Can we take one knob or fader ( or mod wheel ) and use it to make our whole set run simply?
You bet we can.
We are going to walk through how we can map our mod wheel to create dynamics and patch changes, all with one knob.
Let’s start by thinking of our patch list this time in terms of dynamics: Here is my list top to bottom
Piano/Pad
Piano/E Piano/Pad semi-open filter
E Piano/Pad open filter/Organ
Now, our goal is going to be to make certain markers, using the minimum and maximum values in our mapping window to create zones of sound. When the mod wheel is all the way down you will only hear a very soft pad and a piano. As we move the mod wheel up our pad will grow slowly more intense, then, once we cross the threshold we set, the E piano will come in, and finally, upon crossing the final threshold, we will have a huge sounding pad, and our organ lead. If you need a pad sound, you can download the one from this video here.
Let’s move past all the talking, and get started creating.
Step 1. Create a Midi Channel strip. Set it to receive midi from your keyboard, and send midi nowhere
Step 2: Rename the track, “Routing”, by selecting the track, and pressing Command-R and typing “Routing”
Step 3. Create 4 Midi tracks.
You can do that quickly by using the shortcut, Command-Shift-T
Change the Midi input to “routing” and choose the “In” monitor setting.
Step 4. Add one instrument per channel strip, ignoring your routing channel strip.
Left to right: Piano, Pad, E Piano, Organ
Step 5: Make sure each instrument is in an instrument rack.
You can assure that it is by clicking on the plug-in and pressing Command-G.
Setting Chain Selector Ranges
We are going to use the chain selector to help up build the dynamics of this patch. Eventually one of our mod wheel mappings will be to the chain selector. As it moves from left to right, or lowest to highest, our sound will get gradually louder and larger. So our quietest sounds will be most prominent at lower values, and our loudest sounds will be the most prominent at higher values. In addition to adjusting our chains, we can create fades in our chains by adjusting the little top line above the chain. This can also be done the same way you move the regular chain, by clicking and dragging.
Step 6: Make sure you are viewing the chain selector, by ensuring that the circled parameters of your instrument rack are selected.
By clicking and dragging, set the piano’s chain to do the following:
Step 7: Set the pads chain to the following settings:
Step 8: Set EP to the following
Step 9: Set the Organ to the following
Setting Up The Mod Wheel
Since the intent of this post is to create an instrument that works entirely based on the position of the mod wheel, we now must map the mod wheel to the parameters we wish to control.
Step 10. Map the mod wheel to each instruments chain selector
Press command-M to enter midi mapping mode
Select the highlighted portion of the chain selector, and move your mod wheel.
You will know it is mapped when you see the mapping appear in the midi mapping window in the left corner
Step 11: Repeat this for each instrument
Step 12: Map the mod wheel to each instruments speaker. (The little number at the bottom of the channel strip)
Step 13: Map the mod wheel to the Organ and Pad volume
Step 14. Map the Mod Wheel to the frequency of your auto filter on the end of your pad.
If you don’t have an auto filter already attached to your pad sound, you can drop one in from the audio effects category in your browser.
Setting Maximum and Minimum Ranges For The Mappings
In the video at the top of this post, I go into extreme detail about the reasoning behind these values. I am summarizing here, but remember that our overall goal is to have the volume and presence of your sound increase as the mod wheel is raised. So the values here reflect that the quietest sounds are activated at lower values and vice versa.
The pad sound’s volume increase comes from the opening of the auto filter. Because of this, we need to actually have the volume of the channel strip slowly come down as the filter opens to keep the levels at a listenable value.
We will also do the same thing with the organ.
Step 15: Invert the value of the volume for both the pad and the organ in the midi mapping section of your screen by right mouse clicking on “Track Volume” and choosing “Invert Range” for both the pad and the organ mixer volume, as pictured below.
Step 16: Enter the following values as your minimum and maximum channel strip settings.
Exit midi mapping mode by pressing Command-M again.
Step 17: Test it out!
Play your keyboard and slowly raise the position of your mod wheel. You will hear the pad gradually become more prominent, the E piano will begin to sound when you are at about 50% and the organ when you have reached the top position.
Depending on which sounds you are using, some of these parameters may need to be adjusted to get your sounds to shine as brightly as you want them to.
Happy creating! Remember to download your free analog pad sound
As always, please reach out to me at any time with questions either via our contact page or our facebook group.