Steinberg Groove Agent 4 Manual

							Global Functions and Settings
Toolbar171
Toolbar
The toolbar contains useful global functions.
MIDI FollowIf this button is activate d 
 and you trigger a sample or  play an instrument via 
the keyboard, they are automatically shown in the corresponding editor, that 
is, the sample is automatically shown in the  Sample editor, and the instrument 
is automatically shown in the  Pattern editor.
Controller Selector By default, incoming velocity values determine which sample is played. You 
c
an use another controller instead. This allows you to select the sample via 
the modulation wheel, for example.
• To use another controller, activate th is button, right-click it and select 
the controller that you want  to use from the list.
NOTE
You cannot change the controller for sample playback if  Fix Velocity is 
activated.
Fix Velocity
To trigger all pads with the same veloci ty, 
 activate this button. Use the button 
to the right to set the velocity value. This velocity is used for incoming MIDI 
notes, as well as for notes that  are triggered by clicking a pad.
Global insert, AUX, and Pattern Player buttons Use these buttons to switch off all inse rt e
 ffects, AUX effects, and pattern 
players for the entire plug-in at once.  You can use this to compare sounds 
with and without effects or to use a preset without the pattern player, for 
example.
Undo/Redo You can undo or redo the last 20 operations. To undo or redo a single 
op
eration, click the Undo or  Redo buttons. To undo or redo multiple 
operations, click the arrow next to the button to open the history and select 
the step to which you want to return.
MIDI Reset Click this button to stop playback and reset all MIDI controllers to their default 
values.
RAM Save The RAM Save function scans the playback of your project and unloads 
un
used samples. 
						

							Global Functions and Settings
The Keyboard172
• Click the RAM Save button.
In the dialog, click  Yes to start collecting the necessary samples. The 
RAM Save  button starts blinking.
• Play back the project in your host  application from the beginning to the 
end or to the point where no new notes are played.
• Click the  RAM Save button again. In the dialog, click  Yes to unload the 
unused samples.
 To deactivate  RAM Save and reload the unused samples, click the RAM 
Save button again.
RAM Save mode always keeps samples  that
  are within the range of the 
highest and lowest note  of the played programs.
The Keyboard
You can use the keyboard to get a better overview of the mapping and for triggering 
MIDI notes.
• To open the keyboard, click the  Show/Hide Keyboard button in the lower 
right corner of the panel.
The keyboard shows the pattern pads and th e in
 strument pads of the selected kit. 
If pads share the same keys, the pattern pads  have priority, that is, only the pattern 
pad is shown on the keyboard.
If  Use MIDI Port B for Pattern Pads  is activated on the Pattern page, instrument 
pads are not shown on the keyboard if the  Pattern page is shown, and vice versa.
The following color scheme is used in the keyboard:
• Keys that are not assigned are grayed out.
• Keys that are assigned are shown in white and black, respectively.
• Keys that belong to a pad for which a co lor is assigned are 
 shown in this color.
Previewing Notes Using the Keyboard
The vertical position where you click a key on the keyboard defines the velocity that 
is used to trigger a note. Click the lower part of a key to use the highest velocity, 
and the upper part to use the lowest velocity.
• To play a key and all following keys at t
 he same velocity, for as long as you 
keep the mouse button pressed, hold down [Ctrl]/[Command] and click the 
key on the keyboard. 
						

							Global Functions and Settings
Options Page173
• To play each note 10 times at increasing velocities between 1 and 127, hold down [Ctrl]/[Command]-[Alt]/ [Option] and click a key.
Options Page
The Options  page contains global settings re garding performance issues, global 
functions, and MIDI controllers.
Disk Streaming
Some of the programs come with a large  amount of data. Ideally, the computer 
would load all the program data into the RAM for fast access. However, this would 
leave less RAM for other applications. Also, your computer may not be able to 
handle this kind of load. Therefore, Groove Agent loads only the initial milliseconds 
of each sample into RAM. You can specify how much RAM should be used and how 
much Groove Agent should rely on accessing the hard-disk.
Balancing Disk vs. RAM
Use the  Balance 
 slider to balance the hard disk versus the RAM usage.
• If you need more RAM for other applications, drag the slider to the left 
towards the  Disk setting.
• If your hard disk is not supplying data fast enough, drag the slider to the  right towards the  RAM setting.
NOTE
The Disk vs. RAM setting always applies to  all plug-in instances. It is not saved 
with the project. You set it up only once for your computer system. 
						

