Unlike wind controllers, they do not trigger notes and are intended for use in conjunction with a keyboard or synthesizer. Simpler breath controllers are also available. The control signals or MIDI messages generated by the wind controller are used to control internal or external devices such as analog synthesizers or MIDI-compatible synthesizers, synth modules, softsynths, sequencers, or even non-instruments such as lighting systems. The most common form of wind controller uses electronic sensors to convert fingering, breath pressure, bite pressure, finger pressure, and other gesture or action information into control signals that affect musical sounds.
Models have been produced that play and finger like other acoustic instruments such as the recorder or the tin whistle. Wind controllers are most commonly played and fingered like a woodwind instrument, usually the saxophone, with the next most common being brass fingering, particularly the trumpet.
The filename of the DAW file can be used to describe the setup (see my posting on filename convention of DAW files).San Francisco musician Onyx Ashanti playing a wind controllerĪ wind controller, sometimes referred to as a wind synthesizer, is an electronic wind instrument and usually in the form of a MIDI controller associated with one or more music synthesizers. The DAW file saves the number of tracks and MIDI channels allocated to each track, the VST instrument (patch), and the settings of the VST. My approach now is to adjust the settings in the VST to suit my preferences according to the fixed settings in my DM48 and then save the VST settings. The approach I prefer to adopt is to reserve the DM48 settings for changes in Octave Transp and Key Transp and control of sliders while keeping all other settings fixed. Sophisticated VSTs enable savings of settings. The overall effect coming out of the speakers is the end result of a combination of the DM48 settings and the settings of the VST.
Sample Modeling SWAM engine instruments) have a wider range of settings, including variable settings which can be controlled using the pitch bend wheel, modulation wheel, and sustain pedal on a MIDI keyboards or foot pedal and foot buttons on a MIDI controller (e.g. Inexpensive VSTs have similar hardwired settings. I suspect the trigger level is more of a personal setting which is a balance between sensitivity and avoiding unwanted notes. I now turn Solo Assist off when using 4 channels. I would still need to use Solo Assist to avoid unwanted notes if using only one DM48 channel out, but I now use four DM48 channels out.Īs I have become more used to playing the DM48 I have perhaps adjusted to playing each hole more precisely square on. When I started out using only one DM48 MIDI channel out, I needed to use solo assist to avoid unwanted notes. I now adjust the volume of my amplifier system (Steinberg UR22 USB Audio Interface and Beta Aivin Guitar Amplifier) accordingly and keep my DM48 sensitivity setting low in order to retain a wider dynamic range. For example, when I started out playing my DM48 I changed the sensitivity setting on my DM48 according to the VST I was using. Necessary in order to separate the MIDI content being recorded.ĭavid, I have recorded the progression of my experiments, including settings, in a diary on my website Recorded simultaneously, then using 4 tracks and 4 MIDI channels IN for theĭM48 and track 5 with MIDI channel IN set to 5 for the MIDI keyboard would be VST plugins, if I use 4 tracks with MIDI channel IN set to 1 to 4 respectively, IN of that track is set to ALL within Mixcraft 8. Using only one track with some VST plugins is sufficient provided the MIDI channel SomeĭAWS may have a feature where a group of MIDI channels IN can be selected.Įxperimented with a number of more sophisticated VST plugins, I have found that I got garbled sound using only one track with the MIDI channel IN set to ALL. Tracks 1 to 4 with MIDI channel IN of each track set to channels 1 to 4 respectively. Provided within Mixcraft, I found that I had to set up 4 separate instrument In my early experiments playing the synthesised patches Personally best suit the patches (instruments) within a VST plugin. Setting the MIDI Channel to Multich 1-4 (4 channels OUT) is a primary mustįollowed by adjusting Sensitivity (adjusting the volume control on theĪmplifier output has the same effect for me), Trigger level, and Solo Assist to The DM48 as naturally as a standard chromatic harmonica, I have found that