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Topic: No answers to Pitchbend (Read 5156 times) previous topic - next topic

No answers to Pitchbend

Why is it that when ever a newbie ask a perfectly simple question like how to use the multipoint controller for pithbend the answers are so far out that it's like trying to win the world cup at football. Is it so hard to use that we can't get a simple decent answer without going all around the houses. Some times you get a link to download a piece of music with a demo of pitchbend in it that while it sounds good still does't tell you how it is done. So come on is there any decent simple to understand answers out there. I to would like to be able to add a little bit of pitchbend to my melodies.

Re: No answers to Pitchbend

Reply #1 –
Annie, you don't sound too happy. The MPC's are among the most talked about, least understood items of NWC. Do not blame other users of the forum of not being helpful, when they feel that they have done their best to be of service.
I find Fred Nachbaur's 'Alley cat' one of the most beautiful illustrations of pitch bends, and it's just as with love: it's more easily illustrated than defined.
(As Flo said to Andy Cap, and then she bopped him one.)

There is no learner's guide to MPC's, I believe. The best way is trial and error. And more trial, and more error. And finally trial and triumph. There is one key matter, though. Be sure to select 'Linear Sweep' in the Style-box. Try that and let Noteworthy amaze you - and enjoy.

Re: No answers to Pitchbend

Reply #2 –
What sort of bend? For one note, the way you'd slide a note up and down by stretching/relaxing the string on a fret (or pushing on the tremolo arm)? Or across a string of notes, like a steel bar on a dobro or hawaiian guitar?

Looks like all you do is get your cursor before the note (or the first note), add an MPC, pitch Pitch Blend as the Controller and go from there.

Let's say it's one quarter note. Choose Style: Linear sweep, Time resolution thirtysecond, sweep resolution 1. Then it's initial 1 (default), check setting 2, time offset 4, down some amount (say -4900), check setting 3, time offset 4, up some amount (say +4900).

You'll have to experiment with the time offsets in relation to how long the duration of the note or notes you're bending.

Dave

Re: No answers to Pitchbend

Reply #3 –
Hi Annie,

What you refer to as "a perfectly simple question like how to use the multipoint controller for pitchbend" is far from a simple question.  I've played with pitch bend with mixed results, but perhaps I can help a little.

A limited amount of help is available when you have the MPC dialogue window open.  Click the question mark in the upper right corner, then click on each field within the dialogue window.  An explanation pops up in a yellow window, although the explanations could be a lot clearer.

A good overview is given if you click ? and then Controller.

? and Style translates to telling you that you can choose between a step or a curve in getting from the starting point to the ending point of the item you're controlling.

? and Time Resolution is the explanation I had the most trouble understanding.  I think it's saying that whatever note value you have here will be multiplied by whatever value you have in the Time Offset boxes below.  So for instance, if you wanted to put a pitch bend on a whole note, a Time Resolution of Quarter and Time Offset of 3 in the Initial box means that the pitch bend will start at beat 3.

Try this:

Make a whole note on bottom line E, treble clef, time signature 4/4, tempo quarter = 60.

Now insert the MPC ahead of the note, with these settings:

Controller = Pitch bend
Style = Absolute
Time resolution = Eighth
Sweep Resolution = 32 (this is the number of increments the sweep will have, and I don't think is needed with Absolute style)
Initial Offset = 0, set the Controller value to 0
Setting 2, Time offset = 1,  set the Controller value to 8191 (or as high as you can get it - this is roughly a whole tone, I think)
Setting 3, time offset 2  Controller value -8191 (or as low as you can get it)
Setting 4, 1  Controller value 0

This should give you the following result:

The initial setting (no altered pitch) starts immediately.
Setting 2 causes the pitch to raise a tone after (eighth note x 1 =) half a beat.
Setting 3 takes place (8th x 2 =) 1 beat after the first change, and should drop the pitch by two tones.
Setting 4 takes place 1/2 a beat later, and will return the pitch to its original setting.

