Table of Contents

Creating a series of pitch bend or controller events

You can create a series of calculated, machine-generated pitch bends by using the Pitch Bend Sequence dialog. In recent Rosegardens the same dialog allows you to insert controller events, such as expression controllers.

Usage

Open the notation or matrix editor and select the events you want to apply the bends. Please note that the events you select are not modified, the selection is only used for start and end times of bends.

This dialog is accessible from several menus:

The last one depends on what ruler you have opened. For instance, if you have the expression controller ruler open, it's the same as “Insert Expression controller Sequence”

Parameters

Preset

The preset box provides settings that store previously entered parameters. For inserting pitch bends, there are also 3 predefined presets:

Linear ramp

Ramps pitch from value defined in pre bend box to end value of bend sequence box.

Fast vibrato arm release

This simulates the effect that's possible with certain types of guitar vibrato bridges (some people falsely call these tremolo bridges).

Vibrato

Generates a vibrato. You need to specify start and end depth of vibrato by entering a values in pre bend and bend sequence boxes.

Pre Bend

At the beginning of the selected range it's possible to insert a bend (pre bend), then after a definable delay (duration) the actual sequence begins.

Value (%)

Value of the very first pitch bend inserted in per cents.

For pitch bend, -100 % is lowest and 100 % highest possible pitch. For controllers, the numbers correspond to controller values.

In both cases, 0 is neutral or “normal”.

Duration (%)

Duration of the pre bend compared to whole selected range. If set to 100% no bend sequence is applied.

Bend Sequence

In this box you specify the parameters for the series of bend events.

Ramp duration (%)

Duration of the linear ramp in per cents compared to time of selected events minus time of pre bend. Ramp ends before the sequence if lower than 100%.

End value (%)

The pitch at end of the ramp, defined the same way as “Value”

Vibrato start amplitude (%)

This defines amplitude of the vibrato at beginning of the bend sequence.

Vibrato is only possible in Linear Ramp Mode with “Use this many steps” set.

Vibrato end amplitude (%)

This defines amplitude of the vibrato at end of the bend sequence.

Vibrato wavelength

This defines frequency of vibrato. Defined as number of steps per cycle.

Ramp Mode

Linear

Ramps linearly.

Vibrato is possible in only this mode.

Logarithmic

Ramps logarithmically. This uses Tim Munro's algorithm.

Quarter Sine

The ramp has the shape of a quarter sine wave, from zero to peak, or from zero to trough if negative.

Half Sine

The ramp has the shape of half sine wave, from trough to peak, or from peak to trough if negative.

Illustration of all four ramp modes

How Many Steps

Use step size

In this option, each step in the ramp is this size. If the step size doesn't evenly divide the ramp size, multiple step sizes will be used.

Vibrato is not possible in this mode.

Use this many steps

In this option, the sequence is divided in this many pieces. This was formerly called “Resolution”.