OT-ish: How important is aftertouch?

I'm really looking at aquiring myself an 88-key, hammer action keyboard. Of course the keystation 88pro has a lot that is drool-worthy. However, that it doesn't have aftertouch gives me pause. Should I be concerned about this?

I'll confess: I'm no piano player. I barely play keyboards, but I know just enough music theory and have noodled enough that I can fake it enough for my purposes. I do have what I guess is a basic understanding of what aftertouch is used for. However, I don't think I've ever specifically used it really. I know that my Alesis QS6.1 has aftertouch - and the QS8. range has it as well - and I like their hammer action. But the additional control of the keystation is definitely a plus - and it's much more in my price range.

Thus I turn to the MIDI gurus of Project5. Any thoughts?

Where's B-Rock when you need him?!

Struggling with a Bronze Age baud rate. I thought for sure I would find your answer to be something like this, Jace:
"Why worry about aftertouch when you have an Axyz controller, like my KB does?"
As an aside, did you know that those freakin' Ion wheels also light up like Christmas trees? One crow sandwich; coming up ...


Well, Puff, you asked, so here it goes ... Aftertouch is one of only two MIDI messages that you can transmit from your KB without leaving the keys. It's expressive potential is enormous, and it's right there under your fingertips.

I'm no trained pianist, either, but that can be an advantage in adding the peculiar aftertouch techniques to your chops. It's a little tricky to get absolute accuracy, but you can add a smooth human-ness to your phrasing with it.

Most people use it to bring up a modulation depth, or filter cutoff. I use it for just about anything, from cross-fading in another oscillator or audio loop to wild pitch bend effects. So for me, I'd consider AT essential. You can use other types of physical control to alter parameters, but this one's special.

You may be able to work around this some. I just recently discovered that while the Ion synth from Alesis doesn't transmit AT from its keyboard, it can receive it, and even receives Polyphonic Aftertouch [a whole 'nother story: quantum leap over regular Channel AT]. So I could use a Novation controller over MIDI to use AT on the Ion's sound engine in real-time.

Hey, you've got a Trigger Finger. Have you tried assigning aftertouch to the pressure sensitivity in the pads? Hook that up with a Dimension patch that features AT in the MIDI Matrix, and you'll see what I mean. Open up a program like the Twelve Strings one, and bump up the Depth in an AT-controlled parameter; just to exaggerate the effect.

I don't know that I'd make a decision based solely on whether or not it had aftertouch. I guess there are a lot more important considerations. It would only be one item on the left of the Pro/Con list, but heavily weighted. Besides, the "hidden" aftertouch editing in V2 has bubbled to the surface in the 2.01 update, so it is sort of natural to explore in Project5. HTH

ORIGINAL: b rock


Well, Puff, you asked, so here it goes ... Aftertouch is one of only two MIDI messages that you can transmit from your KB without leaving the keys. It's expressive potential is enormous, and it's right there under your fingertips.

Ah, I was hoping I would solicit an audience with you, my friend.

You may be able to work around this some. I just recently discovered that while the Ion synth from Alesis doesn't transmit AT from its keyboard, it can receive it, and even receives Polyphonic Aftertouch [a whole 'nother story: quantum leap over regular Channel AT]. So I could use a Novation controller over MIDI to use AT on the Ion's sound engine in real-time.

Actually, now that you mention it, I believe that my Alesis QS6.1 doesn't transmit aftertouch but does receive it. I will see if this applies to the QS8.2 as well.

Hey, you've got a Trigger Finger. Have you tried assigning aftertouch to the pressure sensitivity in the pads? Hook that up with a Dimension patch that features AT in the MIDI Matrix, and you'll see what I mean. Open up a program like the Twelve Strings one, and bump up the Depth in an AT-controlled parameter; just to exaggerate the effect.

I'm ashamed to admit I don't exactly know how to assign aftertouch to the TF (though I'm about to go try to puzzle it out). I believe Triangle also responds to aftertouch. I'll see if I can't get something going, see if it is useful.

I don't know that I'd make a decision based solely on whether or not it had aftertouch. I guess there are a lot more important considerations. It would only be one item on the left of the Pro/Con list, but heavily weighted. Besides, the "hidden" aftertouch editing in V2 has bubbled to the surface in the 2.01 update, so it is sort of natural to explore in Project5. HTH

Reading your thoughts on the matter and typing my reply, I think I've answered my own question. Ultimately, if I'm going 88 hammer-action, feel and price will win out over features I only half-understand and less seldom utilize.

Sorry for sneaking in, but, do you still have that EZbus mixer?

Please reply here.

Hey b rock, I was setting up some templates for my Trigger Finger the other night and I remembered you had shared a bunch of tips re:TF & aftertouch. A quick search and lo, here is the exact thread, just waiting for me to finish it up.

With your patient instructions I was indeed able to get TF to transmit aftertouch messages. I couldn't produce anything I could readily use, and I'm, honestly, not sure what I might use it for. But there it is. (Though for some reason I can't pads to trigger notes in Dimension [or any other synth for that matter].)

So thanks, friend. Very useful.

I can't pads to trigger notes in Dimension [or any other synth for that matter

Puff: long time, man. I'm glad that you got the aftertouch working. You'll soon find the uses for it. I've got the TF sitting next to my main controller, and I'll often use one of the pads (transmitting AT) in conjunction with the keyboard's aftertouch, as they add together. It's almost like a wheel action, and one aftertouch transmitter overrides the other. Try it on a filter's cutoff frequency for starters, or using it to control pitch really highlights how much pressure that you're applying. That's a great practice tool.

As for the notes: it could be a lot of things. I'd use P5's MIDI Remote Control & MIDI learn as a diagnostic to see if they're even being transmitted. Then, check in the Enigma software, and see if the notes are assigned properly. I think that we wiki'ed the oddbball saving procedure. The pads might be on their own MIDI channel, but All Ports - Omni or Dimension in non-multitimbral mode would still pick them up. The TF Transpose slider has a four-octave range; that might play into it.

But here's my best guess: the hardware Ctrl/Note Mute button (also known as Peek): If you cycle though the options with three clicks, you can send the assigned controller message only, MIDI notes only, or both. Give that a shot.