							Global Functions and Settings
Options Page174
Used Memory and Available MemoryThese displays provide information of t he 
 memory load in MB according to the 
current balance slider setting.
Max Preload Determines the maximum amount of RAM that Groove Agent uses for 
preloading samples. In most cases, the  de

fault values are sufficient. However, 
it may become necessary to reduce this value, for example, when working with 
other applications or plug-ins that require a lot of memory.
Expert Mode Activate this button if you want to adjust the  Disk
  Streaming settings in 
greater detail.
• Pre
load Time  defines how much of the start of the samples is 
preloaded into the RAM. Larger valu es allow for more samples to be 
triggered in a short time.
• Prefetch Time  determines the read-ahead capacity into the RAM while 
streaming samples for a voice that is playing. Larger values allow for 
better transfer rates from disk, an d usually for more voices. However, 
this requires larger streaming cache in RAM. If you increase the 
Prefetch Time , it is a good idea to also increase the  Streaming Cache.
• Streaming Cache determines the amount of  RAM that is reserved for 
prefetching. The actually needed size depends on the prefetch time, the 
number of simultaneously streaming voices and the audio format of the 
samples. For example, higher samp le and bit rates need more RAM.
Performance
The performance section contains settings to optimize the overall CPU 
performance of the plug-in.
Max Voices
Determines the total number of voices that a plug-in instance can play back. 
As soon 
 as this limit is reached,  Groove Agent starts stealing voices. 
						

							Global Functions and Settings
Options Page175
Max CPUTo avoid clicks from CPU overloads, you can specify a maximum limit for the 
CP
U load of the plug-in instance. Groo ve Agent steals voices automatically 
when this limit is exceeded. At a setting of 100  %, this parameter is 
de

activated.
NOTE
Because of the reaction time of the plug -in, it is possible that you get CPU 
peaks that exceed the set limit. This can lead to artifacts, such as audio 
drop-outs. Therefore, it is  good practice to set the Max CPU setting at a value 
a bit lower than actually needed.
Voice Fade Out
Sets the time to fade out voices that need to be stolen because the  Ma
 x 
Voices  setting or the  Max CPU setting have  been reached.
Load Preference Determines how agents that come with 16 and 24 bit samples are loaded by 
de
fault. Set this to  16 Bit to get faster loading times and to  24 Bit to get better 
audio quality.
NOTE
Not all agents feature 16 and 24 Bit versions of their samples.
Multi Loading
Normally, when loading multi-programs, t he pre
 vious multi is kept in the RAM 
until the new multi has been completely loaded. Therefore, replacing a large 
multi by another can lead to  RAM overload on 32-bit systems.
• To clear a multi before lo adin
 g a new one, select Clear before on the 
pop-up menu.
Multi-Core On this pop-up menu, you can specify how many of the available CPU cores 
o
f your system can be used by the plug-in. This allows Groove Agent to 
compute each program on a different core , for example. The best setting here 
depends on multiple factors, and varies  from system to system, and project to 
project. A good starting point is to set this value to one core less than the 
available number of cores.
NOTE
If problems occur, reduce the number of cores, or set the pop-up menu to  Off 
and load multiple instan ces of Groove Agent instead. This way, the host 
application distributes the work load across the available cores. 
						

							Global Functions and Settings
Options Page176
Global
NOTE
The settings in this section are not saved with a project, but affect the plug-in as a 
whole.
Show Tooltips
If this is activated, a tooltip is show n w
 hen you move the mouse over a control.
Show Value Tooltips If this is activated, parameters withou t a value 
 field display their value in a 
tooltip when using the corresponding control.
Solo Mode •In  Standard  mo
 de, you can solo multiple instrument pads and mixer 
channels to hear them combined.
•In  Exclusive  mode, only one instrument pad or mixer channel can be 
soloed at a time.
Key Commands Opens the  Key Comm
 ands dialog, where you can view and assign key 
commands.
Reset Messages Click this button to see all message di alogs again 
 that have been suppressed 
with the  Don't Show Again  option.
MIDI Controller
Controller Assignment
With the two buttons in this section, you can save your customized MIDI 
c
ontroller assignments as default or restore the factory MIDI controller 
assignments.
NOTE
Save as Default  does not include any of the MIDI controller assignments of 
the AUX FX.
The current MIDI controller mapping is also saved with each project. This way, 
you can transfer your settings to other  systems. The project includes the MIDI 
controller assignments of the AUX FX as well.
NOTE
The controller assignments for the pa rameters Volume (CC 007) and Pan 
(CC 010) are fixed and cannot be edited or removed. To change volume or 
pan of a kit slot, send CC#7 or CC#10  messages on the corresponding MIDI 
channel of the kit slot. 
						