In other words, you'll get the tonal equivalent of a "turn" sign - that little s that lies horizontally above a note but with the curve going up then down, instead of the other way round.

The note will start at the written pitch, raise a tone above it, lower to a tone below the written pitch, then come back to the written pitch and keep at that pitch for the rest of the note.

As Dave G says, you'll have to keep experimenting with the time offsets.  Also, try it with Linear Sweep instead of Absolute!acronym(.=(It ain't pretty)).

Re: No answers to Pitchbend

Reply #4 –
Page 22 of the User's Guide (on the NWC175b CD) includes an introduction to MPC for use in a volume fade. Similar principles can be applied to perform a pitch bend.

Re: No answers to Pitchbend

Reply #5 –
Hi

I'm sorry if I have offended some people, it wasn't intentional. The point I was trying to make was the instructions that come with NWC ( which is brilliant by the way ) leave a lot to be desired. They could have done some simple examples in an easy to read, easy to understand concept that even brain dead people like me can understand.

Annie.

PS Sorry for the upset

Re: No answers to Pitchbend

Reply #6 –
No worries.  I was a little grumpy in my post, and I apologize to you for that, Annie.

While the documentation in the program could be improved, that would undoubtedly add to the cost of the program, since there's only so much NWC's existing people can do.

I'd rather they spent their time enhancing the program itself instead of wordsmithing the manuals.  Any deficiencies in documentation are more than made up by being able to access other users through the forums and newsgroups and by the various supports available at http://www.noteworthysoftware.com/composer/support.htm.

Welcome to the Noteworthy world and to the forum.

Re: No answers to Pitchbend

Reply #7 –
See also page 165 of the excellent user command reference (written by several users, Barry Graham and Richard Woodroffe mostly) which is still relevant, even though it was written several years ago.

Also, Annie, you may wish to make yourself familiar with more of the Noteworthy Scriptorium, at http://nwc-scriptorium.org/ a website created by users of Noteworthy Composer.

Whilst it doesn't address pitch bends as you would like, it does provide a good resource for NWC users. I notice that the FAQ I wrote doesn't include pitchbending, and maybe it should.

What sort of pitch bends do you have in mind, Annie? Hawaiian/pedal-steel guitar sound, Turkish microtones/just intonation, long wind-instrument glissandi (trombone, clarinet, etc) As you can see, pitch bends can be used for several different effects, and if you were more specific in your question, you might get a bit more specific assistance.

And many thanks to David for his efforts in answering. It takes a lot of effort to produce well researched replies. I think he makes a valid point too in that NWC's primary efforts have been on the software, and documentation, particularly tutorial type stuff, lags behind. Anyhow, try the command reference, as it contains a fair bit of tutorial stuff, too.

Re: No answers to Pitchbend

Reply #8 –
Thanks for all your replies.
The type of pitchbend I was refering to was just a simple bend on a jazz guitar or rock type guitar to make the melody sound a little better than it just being straight.

Annie

Re: No answers to Pitchbend

Reply #9 –
-
Nice to see fellow pitch benders around. :)

You will probably find Fred's enhanced glissando trick fit for your purpose. Download and dissect the file to discover how it works.

Hope that helps.
_

Re: No answers to Pitchbend

Reply #10 –
Hi, Annie -

If you feel comfortable sending my an email address, I would be happy to send you some comments I received from Fred Nachbaur when I asked the same question several years ago.  I couldn't find my original posting and the original response, but I do have a number of subsequent comments and suggestions that I think will lead you in the right direction.  I can also send you a copy of the file I was working on, so you can look at how I did the pitch bends using MPC's.

I think looking at it, listening to it, and playing with it is a whole lot easier than trying to explain it.  It took me awhile to get the hang of it, but once I figured it out, I was able to do some nice guitar bends using NWC.  Anyway, let me know and I can send you the files.

You can email me at sus4chord-at-yahoo-dot-com

(just substitute the -at- with @ and the -dot- with .)

Thanks,

John