Tusker Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 I've begun to use a VL card with a breath controller, and this thing is a blast. I am familiar with the distinctions between various VL models, etc. Just wanted to hear from the other players in this community. What have you found VL best suited for? Do you roll your own sounds completely or tweak existing models? Which ones work for you? Are there any particular controller arrangements that are intuitive for you. Anybody tried to model a duduk? As a newbie, I am relying on Floboe and WX Horn and occasionally the stock saxophones. I am using the BC3 as my primary controler, but I am trying to engage with the other controllers also. I am finding that embouchure/pressure mapped to pitch bend gives nice overblows. Scream and throat to mod wheel. Some (non-native) vibrato/tremolo mapped to aftertouch. Do you have any comments or suggestions? Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DafDuc Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 I was going to recommend the control parameters too. The embouchure is awesome on the brass. I like the lyricon patch, too. And there's one they name for Metheny, too - forget the patch name. Anyhow, lots of fun. I haven't tweaked the patches, yet, just played with the controllers. And I found my old BC-1, after buying a 3a - haven't had a chance to try that yet either. I mostly need more time with this thing (the 70m). Daf I played in an 8 piece horn band. We would often get bored. So...three words: "Tower of Polka." - Calumet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Schmieder Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 i don't use the presets, but have a mac so can't use the editor so i bought patchman's replacement rom people get fooled by the trumpet, but all the brass is great strings are amazingly good if you practice tongue/breath dig the sitar, which ideally lends itself to p.m. Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1, Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tusker Posted May 15, 2007 Author Share Posted May 15, 2007 No luck with the strings yet here. Not for want of trying, but I think the controllers I have deployed are not doing it for me. Thinking of crossing embouchure/pressure on an XY pad so I can keep continuous motion with it. It does mean giving up manual vibrato though. Me no likee. Can VL70 patches be used with the PLG? (Mark you are the one to ask)Daf, I l-o-v-e the embouchure on the brass also. I've taken to loading up trumpet models, and then calling up other models as oscillators, just to get that excessive embouchure control you get with the trumpet. It's been allowing me to transfer the brass overblow character to a lot of chiff (jet) instruments. At least I think it's working that way. What are you guys using for controllers? Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusicaL Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 I just started dabbling with my plg VL. For the most part I don't use the patches individually, except for the Jazz flute which I really like. I use soprano sax, floboe, the clarinet as well as others I can't remember off the top of my head. I layer them in performance mode with my plg AN sounds, and sometimes also stock sounds to get extra dimensions on leads. I am thinking about getting the BC3, but just haven't taken the plunge yet. As far as mapping controllers, I haven't done any of that yet. I barely tweak the patches by adding a lot of chorus on them and assign that to AS2, to give me some additional expressiveness during performances. aL Gear: Yamaha MODX8, Mojo 61, NS2 73, C. Bechstein baby grand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DafDuc Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 What are you guys using for controllers? CME-UF5. Yay for knobs and sliders!!! And for the BC input. I played in an 8 piece horn band. We would often get bored. So...three words: "Tower of Polka." - Calumet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tusker Posted May 16, 2007 Author Share Posted May 16, 2007 Al, you must be using the touch EG versions of the sounds. They are pretty good, but the WX/BC versions are really alive. So you have a treat ahead of you. I am not that comfortable with the breathing requirements. I sometimes map breath pressure to a continuous pedal, so that things don't fall apart when I lose breath support. Floboe performed very well this weekend on a celtic song. It sounded like a cross between a low flute and a Uilleann pipe. I can see why some wind players have spent a lot of time with this kind of synthesis. Interesting that you are using chorus to thicken it. I must try that. I am wondering what you guys are generally using. I have two strategies. The clean one is to eq (add lows) and then pitch shift (like detuning oscillators) and then add a touch of delay. To make it sound more like a synth I go through the formant effect (talking mod), then pitch shift and delay. Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusicaL Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Jerry, you put into words my concerns about the BC. I've never played a wind instrument, and am worried about the learning curve at this point. I know the expressiveness of the VL patches will improve greatly. I have no doubt about that. It's definitely on my list of things to check into! aL Gear: Yamaha MODX8, Mojo 61, NS2 73, C. Bechstein baby grand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Rideout Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 The extra expression and control you get from using BC wih any VL instrument is well worth the investment in practice time and the cost of a BC3. Even if you've never played a wind instrument, you've probably sung a little, and that experience alone will really help you construct phrases that sound natural and human, and that translate well to the VL. Using BC can make you feel as though you're way inside your phrases. It's another level of expression entirely. I say go for it! Best, Ernie Ernie Rideout, Private Citizen Gee, that was quick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusicaL Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Ernie, I definitely will be checking out the BC. As I understand it, you can adjust the amount of air that goes through it so that you don't have to blow as hard. Is the mouthpiece on the BC also pressure sensitive, and if so, is that typically mapped to a particular parameter. A friend of mine who is a sax player just bought an EWI, and was telling me about how putting pressure on the mouthpiece (or whatever it's called) produces some added expression... aL Gear: Yamaha MODX8, Mojo 61, NS2 73, C. Bechstein baby grand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Rideout Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Hey aL, Yes, you can adjust the BC3 so that it responds the way you want it to. You definitely won't have to blow your brains out to play it! The mouthpiece itself is not lip- or jaw-pressure sensitive, so it does not transmit the kind of jaw control that the EWI's mouthpiece does. That extra bit of control is great for folks who are used to playing single- or double-reed instruments already. I play an EWI as well and even though I'm a brass player and used to using jaw movement as part of playing, I find I'd rather apply vibrato with breath pressure than with my jaw anyway. Have fun! Best, Ernie Ernie Rideout, Private Citizen Gee, that was quick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwgm Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 I picked up a VL and breath controller last month, but haven't had the time to install. I've just completed a job that left me little time for anything else for the last 3 months, and after I get to know my family again, and have a little sleep, I look forward to trying out this new gear. Last year I started working up a few Xmas Carols in Sonar as big-band arrangements, but got very bogged-down with the detailed editing required to make solo wind and horn patches sound natural. I thought the VL card with the BC3 might hold a few answers, I'm looking forward to having time now for some experimentation. Maybe I can get these done before next Xmas comes around? regards, --kwgm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.