How to Pitch Bend in Garage Band w/ M-audio 61 keyboard

Question

Level 1

9 points

How to Pitch Bend in Garage Band w/ M-audio 61 keyboard

hello,
i just purchased the m-audio *keystation 61es* keyboard and want to utilize the *pitch bend* on it so i can do short portementos with garage band software instruments. Anyone know how to do it? I know both the keyboard and garage band allow pitch bend but i cant figure out how to set up the keyboard as the manual seems to be written for the upscale keyboard with the digital numeric window and all the other buttons for setting.
If nothing else, it seems *garage band allows you to adjust the pitch bend in the track editor* for an individual track. i tried to follow the garage band help instructions but when attempting to adjust a single note in the editor there is nothing to click on to set the key point perameters.
thanks for any help/
mike

imac g5, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Feb 26, 2008 4:33 PM

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Answer 1

Feb 27, 2008 1:12 AM in response to rudymontoya

i tried to follow the garage band help instructions but when attempting to adjust a single note in the editor there is nothing to click on to set the key point perameters.

You just draw a curve, and it will pitch bend the notes according to that curve.

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Answer 2

Feb 27, 2008 1:44 AM in response to rudymontoya

I don't know exactly how (or whether) you can do this with your keyboard. On mine, I send MIDI Command Code 128: now the modulation wheel becomes a pitch bend depth wheel. Ordinarily the pitch bend only does about a semitone on GB: by doing this you hold a note, move then pitch bend to maximum, and then move the modulation wheel until you get the amount of pitch bend you need. I've done this to get trombone slurs of a fourth. Note however that on restarting GB all recorded pitch bends will revert to a semitone so you have to set it up all over again. Note also that not all GB instruments (if any) allow this - you may have to download some extra instruments.

You can hear the result in action at http://www.macjams.com/song/28234

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Answer 3

rudymontoya Author

Level 1

9 points

Feb 27, 2008 11:50 PM in response to Roger Wilmut1

roger,
thing is i dont know how to insert the key code. the keyboard i have has no screen with numbers. the manual sais im supposed to hit the 'advanced functions' button then hit a couple keys to s set up the pitch bend to work..
cant seem to do it though.
am hoping someone else with the same 61es keyboard is out there and has some experience. the manual seems to only cove the more advanced 80+ key keyboard

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Answer 4

rudymontoya Author

Level 1

9 points

Feb 27, 2008 11:54 PM in response to Christoph Drösser

christoph,
yes, thats what it sais in the garageband help section but i cant seem to click on anything to draw a curve. when i go to the track's editor (where you can view the tracks as notes or those horizontal lines) and i hit the pitch tab there is nothing showing up that i can click on. im not sure if a note duration shows up and you click on key frames to adjust the pitch or what. only thing i found that works (but not very good) from another's post is to use the AU pitch in the effects and set automation up in the track's timeline where the track's volume and pan reside. but its all stuttery.

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Answer 5

Feb 28, 2008 1:46 AM in response to rudymontoya

No, the pitchbend window doesn't show the notes - you have to guess. Draw the curve points by apple-clicking into the window.

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Answer 6

Feb 28, 2008 5:23 AM in response to rudymontoya

The manual for the 61es is avalable - control-click this link and choose download:

http://www.m-audio.com/images/global/manuals/050505-KSSeriesUGEN01.pdf

On this subject it says:

It is possible to assign MIDI effects to the Modulation Wheel. Some useful effects are:
01 Modulation
07 Volume
10 Pan (balance)
05 Portamento
There are 131 effects in total. However, for these effects to have any affect on the sound, the receiving MIDI device must be able to read and respond to these MIDI effect messages. Most devices will at least respond to volume, modulation, and pan data. (The full list of effects is given at the back of this manual.) To assign an effect to the Modulation Wheel: Press the Advanced Functions button to engage Edit Mode. Press the black key above C4 (named C# 4), representing “WHEEL ASSIGN.” Use the Numerical Data Entry keys G3-B4 to enter the number of the effect you want to assign to the Modulation Wheel.

You would hit the equivalent for 'Enter' after entering the keys for 1,2,8. See page 4 for a diagram of which keys control which functions.

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Answer 7

rudymontoya Author

Level 1

9 points

Feb 28, 2008 7:52 PM in response to Roger Wilmut1

wowsers, got it to work. didnt realize that the keys on this keyboard act as the input numbers.
Thing is that the pitch bend works mostly with plucked string instruments (guitar, banjo and sax) but NOT for the strings like violin section except for the GB stock 'orchestral strings'. i purchased the extra symphony jam pack and none of the software samples work with pitch bend except for the orchestral strings!
is there additional samples one can purchase in the string department? im wanting to do smooth portamentos with the strings and not so much little bends for guitar etc.

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Answer 8

rudymontoya Author

Level 1

9 points

Feb 28, 2008 7:56 PM in response to Roger Wilmut1

meaning, i can only adjust the pitch bend in the edit window of garageband if the voice is one of the instruments that seem to allow pitch bend on the keyboard in the first place.

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