile.  I use 1 or 2 tracks per instrument.  

Program changes don't work in VST3, and I tend to use Controller changes for other things.

DG

[mh-7635]

Hi Aaron,

I too am old school in that I have 40 stave manuscript full of scrawl and rubber marks as a first step to sequencing.

After that I'm with jimmy hellfire in that one track per instrument is best, although in my case i have one for the dots and a duplicate midi channel directly below for automation and keyswitching to make any editing a little easier.

To play the line in, I use an internal piano in LogicX then transfer it to the instrument channel. The piano's hard attack compensates for any latency issues with the DAW, although percussion parts are played in using the actual instrument.

Once played in, I slow the tempo right down and programme keyswitches first. This is done wirelessly with an ipad and the VSL app and like Jimmy, I too will use many keyswitches to impart a sense of performance to the line. This may take a few goes to get right, not from the effort of keyswitching, which is a breeze with the VSL app, but because there are so many options regarding combinations of articulation, however this gets easier with familiarity, but the beauty about VSL is that there will always be a new way to do it.

After keyswitches, I then automate a lot of parameters, but again, as the VSL app reflects your template in vePro, it takes no time at all to automate as many parameters as you want. Typically for me, I might automate anything up to 8 parameters over a timeframe of say 10 bars-on the other hand I might not! If I push a fader too far in an otherwise good take, it's easy enough to find on my automation track and tweak.

One final thought you may not have considered is ordering your arrange page in the DAW like an orchestral score and colour coding the individual sections. This all aids in navigating. Logic also has folders where you can group instruments together and in effect hide them, I presume Cubase has the same thing.

Hope this is useful to you

Best,

Mike.

[mh-7635]

Hi again,

Just a postscript to my above post.

I noticed DG said you need a legend for the keyswitches, which is true.

However, the vsl app is in fact just that. Hit record and just press the articulation you want on the app and it records to your DAW...that's it, no need to learn all those keyswitches via notes. Same goes for the parameters that you can automate.

The app refelects your set up in vepro and automatically updates if you add/delete articulations.

The app is free and has sped my workfolw up by about 80%. Of course, I am assuming you can get the app/ipad to work in your setup, if you can, it's a no brainer!

L8r

[DG]

@mh-7635 said:

I noticed DG said you need a legend for the keyswitches, which is true.

I think you misunderstood. I was talking abou needing a legend when sending files to orchestrators. For my own music, I use a Lemur (a proper Lemur, not that iPad cr*p...!) so I don't need the app. 😉

DG

[Aaron Garner]

Mike,

Thank you for the really helpful post.  It's interesteing to discover the various workflows.

I never thought about putting key swtiches on a separate track, but I'm using Cubase's expression map so there probably isn't a need to do it that way.

I tried recording a part in with a piano and that works pretty well for me.  Maybe I could get used to it, but I did find it hard to record/draw in expression after the part is in.  Perhaps with practice it would feel more natural.  I do like the control I get on a piano patch - especially since I'm a pianist.

Regarding score order, yes, I am building my template in score order and color coding everything.

I need to look into the VSL app.  DG, can you even buy the hardware version of the Lemur?  I tried using the iPad verison and got frustrated just trying to connect it to my iMac.

So all this is very interesting and very helpful.  I was convinced that the "best" or at least the most common method was playing in a separate track for each articulation.  I'm sure it works great for many, but I think for now I'll be going for mostly one track per instruments.  I will say that every now and then I have to separate a short articulation onto another track because I can't get the right volume from say a staccato - it's rare though.

Thanks again everyone for all the input.  I've learned a lot from this thread.

Aaron

[Cyril Blanc]

You can also look at midi foot switches and/or pedals to change articulation live

Look at Vangelis preset : 

You can do the same using MainStage 3

[DG]

@Aaron Garner said:

DG, can you even buy the hardware version of the Lemur?

No, they went out of business.

DG