Steinberg Groove Agent 4 Manual
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Working With Pads Instrument Pads41 To access the folder where the user MIDI patterns are saved, right-click the Pattern Library field and select Show in Explorer/Finder . In this location, you can add, remove and rename files an d create subfolders to organize your MIDI patterns. NOTE Pattern pads always contain the MIDI da ta and do not reference the original MIDI files. Original Tempo Displays the original tempo as s aved in the MIDI file. Start Specifies the beat from which the pattern starts to play. End Specifies the end of the pattern. Initially, th is parameter is set to the original length of the MIDI pattern. Import Field To import MIDI files from your file s ystem or MIDI parts from your host application into the user pattern library, drag them onto the MIDI import field. You can import multiple MIDI files at the same time by dropping them on the im port field. The first file is assigned to the selected pad. MIDI Export Field To export a pattern, click the MI DI export field and drag it onto a MIDI track in your host application. You can also drag the field to other locations and applications that support MIDI files. Import/Export and Alternative Trigger Note Mappings If you are working with alternative trigger note mappings, this is taken into a ccount and the MIDI pattern is adapted automatically on import/export. This is important if you are recording MIDI wi th a hardware drum controller and you want to import MIDI parts from the host application or export patterns from Groove Agent to the host application during that process. If you recorded the MIDI file with the standard trigger note mapping, de activate alternative trigger no te mapping in the Pad section.
Working With Pads Instrument Pads42 Performance Section For instrument pads, the Performance section on the Agent page contains MIDI pattern player settings. Swing Grid Determines the grid for applying Swing. For example, to shift the timing of every 16th note in a pattern, set this to 1/16. Swing Allows you to shift the timing of notes on even numbered beats to give the pattern a swing feeling. Ne gative values shift the timing backward, and the notes are played earlier. Positive values shift the timing forward, and the notes are played later. Gate Scale Allows you to shorten or lengthen the notes of the pattern. At a value of 100 %, th e notes play with their original gate length. NOTE Gate Scale has no effect on samples that are played in One Shot mode. They always sound until the end. Velocity Scale Raises or lowers the note-on velocities o f the pattern. At a value of 100 %, the not es are played with their original velocity. Quantize Amount This parameter defines how much of the quantization grid is applied. A value of 100 % means the MIDI note events play back only at the specified quantize n ote value. Smaller values move the notes only partially towards the next quantize note value. With a value of 0 %, no quantization is applied. Quantize Grid This parameter allows you to set up a qu antizat ion grid, in fractions of beats. You can also specify dotted and triplet values. Tempo Scale Defines the speed at which the pattern is running. You can choose between h alf, normal, and double speed.
Working With Pads Instrument Pads43 Using MIDI Effects For each instrument pad, you can set up MIDI effects. To open the MIDI effects page, activate the In strument button in the pad section, open the Edit page on the right side of the panel, and click the MIDI Fx tab. Pad Mode Pad mode determines to which pad the settings on the MIDI FX page are applied. Internal In Internal mode, t he MIDI effects are applied to the samples on the selected pad. Remote In Remot e mode, you can select to which destination pad you want to apply the MIDI effects. This allows you to trigger an instrument with and without MIDI effects. Also, any soun d editing can be performed on one pad. NOTE • If the destination pad also contains MIDI effects, these are not taken into account. • If you set up remote MIDI effects on a pad for which samples are assigned, the remote MIDI effects are applied only to the samples on the destination pad.
Working With Pads Instrument Pads44 If you activate Remote mode for a pad, a remote ic on is displayed on the pad in the pad section. • To bypass the remote effects, click the Di sable MIDI to Remote Pad button to the left of the remote icon. Rudiments Section Active Click this to activate the articulation. Type Determines the rudiment type. •Flam pla ys 2 hits very close together. • Drag plays 3 hits very close together. • Ruff plays 4 hits very close together. • Roll continually plays drum hits to produce a sustaining drum sound. • Buzz emulates the effect of a drummer pressing the stick into the drum while hitting it. The stick bounces on the drum, producing multiple hits that sound like a decaying drum roll. Flam, Drag, and Ruff For Flam , Drag , and Ruff, the following parameters are available: Sync Synchronizes the hits to the project temp o. T he time span between the hits is set in fractions of beats. Time Adjusts the time span between the hits. Note Value If Sync is activated, this parameter adjusts the time span in fractions of beats. Dynamics Adjusts the dynamics of the hits. • With negative values, the first hit is softer than the following hit or hits. • With positive values, the first hit is louder than the following hit or hits. Humanize Use this parameter to randomize the timi ng, the dynamics, and the pitch of the hits.
Working With Pads Instrument Pads45 Roll For Roll, the following parameters are available: Sync Activate this button to synchronize the hits to the project tempo. The time span between the hits is set in fractions of beats. Time Adjusts the time span between the hits. Note Value If Sync is activated, this parameter adjusts the time span in fractions of beats. Dynamics Adjusts the dynamics of the hits. Higher values attenuate the even-numbered h its of the roll. Humanize Use this parameter to randomize the timi ng, the dynamics, and the pitch of the hits. Buzz For Buzz, the following parameters are available: Grip Adjusts the grip of the dr um. Higher settings prod uce a shorter decay of the buzz. Pressure Adjusts the pressure on the stick. Higher settings produce a longer decay of the buzz. Humanize Use this parameter to randomize the timi ng, the dynamics, and the pitch of the hits. MIDI Delay MIDI Delay produces echo effects by repeating the notes that you play. The subsequent note events can be modified, for example, you can vary the time span between the echoes with the Distribution parameter. Active Activates/Deactivates the MIDI Delay effect.
