MUSC 108. Introduction to Music Technology - Fall 2013

Lab14-5 EXS24 String Ensemble Legato

[Overview] [Syllabus]

Change Tracks

Select track 5 "Pop String Ensemble" in the Track list.

Drag the green MIDI track to track lane 5.

You should see the window for EXS24 software synth opened to the "Full Strings Legato" patch.

Play

Your MIDI track may or may not sound good. If you have short quick notes in your MIDI track the patch will not have enough time to build to a sustained sound and will get cut off prematurely.

Try playing some long sustained notes on the MIDI Controller to hear the full sustained tone of the strings.

Logic Effects

So far we've been looking at Logic Instruments. Logic also has a number of high quality effects like EQ, Reverb, Compression, Delay, Filters, etc.

The effects used in this patch are shown in the Inspector Panel.

5 Inspector IO and Effects

The left column shows:

From top to bottom.

The Patch Preset name

String Ensemble

Inserts

Channel EQ was used as an insert effect.

Sends

There are two Sends called Bus 1 and Bus 2

I/O

I/O stands for Input / Output.

The MIDI output is input for the EXS24 software Synth

The EXS24 is sent to outputs 1-2, the computer speakers or headphone jack.

Track Name

Inst 5 (at bottom)

The right column shows:

From top to bottom.

The Effect Preset name

Tape 1\8...

Inserts

Compression, Channel EQ, and Tape Delay were used as an insert effects

Sends

There are no sends

I/O

I/O stands for Input / Output.

The is input is coming from Bus 2

The output is sent to outputs 1-2, the computer speakers or headphone jack.

Track Name

Aux 2

Terminology

There are several terms you need to be familiar with.

Inserts

An insert is a DSP effect.

A global insert (usually put in the output track) affects all tracks. Global effects are shown only in the Mixer.

A channel insert affects only a single track. Channel inserts are shown in the Inspector Panel and the individual track in the Mixer.

Bus and Aux

Bus and Aux are sends. They work in pairs. A Bus sends signals to an Aux, and Aux receives signals from a Bus. You have 64 to work with.

Bus and Aux are used to create different routing possibilities within the Mixer.

For example, if you want to use single reverb on multiple tracks it is more efficient to nsert the reverb on the Aux track and set it's input to a Bus, say Bus 1.

Then you can use the Bus 1 Send on multiple tracks and vary the amount of reverb assigned to each instrument. Different amounts of reverb can create a sense of stage depth.

Meters and Faders

There is a volume meter, a volume slider, a pan knob, a solo button, and a mute button at the bottom of each column.

Inspector meters and faders

The controls are linked to the the Mixer.

The Mixer window

Click the Mixer tab towards the bottom of the window.

Open the mixer window

Drag the Sizer strip (circled in red) vertically until you've reached the height of the mixer controls.

5 Mixer plus Sizer

There's a lot of instruments in the Mixer window.

Viewing a single instrument in the Mixer window

To view only our current instrument 5, String Ensemble Legato, click the Single button in the Mixer toolbar.

5 Show Single Track

The Mixer will only display the MIDI tracks, Aux tracks, and Output tracks that are related to the currently selected instrument.

5 Mixer Single

Play some notes on your MIDI controller and watch the level meters respond.

5 Sound Levels

Matching Bus and Aux tracks

In order to see which Aux track receives Bus 1, click and hold the blue Bus 1 button in the Inspector panel. A popup menu will appear showing you that Bus 1 sends to the Reverb Aux track.

Send and Aux track pairs

Changing the Send Amount

Let's increase the amount of Reverb.

Click and drag vertically to change the Bus 1 send amount.

Bus Send amount

Play notes on your MIDI controller.

Can you hear a difference?

Changing the Channel Insert Preset

If you look at the Mixer Channel Strip for the Reverb Aux Track, the Reverb effect is called SpaceDesigner.

Space Designer window

Change the Preset from "2.0s_Medium Hall" to "03.0s Long Reverb."

Space Designer presets

Set the Bus 1 send about to 100%.

Play some notes on your MIDI Controller.

Press the compare button to compare the current setting to the previous setting.

Press the Bypass button to hear the samples with no reverb.

Press the previous and next triangles to change to a different preset in menu order.

Bypass Compare buttons

Enough.

Continue with Lab13-6LiverpoolBass

[Overview] [Syllabus]

Revised John Ellinger, January - September 2013