jramler


Hello,
 
Can anyone help me with my panning dillema?  I'm composing an electronic tune and I want to set pan values to the individual notes in the Piano Roll View.  You can set the velocity when double clicking on a note, but no pan options.  I'm running Sonar x1d and using strictly stock soft synths.  I'm currently using PSYN 2.  I've also tried setting the pan values using the MIDI controllers, but when you click to add a new controller, you have the option of NRPN, RPN's and just different channel numbers.  What would you select if you wanted to control the pan on the soft synth, or don't some soft synths allow this kind of control.   

Are you looking for hard left and right panning or are you looking to spread notes entirely thru the stereo field in many different positions? The only "practical" solution to pan individual notes thruout the stereo field is to use a synth with more control over the modulation matrix. For example, you can then assign a CC, LFO or something to "modulate" the panning. Ideally, you want to use a synth that allows you to modulate the panning of an individual oscillator (or multiple oscillators). This way only the note changes in the stereo field: the tails will not pan and neither will any effects such as delay or reverb. I have a hunch this is what you really want.
 
Of the stock synths the best two candidates are Rapture and Z3ta as they have the most thorough modulation matrices. At the moment I can't give you specifics (I'd have to read the manuals) but if you have trouble figuring out how to make them work as you want let me know and I'll take a peek.
 
The benefit here is the crazy amount of options you then have at your disposal. As an example, one trick I like is to
"modulate" the panning of each note thru velocity...then I do no real work, the velocity of a note positions it in the stereo field (especially useful for steady rhythms that you can have randomly plopping around in the stereo field). If you want to manually adjust pan position you simply draw in the velocity value, right-click and enter in PRV, drag handles, whatever floats your boat. In many cases analog synth sounds do not need to respond to velocity as the volume stays fixed so you just use the velocity to control pan position instead of note volume. That's just one of numerous examples i could give. The trick is to learn how to use modulation matrices.
 
The next question you have to think about is if you want to manually control the panning of each note (somewhat tedious, depends on the length) using CC's or an envelope etc. or have it done "automatically" for you by using an LFO, velocity or some form of randomization. I'm a big fan of the randomization route but it's all personal taste. Rapture will, by the looks of it, allow you to literally step-sequence the panning if desired, among many other options. Z3ta has many options for routing modulation as well.

Cubase 6x and it's use of expression maps is great for this.
You can change parameters/articulations on Individual notes, panning etc.
Of course not all synth's can be used at the moment, but Cubase has two or three
within that can do it. Retrologue and Halion for eg.
It's a pretty neat tool.
One of the advantages of VST 3X.



Garry

jramler

I want to set pan values to the individual notes in the Piano Roll View.

Using Dimension Pro, you could load the same sampleset into all 4 elements, pan each element differently and set it to multi-timbral mode.  Then set midi channel 1, 2, 3 or 4 for each note depending on which pan setting you want for that note.  This method allows 2 or more notes to play simulaneously from different directions rather than the entire instrument changing direction at once.

Using Dimension Pro, you could load the same sampleset into all 4 elements, pan each element differently and set it to multi-timbral mode.  Then set midi channel 1, 2, 3 or 4 for each note depending on which pan setting you want for that note.  This method allows 2 or more notes to play simulaneously from different directions rather than the entire instrument changing direction at once.

That's a great tip - Thanks for that !

Garry

For what it's worth I just tried out Rapture. Not only can you step sequence each individual note of a sequence but you can place each and every note in any pan position you like, not just left, right or center. Insanely fast and easy. Not to mention you can load any wav file as an oscillator so you can even use the wavetables from other synths or create your own. In theory you could output audio from one synth, load it into Rapture and step-sequence the panning from there.

Geez...  I really need to learn how to better use Rapture and Dim Pro.   Great info!
 
 

Using Dimension Pro, you could load the same sampleset into all 4 elements, pan each element differently and set it to multi-timbral mode. Then set midi channel 1, 2, 3 or 4 for each note depending on which pan setting you want for that note.  This method allows 2 or more notes to play simultaneously from different directions rather than the entire instrument changing direction at once. 

By the way, you can also do this in Rapture, which has the additional benefit of 6 elements rather than 4.  I am not certain whether Rapture LE has multi-timbral mode though.

SToons

For what it's worth I just tried out Rapture. Not only can you step sequence each individual note of a sequence but you can place each and every note in any pan position you like, not just left, right or center.

Do you mean using the Step Sequencer to pan each step of the sequence?  Or maybe pan according to pitch?  Or is there another technique that I have not thought of?

Kev999

SToons

For what it's worth I just tried out Rapture. Not only can you step sequence each individual note of a sequence but you can place each and every note in any pan position you like, not just left, right or center.

Do you mean using the Step Sequencer to pan each step of the sequence?  Or maybe pan according to pitch?  Or is there another technique that I have not thought of?

 
To be clear, this is Rapture LE not the full version.


In the Modulation Matrix ("Modulators"), just click the Pan button. In this display you can Step Sequence the Pan which has no effect on the Step Sequenced Pitch (notes). You can also step seq the Cutoff and Resonance. If you step seq 32 eighth notes, for example, you can subsequently go to Pan and set it for 32 steps of eighth notes and sequence the pan position of each note only without affecting the notes entered in the Pitch window. All of this can be done inside Rapture itself, this does not refer in any way to the Step Sequencer that is part of Sonar.
 
You could set a modulator to pan according to pitch, velocity, CC - there are many options, but I do not believe those can be internally step sequenced inside Rapture.

Sorry, double post.