Re:JP4 Revealed Pt 1
Saturday, March 15 2008 @ 02:36 PM CDT

You GB wizard you. What an enlightening Video.

Thanks Alimar

Re:JP4 Revealed Pt 1
Saturday, March 15 2008 @ 02:41 PM CDT

If I ever do this in more of a structured mode, I'll look into whether or not the controls can be reassigned. Right now, by default, the "Pitch Bend" wheel controls the "Expression" curves separately from overall Volume control; the "Modulation" wheel controls orchestral variations; and the sustain pedal is ... the sustain pedal. I would also like to include the importance of "Master Track" effects, especially the "Hall" reverb presets which many people tend to forget "spacial"... and leave their aural arena dry as the Sahara. There is so much to cover with such a small program as GarageBand. Too many people underestimate it. I've had ProTools for two years... and never use it!

Re:JP4 Revealed Pt 1
Saturday, March 15 2008 @ 04:29 PM CDT

Quote by: Alimar Right now, by default, the "Pitch Bend" wheel controls the "Expression" curves separately from overall Volume control; the "Modulation" wheel controls orchestral variations; and the sustain pedal is ... the sustain pedal.

This is just for JamPack 4 instruments? I use GarageBand 08 with a Roland D20 as MIDI controller. Can I get the trills with one of the default instruments in GB 08??? Thank you!

Re:JP4 Revealed Pt 1
Saturday, March 15 2008 @ 04:46 PM CDT

Thanks for sharing that. I have the same (POS) M-Audio keyboard, and had no idea how much more functional it would be with a foot pedal. For whatever reason, Logic doesn't give you much in the way of keyboard velocity adjustments, so I usually either have to bang the hell out of the notes in Logic or record in GB, where I can adjust the settings. A keyboardist, I'm not....

Jay

Re:JP4 Revealed Pt 1
Saturday, March 15 2008 @ 04:55 PM CDT

Quote by: massa Quote by: Alimar Right now, by default, the "Pitch Bend" wheel controls the "Expression" curves separately from overall Volume control; the "Modulation" wheel controls orchestral variations; and the sustain pedal is ... the sustain pedal. This is just for JamPack 4 instruments? I use GarageBand 08 with a Roland D20 as MIDI controller. Can I get the trills with one of the default instruments in GB 08??? Thank you!

The Pitch Bend controls Expression in all the Apple GB instruments I've experimented with, while it controls actual pitch bend when using SoundFonts and other third party software instruments. I believe Apple defeated the pitch control in some of their sounds as it would make the instruments sound unnatural otherwise.

Each grouping of instruments has unique features. Some of the features in default instruments are unlocked using the touch sensitivity of the controller (velocity). There are "sweet" spots allowing certain sounds to be obtained such as the acoustic guitar "finger slide" at around the velocity of 88. The Mod wheel has different effects for some standard software instruments. When using an electric guitar sound, for instance, the Mod wheel is like a whammy bar.

JamPack 4 String Sections have the most flexibility using the Mod wheel, whereas brass has staccato and legato, French Horns have legato, crescendo and staccato; some woodwinds offer vibrato, in addition to staccato and legato; timpanis include single beat, tremolo and crescendo rolls.

My suggestion is to experiment with each of your software instruments to unlock the secrets I have overlooked!

Re:JP4 Revealed Pt 1
Saturday, March 15 2008 @ 07:02 PM CDT

Alimar, would you consider publishing this information and the instructions as a separate thing, a step by step? I know it would be a lot of work, but I'm not sure such a thing exists anyplace currently. This is ALL news to me, except the obvious basics (like, move the pitchbend wheel and - uh - the pitch will move .5 up or down). I guess one discovers all of this by deliberate experimentation which you've clearly been doing when you should be sleeping. (Lucky us!) This is just wonderful information to have, but it's already getting a little chopped up as we all ask you questions and you add more tidbits each time you answer.

Alimar!
Alimar! (Large group clapping, stomping feet in increasingly
Alimar! fevered pitch.......)
Alimar!

Re:JP4 Revealed Pt 1
Saturday, March 15 2008 @ 07:06 PM CDT

......or would the instructions you wrote up only be applicable to one specific type of keyboard, like the POS M-Audio many of us seem to have? (Which therefore, would be fine with ME!) (lol)

Re:JP4 Revealed Pt 1
Sunday, March 16 2008 @ 04:53 PM CDT

Thanks, Al... for revealing another of the hundreds of aspects I can't possibly find time to discover on my own. So much to learn, so little time.


--- Joe

Re:JP4 Revealed Pt 1
Sunday, March 16 2008 @ 11:41 PM CDT

Al,
You are a legend...!

I also discovered this a few months back, whilst playing around with the various options contained within each track, as well as via my midi keyboard...I realised I had just reached another learning curve in GB (much to my chagrin & delight)- it feels like going back to GB 101 for me!

Many thanks for posting the absolutely, brilliantly informative video!

Cheers!

Alf