I have the EWQL Symphonic Orchestra Gold instrument, and although it sounds great, I feel like I can't get the best results out of it when it comes to getting a natural sounding performance. The trick I've seen used for other virtual instruments is to use a dynamic crossfade patch and then play using the modwheel to fade individual notes in and out. The mod wheel typically adjusts both the volume of the instrument and crossfades between different sample dynamics for a fairly realistic sound. However, the EWQL symphonic orchestra doesn't have crossfading patches that go from zero volume to full volume, meaning that even with the wheel fully at zero, the instrument still comes through fairly loudly, stopping the technique from working. So, can I work around this? eg. Is there a way I can get Sonar to take the mod wheel and duplicate that information as CC11 (or CC7) so that I can get volume swells added alongside the sample change?

Apparently there's a standalone tool called Transmidifier which can copy a CC channel to another one. Unfortunately I can't work out how to get it to work with Sonar, since Sonar can't send it MIDI nor take MIDI input from it.

You can manipulate CC7 is Piano Roll View.

I found this video a while back on expression which I thought was helpful. Although it's not a Sonar demo this will work in PRV.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce989ZsUWuA

In EWSO, CC 11 is Expression and 7 is volume.  I would use Expression (CC11) to manually draw in your chord entry and exit 'volumes'.  If you use CC7, it will affect all your automation, if you should decide to adjust the level of the entire track, later on.   
A couple techniques to try:

1-  Manually draw in the Expression data at the beginning of the note/chord, even on the MOD patches.  This creates a kind of fade in so you dont hear the hard attack. 

2- Adjust the attack of the specific patch, using the envelope controls on the PLAY interface

3- Start the note/chord with a Legato patch and manually crossfade between them.  This can take some experimenting, but sometimes works out well. 

As you noticed, not all of your needs are met with the supplied samples, so layering multiple samples and manually editing the envelopes within certain patches are all common. 

As far as writing the CC11, you can either manually insert a new CC lane (11) in PRV, then draw in the data using the draw tool, with Snap to Grid off.  Or, assign your MOD wheel to CC11 and control it that way.

I don't want to manually draw anything. That's going to take forever compared to getting the CC values mirrored. Not just because drawing takes longer than playing, but also because you can't hear the adjustments in real time. I need to be able to have one MIDI CC signal creating 2 sets of CC data in real time - CC1, and CC11.

Maybe an expression pedal for your midi controller? 

Sadly my feet don't have the sort of dexterity I'd need for this.

Mine either, which is why I draw almost everything in

Hi,
 
I'm a bit new to using EWQL; when you say "drawing in" the dynamics, do you mean the way you might in the key editor of cubase? 
Is there a way to do that and copy the dynamic curve to other tracks?
 
Thanks, David
 

The best way period/EW not withstanding? Is to go in and edit your velocities in MIDI?
 
2nd to that is using cc controls to help it breath... And volume envelopes?
 
Love me some soundsonline... Good stuff.
 
But? You can layer in some NI with it? Control the dynamics separately? send it to the same verb? You'll get "a big sound..."