Hello all!
Im trying do to an simple “legato-slide” on some violins in “Session Strings 2”. Like if you place your finger on a string and slide it up or down to hit a spesific note. Is this possible in Cubase 11 Pro?
The Pitchbend -wheel just makes it sound horrible. And does not go far enough anyway.
I can easily do this in Guitar Pro. But how do I do this in Cubase?
Thanks for any replies!
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What makes you think it’s a Cubase issue, rather than an issue with the Kontakt library - including how the Pitch Wheel is configured (e.g. page 25 of the Session Strings 2 English user manual)
Ah, the old “rtfm” ploy!
Yes, I can set the pitch-wheel range. But what do I do when I want the range to change for every note played? Go to settings - record a note - go to settings - record a note - go to settings…
I want to slide from an A to F, F to E and E to D.
You would set the pitch bend range to the largest interval you intend to bend between and not bend the full range for smaller intervals. The Key Editor has some nice guides in the Controller Lane for Pitch Bend that allows snapping to semitones.
I would say this shall be initially created using the MIDI controllers for Portamento and Portamento time (CC 65 and CC 5), based upon the instrument used the Legato shall work too (CC 68) but here it depends on the legato implementation itself (and you cannot control the glide time). So Portamento shall be the correct way. Pitch bend was not intended for such these purposes but of course may work if the instrument has not got the Portamento functionality implemented.
P.
To get a true legato, you’ll need a Legato patch or articulation on your chosen instrument. If there isn’t one, you’re out of luck. True legato means that the following note has no attack. Only an extreme amount of pitchbend/attack shenanigans on every note is going to work.
Easier to get another string library that has a proper legato patch.
Or use a synth “string” patch, anything with a saw-tooth wave.
(I use HALion strings HALion Symphonic Orchestra – VST Orchestra | Steinberg, when I’m not using a mellotron.)
HR Gold Strings (Kontakt Library) is a monster
Highly recommend 
As @pavlii and @Googly_Smythe already implied, pitch bend and legato are two different musical expressions and therefore have two different ways of using MIDI.
And “true legato” really needs to be implemented at instrument level (not at DAW level). If it’s a sampled instrument, the legato needs to be sampled. And ambitious sampled instrument and library makers have gone to great lengths to make “true legato”.
It’s quite a rabbit hole to dive into: “true legato”
One note - I woukd not say the legato has to be sampled (if used in sampled instruments). The sound engine can do that because the only difference between 2 consecutive notes and 2 legato ones is the fact the envelopes are not run when legato so the new sound changes its pitch - without Attack phase. The “jump” is more immediately (OK - it depends probably on the instrzment type itself, I am pianists so thus immediately more-less) than when we will discuss “gliding” - thus shall be done using Portamento if it has been implemented in the instrument.
What is definitely correct information is this is based on instrument itself - definitely NOT on the DAW used (here Cubase).
P.
The argument could be made that piano, xylophone, etc. don’t actually have “true legato”, but that those are actually “ties”. There’s no pitch gliding between notes.
And if you invent a mechanism to tune the piano strings after they’ve been struck, it would probably be a “pitch bend” rather than a “true legato”. Similar with a drum that can be tuned after it has been struck.
Similarly, I would argue, that fretless guitars and basses can do “true legato” but fretted guitars and basses can only do ties and pitch bends.
Yes, I agree. But even that it is not necessary to have these thing sampled - due to the mechanism I described.
But even that this is a bit out of the main topic and we hopefully gave the more correct description how to achieve the result.
Thnx for conversation!
P.
