TB Sequencer Replication by Software (was another @#!! TB th

[Martin Fay]

> The tricky part to doing this (and the only reason I didn't add it -
> as it does seem simple) is that the software needs to know how the
> instrument that's playing the track interprets "pitch bend"
> instructions, as different instruments can be programmed to
> pitchbend different amounts for the same MIDI pitchbend message.
> Also, because of this, your range of sliding is limited, especially
> if the instrument can only pitch bend +/- 2 semitones! Note that
> "smart" software could get 4 semitone slides out of this. It would
> send a note-on in the middle of the of the two slid notes, at the
> same time as a 100% pitchbend - for the first note, then sliding
> down to -100% pitch bend for the second note...

Which means that the bend range the software uses needs to be user 
configurable...a bend range NRPN could be sent for those instruments 
that can handle it. As far as I've noticed pretty much anything can 
do an octave bend, I've calibrated my Kenton Pro-2 for that.

> Another minor difficulty is that most of us who've written
> "electro-centric" sequencing tools have done so with very granular
> timebases

Easily fixed using say a 1msec timer interval and interpolation of 
steps though? Just call the old "tick" code at the appropriate 
moments.

> This clocking makes
> smooth slides trickier, but definitely not impossible (the slide
> doesn't even have to be considered part of the "clocked" sequence,
> and could run under it's own timer).

It depends how its supposed to work, such as whether the slide time 
is tempo dependent.

> I seem to remember noticing that a 303 slide lasts for the life of a
> note - not just for the first part of the note

That makes sense considering the electronics involved.


Martin

  man(i)kin / 3 track demo now available on mp3
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