Note FX question

[brmichael]

Studio One has some note effects (Note FX) that process note events in order to generate cords and sequences or to filter notes dependent on their value and velocity. Very nice feature.

What I'm missing is a Note FX that can alter notes, mainly their velocity values. In some cases, velocity characteristics of my keyboard don't match the plugin's response on velocity as good as I want it to, which makes it harder to put the right expression in my playing.

In many plugins, you have a choice between several velocity curves, which solve this problem. But there are some plugins which do not support variable velocity curves. For these plugins, I'd like to have a Note FX that can process velocity values based on a user-defined curve.

Apparently none of Studio One's built-in Note FXs is suitable for that purpose. Input Filter doesn't do what I want, as it only filters notes by letting events pass or blocking them depending on the note & velocity values. But it can't process velocity values.

First question: am I overlooking something and there is a velocity processing Note FX in Studio One which I just haven't found yet?

Second question: Are there any third party vendors of Note FX?

Third question: Is it possible to program Note FX? Being a software developer, I already wrote my own VSTi plugins. If there was an API for Note FX, I would try to develop a custom Note FX that can process velocity values. But I will need a documentation for that API. Does anybody know if Presonus documented the Note FX API and if yes, where to get the documentation?

I'd appreciate any help on this. Thanks in advance.

Regards

Michael

 

[Jemusic]

I believe the situation with Note FX is that yes there are other 3rd party developers that have plugins that process incoming midi data. It depends on whether the plugin though will provide a Midi output though, which some do and some don't. If it does, then it can be inserted on a Midi track. Then you create a second Midi track and select the one the plugin is on as the input source. Then the midi processing plugin will effectively be in series with the incoming midi signal and can process the signal on the way in so to speak. It will recorded as that too.

If the plugin does not provide a Midi Out then Studio One basically cannot use it. Currently there is no way to insert a Midi processing plugin on the signal on the way in or where the Note Fx are currently in the chain. Other DAW's allow you to do that though. This can be a feature request for sure. I would love to see the ability to insert 3rd party midi processing plugins in the same area Note Fx are currently.

Have you explored fully the options of the velocity curves your controller is actually sending. Mine has many. The feel can change enormously. You can add and subtract velocity though in real time in the Inspector (F4) remember if that helps.

 

[Lukas]

You're right, there are no Note FX for altering the velocity of incoming notes. I agree this would be very helpful. There's a velocity setting for instrument tracks that you can use to scale (compress/expand) the velocity sent to instruments.

Second question: Are there any third party vendors of Note FX?

Third question: Is it possible to program Note FX? Being a software developer, I already wrote my own VSTi plugins. If there was an API for Note FX, I would try to develop a custom Note FX that can process velocity values. But I will need a documentation for that API. Does anybody know if Presonus documented the Note FX API and if yes, where to get the documentation?

Note FX is currently not an open platform. So only PreSonus can add new Note FX.

There are some MIDI VST plug-ins that can do velocity transformations - I remember pizzMIDI had something for that. VST plug-ins that output MIDI are a bit tricky to set up in Studio One as you need two instrument tracks for the routing. But that's currently the only solution.

 

[Lukas]

If the plugin does not provide a Midi Out then Studio One basically cannot use it. Currently there is no way to insert a Midi processing plugin on the signal on the way in or where the Note Fx are currently in the chain.

Not entirely correct - it's possible. But I agree it's a bit fiddly and easier to use in other DAWs that have the concept of MIDI inserts.

 

[Jemusic]

It's also up to the programmers too. These midi effects come in two varieties. Effects and Instruments. When a midi processing plugin is of the Instrument type, Studio One can use it. Sometimes they will release a plugin in both versions. If its Effects only, then other DAW's can use it but not Studio One. An example is Unify (Plugin Guru) have a great free Midi plugin called Show Midi. A great keyboard display with lots of other useful info being displayed. (Especially with Unify being open) Currently its only an Effect. Logic can load it though as well as Cubase etc..as a midi insert.

 

[brmichael]

Have you explored fully the options of the velocity curves your controller is actually sending. Mine has many. The feel can change enormously.

Yes, I explored these and in fact there are settings that will improve "playability" of certain VSTis.

But I'd like to play all my VSTis without the need of changing settings on my keyboard (I don't want to have to change keyboard settings each time I play another instrument). Best solution would be to insert a Note FX that processes velocity values to match keyboard velocity characteristics and VSTi response on velocity. Apparently there is no such Note FX. So I'll probably have to think about another solution.

 

[Davey]

I've always thought Note Fx has lots of unfulfilled potential. The ones that ship with Studio One are decent enough but they are quite basic and limited in their scope. The perfect world for me would be to be able to drop MIDI VSTs into that slot. Logic users can do this and it means that everything stays on one track rather than having to connect two tracks as we do now and MIDI VSTs seem to be getting more common.

But I realise that would be a chunk of work. Maybe Presonus could develop a couple more Note Fx giving us more chords and scales stuff, a bass line generator, a riffer, a melody generator etc. The Note Filter could be updated to be much more flexible in modifying, blocking and converting note and CC events etc. I'm also surprised by the lack of presets for the existing Note Fx.

The third way would be to open up Note Fx development to third parties but I don't think Presonus are very much in that mindset. One of the best things Ableton ever did was to incorporate Max 4 Live. You get all sorts of weird and wonderful (and sometimes terrible!) addons from third parties. Some charged, many free. They behave just like built-in instruments and Fx. Probably too much work to retrofit that to S1 but I can dream.