Is there a way to extend the range of the pitch bending values/range? I've been reading some info. on midi controllers and it seems you can by adjusting the Registered Parameter Number (RPN)
http://home.roadrunner.com/~jgglatt/tech/midispec/rpn.htm
If anyone knows any tricks on extending the range of pitch bending, please enlighten me!
Have you looked at gliss.nwc, found in nwc-scriptorium.org (http://nwc-scriptorium.org/helpful.html)? An octave jump is created by having a part fade in, go up four semitones, and fade out while another hidden staff is sliding during the first stave's fade, leapfrogging. You will need to check out the hidden staves to see how it works.
Yeah, it works, but it's a pain... Long ago I asked for better MPC controls just so this could be addressed - maybe one day...
You said it.
To set the pitch bend range you must use the RPN 101 (coarse) and/or 100 (fine).
The coarse adjustment (usually set via Data Entry 6) sets the range in semitones.
The fine adjustment (usually set via Data Entry 38) set the range in cents.
For example, to adjust the pitch wheel range to go up/down 2 semitones and 4 cents:
B0 65 00 Controller/chan 0, RPN coarse (101), Pitch Bend Range
B0 64 00 Controller/chan 0, RPN fine (100), Pitch Bend Range
B0 06 02 Controller/chan 0, Data Entry coarse, +/- 2 semitones
B0 26 04 Controller/chan 0, Data Entry fine, +/- 4 cents
I made some experiments long ago but, having extended the range a lot, the resolution of my pitch bend control was too "grainy".
(Edit: Oops! I just opened the link you provided and I discovered that the document is exactly the same I have.)
IMO, you should not create the impression that the experiments can currently be conducted with NWC.
Years ago, some SoundBlaster cards powered up with Pitch Bend Sensitivity enabled. Sending:
would extend the Pitch Bend Range. (32 is just an example)
For some other cards, this method would work:
This was widely seen as a security flaw. IIRC, a Win98 update plugged the hole, rendering the hack inoperable even for the SoundBlaster cards.
Edit: Maybe it got unplugged. See my later post.
The last change to Multi-point Controller Properties (http://ntworthy.com/nwc2/help/TAB_MPCPROP.htm) was 12 years ago in NWC 1.70:
This expanded the list of '|MPC|Controller:' options from 5 to 18
As have I.
Yup!
But I HAD the impression that I made the experiments with NWC!
Now that I look at it, it seems impossible.
Sorry.
Me too.
And I'll find useful even some GM/GM2 SysEx, at least "GM/GM2 system on".
This works on my WinXP box. YMMV
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.5,Single)
|Instrument|Name:"Flute"|Patch:73|Pos:12
|MPC|Controller:datamsb|Pt1:0,32|Pos:9
|MPC|Controller:pitch|Style:Linear Sweep|TimeRes:Whole|SweepRes:32|Pt1:0,0|Pt2:1,16383|Pos:6
|Note|Dur:Whole,Tenuto|Pos:0
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End
You may need to press
F6 a couple times.
By chance, the pitch bend controller range is the number 0...
It Did !
Didn't work for me - however, it started me experimenting and this :
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.5,Single)
|Clef|Type:Treble
|Instrument|Name:"Flute"|Patch:73|Trans:0|DynVel:10,30,45,60,75,92,108,127|Pos:12
|MPC|Controller:pitch|Style:Linear Sweep|TimeRes:Whole|SweepRes:32|Pt1:0,0|Pt2:1,16383|Pos:6
|Text|Text:"STD MAX BEND"|Font:StaffItalic|Pos:-17
|Note|Dur:Whole,Tenuto|Pos:0
|MPC|Controller:pitch|Style:Absolute|TimeRes:Quarter|SweepRes:32|Pt1:0,8192|Pos:3|Wide:Y
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:#1|Opts:Stem=Down
|Bar
|Text|Text:"ENHANCED MAX BEND"|Font:StaffItalic|Pos:-20
|MPC|Controller:pitch|Style:Linear Sweep|TimeRes:Whole|SweepRes:32|Pt1:0,0|Pt2:1,32767|Pos:6
|Note|Dur:Whole,Tenuto|Pos:0
|MPC|Controller:pitch|Style:Absolute|TimeRes:Quarter|SweepRes:32|Pt1:0,8192|Pos:0|Wide:Y
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:3|Opts:Stem=Down
|Bar
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End
seems to double the range of the pitch bend for me.
The first measure is the standard range, the second measure (for me) seems to double the standard range.
YMMV !!!!
I got an expanded range.
Attached is my little "One Note Samba". I get 18 B flats. I suspect you will get fewer :)
Correct suspicion - I got 9 (the first 9)
<Edit>
Correction 10 !, 1 in the second block.
</Edit>
Of course, now the question is: Is this because of a different sound card, or a different Windows version?
My sound system is a plain vanilla onboard synth using standard Microsoft WinXP drivers and Roland's gm.dls
Running:
Yields:
Sound playback: SoundMax Digital Audio
MIDI music playback: Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth
I expect a report from Lawrie on his setup.