							Global Functions and Settings
Options Page177
Pattern PlaybackThe Hold R
eset  button sends a global Hold Reset message to all patterns 
that are used.
The  Rese
t Controller  pop-up menu allows you to  assign a dedicated MIDI 
controller to the  Hold Reset button for remote-controlling it.
R
ELATED LINKS
Automation and MIDI Controllers on  page 165 
						

							178
Using the Standalone Version of the Plug-In
If you use Groove Agent as a standalone ap plication, an additional section is 
available at the top of the control panel. Here, you can define key commands, set up 
audio and MIDI interface routings, adjust the master volume, and access the 
integrated MIDI scratch pad,  which allows you to record your musical ideas without 
having to start a MIDI sequencer application. 
Making Preferences Settings
You can configure the standalone version of Groove Agent in the  Plug-In 
Preferences  dialog.
• To open the Plug-In Preferences dialog, click the  Ope
 n Preferences button 
 to the right of the audio output field  or right-click
  in the topmost section of 
the control panel and select  Plug-In Prefere
 nces on the context menu.
Preferences Dialog
The Preferences dialog has several pages on which you can make settings.
MIDI Routing Page
On the  MIDI Routing  page, you can access the  Main and Pattern input ports and 
make routing settings.
MIDI Input Ports Use this pop-up menu to specify a MIDI input.
Channel Filter Determines whether MIDI events are recorded on all MIDI channels, or only 
on
 one specific channel.
Filter ‘All Notes Off’ Controller Activate this parameter to avoid unwanted “All Notes Off” messages. Such 
mess
ages are sent by some keyboards  when the last key is released. This 
causes Groove Agent to stop playback, even when the sustain pedal is still in 
use. 
						

							Using the Standalone Version of the Plug-In
Preferences Dialog179
Audio Routing Page
You can use the Audio Output Ports  pop-up menus to assign different audio 
outputs. Groove Agent supports 16 channels. You can assign different audio 
outputs for each channel.
• To map an output to a channel, select it from the pop-up menu.
• To set the front and rear channels to incrementing audio output ports, hold  dow
 n [Shift] and select an audio output.
• To assign the audio outputs in pairs to the front and rear channels, hold down  [Alt]/[Option]-[Shift] and select 
 an audio output.
Metronome Page
On the Metronome  page, a number of settings can be made regarding the use of 
a metronome.
Mode Activates/Deactivates the metronome or sets it to  Coun
 t In mode.
Accent Accentuates the first beat of each bar.
Level Adjusts the volume of the metronome.
Connections Allows you to select a separate stereo output for the metronome.
General Page
• If you want the plug-in to close without prompting when you quit the program, activate  Don’t prompt for confirmation when quitting Groove Agent .
ASIO Driver Page
Select your audio hardware driver from the ASIO Driver pop-up menu.
Release Driver when Application is in Background Activate this if you plan  to 
 use several audio applications simultaneously.
Input/Output Latency The input and output latency values for your audio hardware are displayed. 
La
tency is the amount of time it take s for your system to respond to any 
messages that are sent to it. High  latency results in a noticeable delay 
between when you press a key and when you hear the sound. 
						

							Using the Standalone Version of the Plug-In
Selecting the MIDI Input and the Audio Output180
Sample RateBelow the latency values, you can set the sample rate for the connected audio 
ha
rdware.
Audio Priority Determines which of the Groove Agent processes gets priority when 
acc
essing processor resources on your computer.
•In  Normal mode, 
 non-audio processes and audio pl ayback get roughly 
equal priorities.
•In  Boost mode, audio precedes MIDI in priority. Try this mode if audio 
playback problems occur when play ing back MIDI and audio material.
Advanced Once you have selected the driver, open the  Advanced ta
 b to specify which 
inputs and outputs to use and name these. Click the  Control Panel button to 
open the control panel for the audio hardware and adjust the settings as 
recommended by the audio hardware manufacturer.
Selecting the MIDI Input and the Audio Output
The MIDI input pop-up menu lists all MIDI devices that are insta lled on your system.
• Select the MIDI device that you want to use from the  MIDI inpu
 t pop-up 
menu.
The MIDI activity LED in the top left  c
 orner of the control panel indicates 
incoming MIDI messages via the selected MIDI input. The LED lights up on 
receiving note-on and controller messages. This way, you can check if Groove 
Agent and your MIDI keyboard are connected to the same MIDI device input.
The Audio output pop-up menu lists all outputs of the selected ASIO device.
• To select an audio output for the main  stere
 o channel of the plug-in, open the 
Audio output  pop-up menu.
R
ELATED LINKS
ASIO Driver Page on  page 179