Sample libraries with multiple articulations.

[SSB]

I see sample libraries advertised all the time with different articulations. Are these generally accessed separately? As in, would I have to make one channel for sustained and another channel for staccato and switch between them? That seems impractical, and I THINK I've seen mechanisms where you can switch articulations within one channel, but I don't know how that works really. So my main question is what programs are able to utilize these features best? Can FL Studio handle it effectively?

[Prasa_U.]

I see sample libraries advertised all the time with different articulations. Are these generally accessed separately? As in, would I have to make one channel for sustained and another channel for staccato and switch between them? That seems impractical, and I THINK I've seen mechanisms where you can switch articulations within one channel, but I don't know how that works really. So my main question is what programs are able to utilize these features best? Can FL Studio handle it effectively?

A lot of them have keyswitches. For instance, Best Service Essential Strings, you just select "Full Bass" or "Full Violas", and then there are a few keys way down at C0-C7, that don't play a note, rather they trigger a change in the samples being used. So you have legato, press one of the keyswitches and then you get stacatto. Of course, it takes a lot of ram.

I don't know if sequencers make much of a difference. I've tried libraries with keyswitches in different programs and they worked the same.....

[SSB]

I actually noticed that with the Rare Instruments I ordered. Didn't know if all operated like that.

[zircon]

Yes, keyswitches are a common way of accessing multiple articulations. But it's memory inefficient. It makes sense to simply load the articulations you need - it will take more MIDI channels (easy in FL - just create more MIDI outs) but ultimately is better for your RAM in the long run. Some virtual instruments actually detect articulation based on other parameters, such as velocity and modwheel.

[SSB]

Ok, thanks for the info.

I'm looking to do a massive memory upgrade soon anyway. I have usually just been using separate channels but that really cluttered up my work area, and even that took a toll on my meager 1 GB of RAM.

Thanks again.

[tgfoo]

Depending on the sampler that you are using for the samples, you may be able to create your own custom keyswitches. I actually prefer keyswitches to loading up individual articulations on each track. Keeps things less cluttered.

[Kanthos]

Yes, keyswitches are a common way of accessing multiple articulations. But it's memory inefficient. It makes sense to simply load the articulations you need - it will take more MIDI channels (easy in FL - just create more MIDI outs) but ultimately is better for your RAM in the long run. Some virtual instruments actually detect articulation based on other parameters, such as velocity and modwheel.

Another option in FL Studio is to change the channel of individual notes, so you could play all the notes in on a single pattern (to make the initial input easier; I'd rather play and notate an entire phrase at once and deal with articulations later) and then select some of the notes and change their MIDI channel. A third option is to do something similar, but if you'd rather have different articulations on different channels, you can record the MIDI data on one pattern and duplicate the pattern, then erase all notes of articulation A from pattern B and all notes of articulation B from pattern A.

Incidentally, this last method is what I recommend if you're recording a drum track and splitting the drums into one track per drum type, because it'll be easiest to erase unwanted notes from the channel when you can tell they're unwanted by their pitch instead of by their position and function in a phrase.

[dannthr]

Depending on the sampler that you are using for the samples, you may be able to create your own custom keyswitches. I actually prefer keyswitches to loading up individual articulations on each track. Keeps things less cluttered.

I dislike keyswitches for that same reason, actually, because I store all my articulations into instrument banks and use the patch change MIDI control to switch between them.

To the OP:

There are new instrument libraries that are coming out with performance scripting built in--PLAY from EWQL and VI from VSL are a couple to name. This would allow certain kinds of performance detection to take over the articulation switching. Repeated notes are cued, legato notes are detected, etc.

Any sampler worth its salt will allow you to make your own keyswitches.

I don't like keyswitches because it makes my music messy looking--all those sub-bass notes floating around, etc.