How to use pitch bend as a modulation source?

[Tusker]

I'm trying to use pitch bend as a modulation source. When doing leads I like to modulate pulse-width or fm based on how much bend is applied to the sound. But I couldn't find a way to do it. If you look at the attached patch, I have tried to isolate the pitch bend info by subtracting the latest note output of the Keyboard Patch module from the note output of the Keyboard voice module. Of course the difference between latest note and note is the source of the problem.

The problem arises when I play legato and one of the Keyboard modules updates information while the other doesn't. Modulation difference based on legato versus detache style is a nice random effect but not something I want corrupting my efforts at using pitch bend as a mod source.

I can't imagine I'm the first person wanting to do this. Any tips?

Thanks,

Jerry

---

Pitchbend.pch
Description:	Patch to use pitch bend info as a mod source.	Download (listen)
Filename:	Pitchbend.pch
Filesize:	1.05 KB
Downloaded:	259 Time(s)

---

[Axiom]

Hi Jerry,
I don't have the NM Editor here at work, but it doesn't let you assign pitch bend as morph source? I have to check this out this evening.

cheers,
Luca

[Tusker]

Luca, thanks for your response. No, it doesn't as far as I can tell. I thought that the two primary input modules measure pitch post-bend and pre-bend and thus the difference between them would give me a value for pitch bend ... but that doesn't seem to be the case.

I'd be interested to see how the G2 treats pitch bend.

It's got me stumped.

Jerry

[davep]

Yeah, the problem is that on the NM1, the NOTE output on the KYBD module is not just note data, it also has the pitch bend data added to it already. You need to send note info to the oscs without the pitch bend data, and pitch bend data to a PWM input without the note data.

Maybe something like this -

To isolate the note data for the oscs (removing the pitch bend info), run the KYBD NOTE signal through a note quantizer module and patch this quantized signal to the oscs pitch input (remember to turn off the oscs' KYBD TRACK button).

Now, to isolate the pitch bend data for the PWM, use a control mixer to combine an inverted version of this quantized note signal with the direct KYBD NOTE output. This should cause the note signals to cancel out, leaving only the pitch bend data for use as a control signal. Waddaya think?

I was very glad to see this addressed on the G2, which has two outputs on the KYBD module, one for note only, one for note + pitch bend, and it also has a separate "Device" module for direct access to the signals from the mod wheel, pitch bend, aftertouch, pedals, and the extra wheels on the G2X.

[blue hell]

Found a patch that implements Dave's idea.

---

BendExtract.pch
Description:	Pitch bend extraction	Download (listen)
Filename:	BendExtract.pch
Filesize:	1.09 KB
Downloaded:	272 Time(s)

---

[Tusker]

Well, what can I say, but that I'm grateful. At first I got hung up on the fact that this "limits me" to a semitone pitch bend ... but then my brain started working again, and I realized that this controller signal can be added/subtracted to anything ... including pitch.

This also solves another problem I had been wrestling with: How to have assymetric pitch bends (one octave downward, 2 semitones up). Now that the signal is isolated, it should be simple logic to split the upward value from the downward value. The only issue I'm still confronting, is how to prevent that click at the extreme end of the pitch bend, when the logic resets. Hum, maybe buy a G2?

You guys have really empowered this machine for me. Dave, thanks for the heads up about the G2. I'm sure it's much more convenient. It's nice to know there's a way to do it on the NM1 also.

Cheers,

Jerry