Expression Map Groups

Cubase
#1

Hi everyone, so I’ll start with my goal and then go into what I’m doing to achieve this. Then hopefully you can help me figure out why its not working.

So I use LASS and have an expression map built with 5 long note articulations:

Sus (arco) midi channel 1
Sordino midi channel 2
Harmonics midi channel 3
Tremolo midi channel 4
1/2 Tremolo (two patches on the same midi channel acting as if the section were split) midi channel 5


Each of these patches has an option for Legato on and off via CC 29. I want to create a Legato On and Legato Off articulation that will allow me to turn this function on and off depending on what articulation I’m using.

I tried creating two more articulations at the bottom of my list with — for the midi channel hoping it would route to whatever my last articulation was but that didn’t work. It defaults to channel 1 and switches me back to Sus even if I’m already on Tremolo. Then I tried using the groups. i.e. Art. 2 But I can’t get that to work in any situation. I’m at a bit of a loss. I love the expression maps and I’m pretty confident this should be doable but I need some help.

Thanks in advance.

#2

PS: I am aware that I could make two maps for each articulations IE Sus Legato and Sus Legato off but that would mean I would have 10 articulations and I’d prefer not to do that if possible.

#3

I’m afraid that is indeed the only way.

#4

Thats unfortunate.

So then what are the groups for? Does anyone know of any good tutorials? I couldn’t find any.

#5

They are really only useful in the Score…
So long as you remember that what actually changes the articulation in the receiving instrument is the VST Expression Slot that is being transmitted, the purpose of Groups is to determine which Slot should be the current one.

Let’s say you have defined three articulations in the Setup window… Legato, Pizzicato, and Sordino.
You create three slots, each with just one of those articulations.
So, when the Score sees the symbol that you created for “Pizzicato”, for example, it will trigger the corresponding Slot.
Same for the other two.
Now let’s say you create a fourth slot, that has both Legato and Sordino on it (each on its own group)
So, back in the Score, you have a Legato symbol… it plays the Legato slot of course. Then a little later in the score (without changing the currently-active “Legato” into “Pizzicato”), you add the symbol “Sordino”. So, effectively, you now have two articulations currently active. So it will now go looking for a slot that contains these two currently-active articulations (and in this case, it will find one… the fourth one that you have created :wink: ), so it will now transmit that slot.
If, on the other hand, you had changed Legato for Pizzicato before adding Sordino, then it would go looking for a slot with both Pizzicato and Sordino on it, but wouldn’t find one.
One additional refinement, is that, while looking for a corresponding slot, it will not only look for one that corresponds exactly, but also for one that corresponds the closest… according to the priority of the position of the various groups (grp 1, 2 etc.)

#6

I figured out how to do it…

It’s a little complicated but if anyone wants to know, just PM me, or respond to this post.

#7

This is exactly what I’m trying to do right now. Setting up a large template, and this problem in Expression Maps is driving me nuts. How did you solve this?

#8

Okay, so I figured out something really great about expression maps tonight that’s taken me several years to understand. That being said I’m not sure it’s the best feature for string templates. And I might of overstated my “discovery” in my last post. However It is incredibly useful on this Banjo instrument I have.

Let’s start with this, what libraries are you using and what do you want to do with them.