I love the expression map feature and use it all the time to have a single track triggering multiple articulations of a sound (i.e. strings). However, many libraries have built-in delay in their legato string patches that aren’t there in their shorts articulations. So or example if I set a negative track delay for my legatos, my spiccatos, etc. are early. But if I don’t set a negative delay, my legatos are late.
It would be amazing to be able to specify the delay in the expression map based on the articulation used. So as I change articulations the track delay changes with them and I can set different delays for different articulations in the same track so everything is perfectly in sync regardless of what articulation I’m using.
Cinematic studio strings by any chance?
I see what your saying.
The delay figure set in the expression map could set the internal delay on the note while remaining visually in the place where you put it on the grid.
Yeah I like it.
Yes, but not just CSS. Other libraries also have built-in lag for their legatos (and not just string libraries, though they’re the most common where you’ll find it).
What would be the expected behavior, when you would switch the articulation from not delayed pizzicato to delayed (with negative value) legato?
This actually means, Cubase would look ahead to see, if there is any articulation with the negative delay. If there would be any, Cubase would send the articulation switch ahead of the real position and all notes under this articulation also ahead. This could lead to a wrong articulation sound, if you would have 2 notes very close to each other with different (delayed and non-delayed) articulation. Or am I missing something?
The expected behavior would be as you describe it, Cubase would look ahead and adjust the delay as needed. Cubase (and every other DAW) already looks ahead in order to playback properly, this just adds some more math when looking ahead and playing back. That’s all. There’s no reason it would screw up as you describe if programmed correctly.
Of course, this is my expectation. The not would remain in the Grid. It must remain in the Grid, same as it does remain, if you change the Track Delay. Same as the MIDI Channel of the given Note doesn’t change in the Key Editor, even if you define to change it by the Note Expression.
This has been requested for 5+ years over and over and over again…
Don’t expect to see this feature before 2030. Until then though, I use the LE to move the note a few ticks to the left. Saves grabbing and dragging.
And then I make it part of a macro by adding a few ticks to the length of the note.
I didn’t know this has been requested before. But what you suggest is what I do now. I have several LEs to move things by varying amounts depending on the library. And a macro to apply them all at once. And I created the reverse to undo these moves so when I need to send something to orchestration things go back on the grid for the orchestrator (sometimes re-quantizing can move things to the wrong place depending on the grid resolution). But it would be great not to have to do that.
If we could automate the track delay in the MIDI modifiers that could be useful. And this could also add humanisation to the part.
It would be nice if Steinberg considered the film/tv composers in the next few updates.
+1, Digital Performer just added this to their latest version and it would be an absolute game changer for working with Expression Maps.
It’s also an absolutely essential feature if Dorico ever wants to have really accurate and proper integration with 3rd party sample libraries, so I hope to see it added in both programs.
Another idea I just had, was being able to use multiple virtual instruments on single track with expression maps. For example, for percussion I have some sounds in Kontakt, some in Play and others in UVI. Imagine being able to create a single instrument track where I can load all 3 and have the expression map point to the correct one.
If you had Vienna Ensemble Pro you could do this. You would have all three instruments on the same MIDI track. Then in the EM, C-2 would only be assigned to one of the three instruments.
I used to work with VEP Pro, and stopped in favor of just keeping everything in the session. But I don’t remember being able to set track delays in VEP Pro, nor am I aware of that being possible now. I thought track delays are set in Cubase. In which case VEP make no difference to what I’m talking about.
VE Pro so awesomely optimized for VSTi’s, takes a significant load of your CPU and Cubase load and save times when decoupled are lightning fast. It’s pretty much industry standard these days when dealing with 20+ VSTi’s.
Oh! and you can have 3 instruments in one EM.
I know a lot of people love VEP and it’s really great. I also know quite a few who prefer doing it all in Cubase (or Logic or DP or Reaper) as I do. I’ve always had issues with VEP disconnecting and weird things happening. It was great when I couldn’t build as powerful a computer as I now have and I HAD to split things up over multiple machines. But now that my system can handle everything, I love that I just open one session without having to worry about opening a corresponding metaframe or whatever on VEP (or anything else for that matter). Just one file that’s 100% self contained.
