Modifier Latency

When using modifier with velocity as the input event, I've noticed that the note on event reaches whichever synth I'm using before the parameter being modulated by Modifier is changed. So the parameter change is audible right at the start of each note. If the synth has a DAHDSR, I can just add some delay. But a lot of synth don't have these. So I'm wondering if there's a way to tackle this within Logic. Maybe a way to delay the note on reaching the synth so the parameter has time to be changed?

 

Thanks!

Perhaps instantiating the Modifier on a different track which can be delayed via its track's parameter...

Thanks for the reply. I don't think that would work, though. I want to delay the note on getting to the VI. I don't want to delay the Modifier. Plus, I think Modifier and the plugin it's modulating need to be on the same track.

Yea you could use very simple Scripter here to delay all midi event by say 10ms...or you can change the number of ms to the minimum required to make things work in the right order.

 

function HandleMIDI(event) {
   // Delay all midi events by n Milliseconds
   event.sendAfterMilliseconds(10);
}

 

I suspect this is might be related to Plugin Delay Compensation. Can you try a simple test removing all other plugins, so that you're only using Modifier and your synth and no other FX including on the master bus, etc.. As a test.. see if the problem remains. If the problem goes away, then its related PDC and probably automation not being compensated properly via PDC.

 

if the problem remains, then its just a faulty design in a way where the notes are processed before the automation on the same beat position. But anyway, the above script placed after modifier should delay all the midi events a tad and you can try lower ms values to find the smallest delay that will work.

Thanks Dewdman42! That works perfectly. Well, unless I play legato. Then it can start sounding jumpy again. Is there a way to make the Modifier's parameter change more like a ramp than a square? That way it will happen over the course of several ms instead of suddenly.

I'm not following you. The script isn't changing anything Modifier is doing, unless I misunderstood, I understood that modifier is converting velocity into plugin automation to your instrument. yes?

 

what do you mean by playing legato and sounding jumpy? The above script simply delays all midi events by 10ms...so the midi notes should sound exactly the same, except 10ms later.

 

As to what you're doing with Modifier...I guess I don't understand. tell us more exactly what you're trying to do.

I know the script isn't changing what Modifier is doing. Getting Modifier to work more smoothly was just the logical next step for me. The reason legato starts sounding jumpy is because there's no break in between the notes during which that parameter can be changed inaudibly. The script works perfectly when there's a short break in between notes. But with velocity being used as the input event, legato playing involving multiple notes of different velocities makes the parameter jump around audibly. I'm using it for things like filter cutoff.

 

Do you know if there's a way to smooth the Modifier's output out over a few milliseconds?

Perhaps using also the Modulator...

Expecting velocity to transition smoothly from one note to the next doesn't make much sense, because it is included in the note-on and note-off messages. When playing legato it's always going to be steppy. Have you tried using aftertouch instead?

Apologies for digging up an old thread, but I'm wondering if there's been any update on the issues with MIDI modifier.  I'm using it to scale CC data, specifically breath data that I want to use to control the cutoff of a synth plugin.  Since the breath data spans a wide range, I need to scale this down to a small enough range that it only moves the cutoff by a little bit (say, 50-80 or so).  When I use modifier, which should be the perfect solution, the modifier does not process the information before it gets through to the cutoff adjustment.  Thus, the cutoff is jumping all over the place with every single new data point--which is ALL THE TIME with breath data.

Any ideas as to how I might work around this?  The MIDI data delay script above does not seem to make a difference, probably because it is applied to MIDI notes and not CC data.  I'm afraid I'm not good with scripting.

Maybe obvious, but since not being mentioned earlier, have you disabled the "Thru" button in the modifier ?

Good point--but yes, I have, especially since I'm using one parameter to control another.

I really feel like I must be doing something wrong because it seems odd to me that the modifier would be so poor at doing what it is designed to do.