Working With Pads Instrument Pads46 SyncSynchronizes the echoes to the project tempo. The time span between the ec hoes is set in fractions of beats. Time Adjusts the time span between the echoes. Note Value If Sync is activated, this parameter adjusts the time span in fractions of beats. Repeats Determines the maximum number of the echoes. Damping Determines whether the echoes fade-in or fade-out with the MIDI velocity. If yo u set this parameter to negative values, the MIDI velocity gradually increases. If you set this parameter to positive values, the MIDI velocity gradually decreases. NOTE Damping shows only an effect if the sound settings of the samples use velocity. Pitch Determines how much the pitch changes from echo to echo. Distribution Determines the time distribution of the echoes. If you set this parameter to n egative values, the time span between echoes gets shorter, that is, the echoes speed up. With positive values, the echoes slow down.
Working With Pads Pattern Pads47 Pattern Pads The pad section provides up to 128 pads, organized in 8 groups of 16 pads. Each pad is mapped to a MIDI note. You can assign MIDI patterns to each pattern pad, to trigger complete drum patterns or sing le instrument patterns, depending on the MIDI files. The pads are used to switch between patterns. If a MIDI file is assigned to a pad, th e pad shows a progress indicator and a beat counter. When the pattern is triggered, the progress indicator shows the playing progress graphically. In addition, the beat counter shows the current beat during playback. This allows you to see which patterns are currently running and at which playing position, relative to the length of th e pattern. This can be particularly helpful when Toggle mode is selected, because it provides a quick overview of the patterns that will be stopped an d those that will be triggered. The Transport controls above the pads allow you to trigger the focused pattern pad without playing a MIDI note. Click the Stop button to end playback. If you switch between pattern pads during playback, the pattern changes according to the set Restart Mode . Assigning MIDI Files to Pads • Drag a MIDI file from the Explorer/Fin der or from the MediaBay onto a pad. • Drag a MIDI part from the h ost application onto a pad. • Drag a file from the Explorer/Finder onto the import field. The file is imported to you r user pattern library an d assigned to the selected pad. • Select a pad and open the Agent ta b on the Edit page. In the Pattern section, open the Pattern Library pop-up menu and select one of the factory or user MIDI patterns.
Working With Pads Pattern Pads48 Assigning Multiple MIDI Files to Pads You can drag and drop several MIDI files to pads at the same time. PROCEDURE 1. Move the mouse over the lower part of the pad on which you want to drop the first MIDI file. A yellow frame indicates which pads receive a MIDI file. 2. Drop the files. RESULT The MIDI files are imported to your user MIDI pattern library and are automatically assigned to the pads. Removing MIDI Files from Pads • To remove a MIDI pattern, right-click a pad and select Remove Pattern from the context menu. • To remove the MIDI patterns from all se lected pads right-click one of the pads and select Remove Pattern from the context menu. Using MIDI Port B for Pattern Pads By default, instrument and pattern pads sh are the same MIDI port. If two pads are triggered in parallel, the pattern pad always gets priority, therefore, instrument pads that use the same trigger note as a pattern pad cannot be played via MIDI. To be able to play all instrument and patt ern pads via MIDI, assign MIDI port B to the pattern pad section. This way, you can trigger instruments on one MIDI port and patterns on the other. PROCEDURE • To use Port B, activate the Use MIDI Port B for Pattern Pads button in the lower left corner of the pattern pad section. If port B is used, MIDI data is received on all MIDI channels.
Working With Pads Pattern Pads49 Locking Pad Settings The settings in the Pad section ( Exclusive , Jam State , Play Mode , etc.) are common to all slots, that is, you set them up only once. However, these settings are part of kit presets, and are replaced when you load a preset to a kit slot. • To avoid overwriting your existing pad se ttings with the prese t settings when loading a preset to a kit slot, activate the Lock Pad Settings button below the pad section. If this button is activated, the pad settings from the preset are not applied and t he existing settings remain active. •If the Loc k Pad Settings button is deactivated and you load kit presets to different slots, the pad settings saved in the presets overwrite the existing pad settings. Any active pattern pads from the ne w prese t overwrite the current pad settings on the associated pads. Inactive pads are not restored from the preset, that is, existing settings for these pads remain active. Moving and Copying Pattern Pads You can copy or move pattern pads with al l their settings to other pattern pads of the same or a diff erent pattern group. • To move the active pattern pad with all its settings to anot her pad, drag the pad and drop it on the destination pad. • To copy a pattern pad to another pad, hold down [Alt]/[Option] and drag the pad on the destination pad. • To move or copy one or more pads onto other pads, use the context menu commands Cu t Pad, Copy Pad , and Paste Pad . This way, you can move or copy multiple pads at the same time. NOTE You can also move or copy pads between pad groups. To do so, first drag the pad onto the group button for the group to which you want to move or copy the pad, then drop it onto the destination pad.
Working With Pads Pattern Pads50 Overview Tab The Overview tab shows which patterns and styles are assigned to the pattern pads of the 4 agents. Cells in which a name is disp layed have a pattern or style assigned. If a pattern is assigned to a pad, its background is gray and if a style is assi gned, its background is dark blue. The 4 columns represent the 4 agents. For ea ch agent, the 16 pattern pads of the selected pattern group are displayed. • To select a pattern pad of a specific agent, click the corresponding cell. The name of the selected pattern or styl e is displayed in the top section of the tab. • To activate/deactivate a pad, click its button. Only active pads are played back. • To find out where a user MIDI pattern is stored on your system, right-click the cell and select Show in Explorer (Win)/Reveal in Finder (Mac). Assigning Patterns and Styles to Cells You can assign patterns or styles to the cells on the Overview tab. PROCEDURE 1. Move the mouse pointer over a cell so that an arrow icon is displayed on the right. 2. Click the arrow to open a window that shows the available patterns or styles. 3. Select an entry in the list.