expression maps with Cinematic Studio Strings

Cubase
#1

Hi, I am having issues programming Expression Maps for Cinematic Studio Strings.

For those unfamiliar with the library, you choose a short articulation with both a keyswitch and the veolcity of the keyswitch, for instance if you want pizzicato, you use the keyswitch G0 with a low velocity, if you want col legno, you use the same keyswitch with a high velocity.

That said, I’ve tried making an expression map that selects pizzicato by triggering a keyswitch at a low velocity (data 2 set to “1”, see screenshot)

This works when the articulation is initially triggered in the track, however, whenever I stop playback and navigate to a different part in the track when the ‘pizzicato’ articulation is still supposed to be active, the articulation switches to col legno.

I know it’s a rather specific problem, but has anyone encountered a similar issue and know a fix?

Thanks!
-Dylan

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#2

Hi,

How is your Preferences > MIDI > Chase Events Setup? Are you sure you don’t send the relevant MIDI Note, which switches the articulation to col legno as the last one? How is the col legno switcher defined?

#3

Currently everything is being chased (see attachment)
And I don’t have a switcher for col legno, only pizzicato
The output mapping for pizz is one Note On message at a velocity of 1 to trigger the articulation, and one Note On message at a low velocity to trigger con sord off

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#4

Hi,

I would probably recommend to disable Chase for SysEx. Just for safety reason.

I also wonder, if it’s necessary to Send Reset on Stop. This could also may be the reason. Try to disable it.

And I still wonder, why does it switch to the col legno? There must be a way, how to call this articulation. Some MIDI Message. And this MIDI Message has been sent (by accident).

#5

Hmm still no luck with Sysex chase disabled and Reset on Stop disabled.

The col legno articulation can also be triggered with a high mod (CC1) value. Pizz is triggered with a low mod value. I’ve added a low mod automation point in the part, and yet it still triggers col legno for some reason when I move the playhead to different parts in the track.

Might there be some way I’m triggering a high mod value with the expression maps that I don’t know about?

#6

I think you should take a look at this. It’s a very detailed tutorial on setting up Expression Maps for CSS.

https://medium.com/pragmatic-sound/how-to-create-expression-maps-for-cinematic-studio-strings-ae8963cf1896

#7

I guess at some point you found a solution to this but I’ll post nonetheless in case this is helpful to someone else, or if you return here at some point and let us know what it was! :slight_smile:
I feel like it might have been the CC1 data, indeed. Even if you specify a starting value for it, if you go somewhere in the track where you’ve used the mod wheel, that value would change. The best thing would be to right click on the mod wheel graph in the library and disable CC1 completely.

#8

Hello,

Last Thursday it became clear that Steinberg won’t release any solo string instruments vst soon. Yesterday I bought Cinematic Solo Studio Strings and made an expression map according to instructions I found on the internet. The expression map for Cinematic Studio Strings and Cinematic Solo Studio Strings is the same.

The expression map works flawlessly in Cubase. All the expressions are correct.
I imported the expression map into Dorico and I got no errors. It shows up in the list and I assigned it to the instruments.

Alas, Dorico makes a mess of it Totally not workable. When I look at the key switches and the values they are still correct according to the specifics of CSSS. What is different in Dorico from Cubase to get this working?

Cheers,

#9

Hi,

I had the same issue with col legno and sfz in the short articulations of CSS. That’s the solution:

  • Don’t trigger the articulation via keyswitch + cc1 value. Do it via velocity of the keyswitch. I.e. to trigger pizz use keyswitch G0 with velocity 1.

You can invoque short articulations both KS and CC1. Second is better for live playing and first better for expression maps. But we all did the same error: using both at the same time. KS by default has velocity 127 so you trigger col legno or sfz.