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How to control a synth's flat volume output using MIDI veolcity, in Loopy Pro?
I have a synthesizer that has velocity-sensitive keys (when used as a midi controller), but as a synth, outputs everything at full velocity. For example, I can use this synthesizer as a controller for a piano AUv3 and achieve my intended dynamics (loud, soft, etc). However, for its own audio output, everything comes out the same -- there is one output level as defined by the volume slider.
Now, this synthesizer has limited onboard effects, so I have it routed through Loopy Pro so that I can add things like reverb and delay. The 1/4" output goes into my audio interface and Loopy receives it as an audio channel, to which I can chain any number of auv3s. All of this works perfectly.
However, what I'd really like, is for loopy to be able to read and interpret the velocity, and then apply that to the note itself. Now, I realize Loopy doesn't receive individual notes, just a single channel of all the notes combined as outputted by the synthesizer. But, what if my key presses could somehow control the velocity of the entire channel? That would still be more than I have currently.
I typically play with an external MIDI controller since the synthesizer itself has mini-keys, but I'd be open to any solution that would give me any level velocity dynamics.
Yes, I'm originally a pianist, trying to apply piano-like dynamics to a synth. I know it's a different instrument and should be played differently. Don't shoot me. I do think this is somehow possible in Loopy Pro, I just don't know the steps to achieve it.
Thanks in advance.
Comments
If I understand you correctly, you want your synth to output audio and MIDI to Loopy, and have Loopy adjust the velocity of the MIDI, which in turn will affect the level of the audio output? That doesn't make any sense to me because the MIDI isn't playing the synth. If the MIDI was going into Loopy, going back to the synth and playing it, then it would be possible. But changing the velocity of a note (sound) that's already been played isn't going to work.
It would make more sense to control the volume using an expression pedal with your synth (if possible) or by using a MIDI controller to control the volume in Loopy.
I dunno, maybe I'm not quite grasping the situation. But it doesn't seem possible.
You could use Streambyter or mozaic to convert incoming note velocity to a cc that you could map to a channel fader.
Are you absolutely sure your synth doesn’t have a way to use note velocity as a modulator?
What synth is it?
I don’t want to have Loopy adjust the velocity of the midi. Changing the midi velocity input into the synth (whether via a controller or via its own velocity-sensitive keybed) will not impact the audio out, which is always at full velocity.
I want to have Loopy adjust the volume of the output channel, based on the velocity that I am playing. It doesn’t matter whether I am playing my midi controller, or my synth — either one are inputting midi signals. What I want is for those differing midi velocities to output either varying volume of the channel (of the audio out of the synth + auv3 effect plugins) or some other way that I haven’t thought of that would add dynamic expression.
I do have a midi expression pedal and I have it currently assigned to the cutoff filter. This is, in effect, like an organ’s volume pedal, that simultaneously EQs in the high end when pressed. What I really want though is for my keys pressed by my fingers to control the volume, expression, dynamics, etc of the output. How we get there doesn’t really matter.
Yes, I’m pretty sure that its own output volume can’t be controlled by midi. If it could, it would. It has its own built-in speakers (which I keep disabled), if it had the capability, we know even if I had a deficiency downstream, we’d be able to hear it out of the built-ins. And we can’t.
It is a Yamaha Reface CS. I have read all the manuals (including the supplemental full MIDI spec) from cover to cover but perhaps I missed something.
Okay, so even though the audio doesn’t respond to velocity, when you play the synth it still outputs dynamic velocity MIDI. I wasn’t sure as you said it outputs full velocity, but you meant volume.
@espiegel123 offers a good solution. Personally, I favour Drambo for this stuff. You could use incoming velocity to control volume, a filter envelope, stereo width, etc. The main issue I foresee is latency, as the audio and MIDI are coming simultaneously. If the audio has a fast attack, you may need to delay it slightly behind the MIDI.
This can get complicated if you're playing polyphonically, since every Note On message has a different velocity, but all you can do is adjust the volume of the mixed audio stream. So a script will tend to follow the velocity of the last note received.
[edit] nvm - the below is for the DX
From a quick look at the reference manual, it looks to me like this is more a function of the patches themselves on the synth. Each operator has have a velocity sensitivity setting.
If editing the patches is an option, that would probably be the better solution.
As @uncledave mentions, polyphony will be a problem in trying to control volume using note velocity.
Are you sure that is true of the CS? When I looked at the manual, I was suprised to not find velocity as a modulation source and found a number of discussions by CS users about velocity control of the synth not being possible. I see it as a modulator for the DX but not the CS. Maybe I overlooked.
As the edit shows, I discovered I was looking at the wrong manual, apparently as you were writing that.
A synth with no velocity sensitivity. That sucks big time.