I have a standard Vanilla Win 7 64 bit machine using standard inbuilt audio.
But....
Here's an oddity.
If I change to VST and play using softsynth (using Merlin Vienna), then with your One Note Samba, I get
4 B flats, 5 G flats and then the descending scale.
With my extended pitch bend, I get the standard pitch bend (as before) but then instead of one enhanced slide. I get two standard slides where the note reverts back to the first pitch half way through the alloted time.
Everywhere I google, Pitch Bend is described as a 14bit parameter, but the MIDI spec allows a 15bit parameter.
Signed 14bit is -8192 to 8191. NWC enforces this in the user interface. This gets translated to unsigned (zero to 16383) in nwctxt. NWC's nwctxt parser
allows zero to 32767 (unsigned 15bit) and outputs it.
Microsoft's softsynth supports 15bit and extends its range accordingly, resulting in an 8 half-step total range.
Looks like somewhere in the VST->softsynth chain, the General MIDI spec is being taken seriously:
0x3FFF is 16383 decimal
Wow, I'm amazed and confused at the sametime. He didn't even need to use notation properties? In addition, the entire bar is on mute. How do you see hidden staffs?
In the case of the Gliss.nwc file you are looking at, click on Page setup and then go to the contents tab.
Put a checkmark in the box by "Hidden"
Hmmm, this has been a very interesting series of posts.
It occurs to me that after all these years (yes years) that people have been asking for pitch bends that are greater than 4 semitones, the fact is that the only way of doing it is either by using Data Entry MSB or by forcing an illegal values using the nwctxt parser.
Neither of these methods are guaranteed to work, depending on the user's system and so, in effect, unless GM is re-written (not before time !), NWC users, (and other notation users) are not going to get MPC pitch bends of more than 4 semitones because it can't be guaranteed.
Is that a fair statement ?
I would put it this way:
NWC (as of the Version 2.5.4 Beta) does not support RPN's (Registered Parameter Numbers).
Without RPN support, Pitch Bends on GM (General MIDI) compliant synths are limited to ±2 semitones.
NWC supports 15bit Pitch bends via cut and paste. Some synths will respond to 15bit Pitch bends by expanding their range. A -2/+4 semitone range has been reported by users.
NWC supports the 'Data Entry MSB' controller. On some synths, a 'Data Entry MSB' controller message will change the synth's Pitch Bend Range.
For what it means to be GM compliant, see: MMA General MIDI Developer Guidelines, Second Revision ( PDF, 104k ) (http://www.midi.org/techspecs/gmguide2.pdf)
These 2 midis were made using Sonar4 cakewalk. Note the "laserish" sharp synth effect in the beginning of each song. Is that extended pitch bending down or there are some other controllers involved? Can someone please try and duplicate that effect in NWC
I get it now. This is exclusively a XG effect. The author of these two midis kept telling me it's the Portamento Controller for XG. So the question is now this: does NWC support XG controllers?
*Update*
According to http://www.heikoplate.de/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=427&Itemid=63
This must mean that the controller#65 must be switched on before the PortamentoTime #5 would do anything. Is there a way to manually select a controller number and set its value?
My mileage varied... :(
The Yamaha softtsynth did not give me anything different... Still the same 4 semitones as always.
It's only been a quick test as I haven't had time for anything else - I admit over the years I've pretty much given up on this :/
The smaller one starts off with 6 System Exclusive messages and uses controller 65.
NWC supports neither.
The larger one (with the filthy track names) uses RPN's to set the Pitch Bend Range to 12.
NWC does not support RPN's
Perhaps. Perhaps not. XG synths
must support controller 65. Non XG
may support controller 65.
It's not really that NWC doesn't "supports" the controller 65. It just doesn't have it available for users to select in the notation properties menu. A simple solution would be to add a custom controller option and let users define that controller.
an example would be "MPC|Controller:#65|Pt1:127,32|Pos:9."
Absolutely correct!
User definable controllers in the MPC dialogue would allow for Portamento (CC65),extended Pitch Bend (CCs 100, 101) and many other useful controllers like CC121 (Reset All Controllers).
Here is an example of a Pitch Bend of 2 octave range in a MIDI file of mine..
(Trumpet in the concluding measures)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3449356/Fallout.mp3 (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3449356/Fallout.mp3)
Had to be done in a sequencer - couldn't be done in NWC.
Barry Graham
Melbourne, Australia
I agree and have made a similar suggestion years ago. IMO, this could be a "paste it in" option that would not require a change to the User Interface.
What sequencer did you use, Barry.
A very old version of Cakewalk (Version 3.00)
The last of the "MIDI Only" versions.
Velocity variation on every note.
Swing quantize for Jazz and Swing.
and access to ALL controllers.
Barry Graham
Melbourne, Australia
Soundcard - Extreme Gamer X-Fi
Soundfont - Chaos 8MB.