SD2 Velocity

[benfan]

Is there any way to view the velocity settings for individual hits in SD2.  Im mapping drums out and iv got a few bars that suddenly jump up in volume and cause clipping.  Im not sure how to alter this.  Iv tried deleting and re mapping the midi but it has no effect.  Im not sure if it has anything to do with the humanizer either cause iv turned all the different effects off and it still happens.

Im scratching my head with this one!

Thanks guys.

Topic

[godprobe]

double-checking with you on the humanization — it’s easy to miss that you may’ve only turned the humanization off for one kit piece.
i don’t know which kit piece(s) you’re testing against right now, but if it’s more than one, you’ll have to turn the humanization off for each of them to test that.
if you just want to turn it off on all of the kit pieces, it’s easy to select them *all* with a Ctrl-right-click (Windows, should be similar for Mac).

from there, the easiest way to test each velocity layer is on the Mapping tab, using the strip at the bottom.

another thing to try — have you checked if it’s just happening due to multiple kit pieces playing at once?

( also, just checked your post history and saw this one go unanswered…
http://www.toontrack.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=103840&mpage=1&key=&#103840
…and fwiw, *yes*, I definitely adjust velocities individually in Reaper.  I’m guessing you’re doing that yourself now, but if not, maybe that’s what you’re missing.  Look for the “piano roll” in the Cubase help docs.  I partially just adjust based on the sound, and partially adjust while imagining I’m “a real drummer” (lol) and thinking about how hard I would really hit each part. )

WinXP | Fireface 800 | Variax | Axe-Fx | Toontrack | Komplete | Reaper http://www.godprobe.com/projects/notemaps/

[benfan]

Thanks for the reply.  Iv solo’d each drum and between the kick and overheads it seems like a general volume swell.  Iv turned off all humanization across all the drums and that has no effect.  Im relying on the humanizer to alter the velocities for me, im not editing it in cubase at all.  Really confused with this.  Iv tried copying the drums over onto a seperate midi track and that makes no difference either.

[godprobe]

Im relying on the humanizer to alter the velocities for me, im not editing it in cubase at all.

This.  Please give editing the velocities in Cubase a try.
Humanization varies the loudness a bit, but the overall velocity is controlled by the MIDI.

If taking the velocity down kills the “feel” of the section, this is where judicious use of compression/limiting effects comes in (maybe even an EQ adjustment would be sufficient — I wouldn’t be surprised if the “clipping” is from the very low frequencies on the kick).

WinXP | Fireface 800 | Variax | Axe-Fx | Toontrack | Komplete | Reaper http://www.godprobe.com/projects/notemaps/

[benfan]

I sorted the original problem, seems like it was just a glitch in the DAW because all I had to do was delete the MIDI and reprogram it. 
Im giving the MIDI velocity editing a try.  What range of velocities do you usually use?  Iv read between 120 upto 127 for the kick and snare and toms and upto 120 for hats and OH? 
Whats your slant on it?

[VOLiTiAN]

Sounds like somebody imported the notes in twice? If two hits are on the exact same beat, cubase just doubles up the volume, and you hear swells, or what sounds like a spike in the sound source when it’s in situ in the mix.

Regards

D.

www.myspace.com/VOLiTiAN www.soundclick.com/VOLiTiAN www.reverbnation.com/VOLiTiAN www.soundcloud.com/VOLiTiAN

[benfan]

Yeah that was probably what it was.  Less of a glitch in the DAW and more to do with me bieng a dumbass.

What range of velocities do you guys usually use when programming in SD?

[VOLiTiAN]

Hehe, happens to us all, plus we’re all curious to know what sorted the problem you were having.

The velocities will depend on what your compressors etc sound like, ideally you’d have a drumset mixed so that you can control dynamics i.e. create specific crescendo’s etc but not so that it’s so unrestrained that you can’t keep it level in the mix.

I tend to find, for straight hits on the snare we use full velocity, with something like 90-127 being the range for standard accented rolls, and then we can drop right down to 30’s or 40’s for ruffs etc, the kick same dealio really, you just have to come up with a compromise between the *tone* you’re looking for and obviously the dynamics that implies.

So, if you have a hard hitting drum rhythm you’re gonna probably be looking for the upper end of the hits say again 90-127, but have a decent limiter and compression chain. and don’t forget the hits inside of the beat, accents on cymbals, toms etc.

Regards

www.myspace.com/VOLiTiAN www.soundclick.com/VOLiTiAN www.reverbnation.com/VOLiTiAN www.soundcloud.com/VOLiTiAN

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