Automation of Multi Timbral Instruments in Logic??

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Level 1

135 points

Automation of Multi Timbral Instruments in Logic??

OK, I've read a lot on this, and seen it happen to me. You get an instance of Kontakt, fill it up with instruments, and find that any midi volume (C7) moves you make seem to affect the output of the main VI.

What I was seeing tonight though, is that the same is true of Mod Wheel information. So...if I have multiple parts in a VI, and I want to send discrete midi messages (C7, Mod Wheel, etc) to a given sound on a given midi channel within the VI.....how do you do it in L9?

Thanks
Tom

Mac Pro Dual 2.8, Mac OS X (10.5.5), 8G RAM

Posted on Sep 12, 2009 11:08 PM

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Answer 1

Sep 12, 2009 11:34 PM in response to Tom Hartman1

When using Kontakt as a multitimbral Instr it's better to use the Controller assignments within Kontakt. You can drag any Midi Controller from the Kontakt Browser->Auto tab on the lefthand side directly to any knob/parameter of the Kontakt Instrument you want to control. Then just record data for those Controllers in Logic and always make sure the Midi channel of that track is not set to "All" but to the Channel of the Intr you want to control.

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Answer 2

Tom Hartman1 Author

Level 1

135 points

Sep 13, 2009 8:04 AM in response to Sampleconstruct

OK so once assigned, is it safe to create a new midi track via (New With Same Channel Strip or New With Next Midi Ch) and record this information without Logic getting things messed up as it is now? I think you mean that it is, I just want to confirm. Last night I had several channels in Kontakt fighting each other over mod wheel changes, even though each midi track was being sent to it's own patch in a K3 instance....that's when I started reading about this problem, though the posts concerned volume cc7 info...

Thanks
Tom

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Answer 3

Sep 13, 2009 8:58 AM in response to Tom Hartman1

Well it's safe in Logic 8 for sure, I haven't tried it on L9 but soon will, as I only picked up L9 2 days ago.

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Answer 4

Tom Hartman1 Author

Level 1

135 points

Sep 13, 2009 4:11 PM in response to Sampleconstruct

OK, yeah, I admit it, I am still confused.

Let's say a patch in kontakt responds to mod wheel info, by playing different samples at different positions of the mod wheel. So softer string samples at low settings, etc, etc.

OK, so first...I want to map a controller on my keyboard (that is already setup to send MOD W) to Kontakt. So what...I choose "MOD WHEEL" to....what? in Kontakt?

Then, I set up a separate midi track for just doing these mod wheel moves, assigned to the channel in K3 I want. But how is this different from me just sending the mod wheel info WITHOUT setting anything special up in K3?

Gee, this is really confusing...

TH

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Answer 5

Sep 13, 2009 5:07 PM in response to Tom Hartman1

I use the mod wheel to control individual volume of multi instruments as shown above. But it will still be effecting the "scripted" use of the mod wheel (sample choice, cut off etc) Look in the bottom left of the midi automation list on Kontact and you will see a "from and to" in percent. This way you can limit the high and low amount of the midi effect to make it so that you get some control over volume (or whatever) and still sort of have full control over the "scripted" use of that controller. (Sorry, it's a bit complex) I've done this in L7 and L8, don't have L9...

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Answer 6

Sep 14, 2009 3:49 PM in response to Sampleconstruct

When using Kontakt as a multitimbral Instr it's better to use the Controller assignments within Kontakt.

Kontakt's definition of how it's setup for automation at the instrument level is different from PLAY, Omnisphere, SampleTank, etc...

I find it easier to setup automation within Logic as a multitrimbral and specifying the number of channels (16 for Kontakt, 9 for Play, 8 for Omnisphere, etc...) and when loading the AU instrument, specify the multiout (16 stereo Kontakt, 9 stereo PLAY, 8 stereo Omnisphere) and automate on the aux outputs of each of the aux channels you create in the mixer window for the channel strip of the instrument in question.

Of course for Kontakt, there's an extra setup you need to do by creating your multi outputs for Kontakt so that Logic can see those, but you can save it as a preset for later use.

If you really need instrument specific automation, it just might be easier to create that instrument as stereo and to "instrument specific" automate knowing that you're just going to affect one loaded instrument.

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