Pitchbending mono

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spacefarmer
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Joined: 16 Aug 2015

10 Jul 2022

Is there a „Reason-workaround“ for bending the pitch of one note in a chord „live“, like guitarists can do (without using a second track with the same sound only for bending)?
I have got VST that are able to do, but I would like to that with Rack Extensions.

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MrFigg
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10 Jul 2022

spacefarmer wrote:
10 Jul 2022
Is there a „Reason-workaround“ for bending the pitch of one note in a chord „live“, like guitarists can do (without using a second track with the same sound only for bending)?
I have got VST that are able to do, but I would like to that with Rack Extensions.
Ypu could probably use Ochen K's Micropitch:
https://www.reasonstudios.com/shop/rack ... microtune/
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PhillipOrdonez
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10 Jul 2022

That's MPE, right? Also possible with that new CLAP format, right?

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huggermugger
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10 Jul 2022

One way to do that is with polyphonic aftertouch. But your keyboard has to transmit it and the DAW and plugin have to recognize it. I don't think Reason can see poly aftertouch.

spacefarmer
Posts: 55
Joined: 16 Aug 2015

10 Jul 2022

Thank You.
With Micropitch it is possible to do it in a „static“ way, bending chosen notes of a preselected scale.
I think, that there is no way to do what I want to in a „free way“ with one Rack Extensions in one track until now.
VST like musiclabs guitarsimulators are able to „monobend“ without using polyphonic aftertouch or MPE.
So I hoped it could be possible with RE to…

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jam-s
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10 Jul 2022

If you use multiple instances of the instrument assigned to the different notes via a combinator you could map the individual pitchbends to a performance controller.

AnotherMathias
Posts: 213
Joined: 29 Sep 2020

11 Jul 2022

I’m interested in this effect as well. In the guitar world they are often called “pedal steel bends”, since on a pedal steel you can bend individual strings to predetermined intervals using pedals.

Anyway, the tricky part for us is, when playing a chord, how do you determine which note(s) will be bent? I don’t have any type of polyphonic aftertouch.
The closest I’ve gotten is to enable the pitch bend wheel only for notes that are currently held down. If you use a long-ish release, you can let go of all but one key, then bend that remaining note as you wish.

The only way I’ve been able to do this with a Reason device is in Thor. I made a test patch at some point to try it out, but I haven’t saved any proper patches. The trick is basically to disable normal pitch bend, and then in the matrix you scale the pitch bend input with the modulation envelope. (With a short release time).

It takes a little practice to use, but works pretty well!

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challism
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11 Jul 2022

jam-s wrote:
10 Jul 2022
If you use multiple instances of the instrument assigned to the different notes via a combinator you could map the individual pitchbends to a performance controller.
Was going to say this. Probably the best option I can think of.

Question for the OP: Are you going to bending the same note(s) all the time?
Players are to MIDI what synthesizers are to waveforms.

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AnotherMathias
Posts: 213
Joined: 29 Sep 2020

11 Jul 2022

challism wrote:
11 Jul 2022
jam-s wrote:
10 Jul 2022
If you use multiple instances of the instrument assigned to the different notes via a combinator you could map the individual pitchbends to a performance controller.
Was going to say this. Probably the best option I can think of.

Question for the OP: Are you going to bending the same note(s) all the time?
That would force you into just playing one single chord. Surely we should be able to do better than that?
Is there some kind of distributor device that reliably send the highest or lowest note played into a different synth? If so, you could simply enable pitch bend just for the highest or lowest notes.

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jam-s
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11 Jul 2022

AnotherMathias wrote:
11 Jul 2022
That would force you into just playing one single chord. Surely we should be able to do better than that?
Is there some kind of distributor device that reliably send the highest or lowest note played into a different synth? If so, you could simply enable pitch bend just for the highest or lowest notes.
Well, there is and it can be used for such a setup. Also Delta should be able to do this.

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challism
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12 Jul 2022

jam-s wrote:
11 Jul 2022
AnotherMathias wrote:
11 Jul 2022
That would force you into just playing one single chord. Surely we should be able to do better than that?
Is there some kind of distributor device that reliably send the highest or lowest note played into a different synth? If so, you could simply enable pitch bend just for the highest or lowest notes.
Well, there is and it can be used for such a setup. Also Delta should be able to do this.
Yes, there are definitely more complicated ways to do it. And I agree, Delta is the way to go... on sale for $35 right now!
It would be much simpler if you wanted to bend selected notes, not just "any" note, because you could use Delta to isolate those particular notes and route them through some kind of pitch bending devices or something. Anyway, I'm sure there is a solution to this, but it could get very complicated (involving use of many different paid REs).
Players are to MIDI what synthesizers are to waveforms.

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AnotherMathias
Posts: 213
Joined: 29 Sep 2020

12 Jul 2022

I don't know about the OP, but for myself, bending individual notes on the go, as a keyboard playing technique, is the goal. Useful for noodling and songwriting, and just for having fun.

Two ways, just using a single stock device, each requiring some keyboard playing techniques:

1. The same as I mentioned above, using Thor. I'm just mentioning it again because I just tried it again. Use any oscillator, and a long amp release. Disable normal pitch bend, and instead route pitch bend to the oscillator pitch (a value of 29 seems to give a 2-step bend, my preferred interval). Then scale the filter envelope at 100% to the pitch bend amount, setting the envelope to 100% sustain, shortest release. Earlier I said to use the mod envelope, but it doesn't work because it doesn't hold a steady 100% sustain value.
Now any released keys (but still sounding because of the long release) will not have pitch bend, while actively held ones do.
It's surprisingly easy to make use of, and has the advantage that you can bend as many keys as you want (by holding them down while bending), not just one.

When the Yamaha DX7II came out, it had this as a new feature (pitch bend active only on held notes). It's a nice effect that I haven't seen elsewhere.

2. A super-simple one, for NN-XT. Import any sample. Duplicate the zone. Set one zone to respond only to hard velocity (say, v110-127), and the other to soft (so v1-109). Disable pitch bend for the soft layer. Now you will hit any note(s) hard that you want to pitch bend, and the rest of them softly.

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