Programming tips … playing on an Wind Controller is only half the story, you must also think about the sound source you’re controlling and how it is programmed. There are few basic synthesizer types to consider: samplers and sample – based synths, analog synths ( either real or modeled ), wavetable synths and physical – modeling synths. FM synths can also be used to good effect with Wind Controllers.

If you want to try your hand at programming your synth for an Wind Controller, here are a few tips to get you started. These general ideas apply to all sample – based, analog, wavetable and FM synths, but the specific procedures for implementing them vary from one instrument to the next.

First, it’s important to understand that most wind – oriented sounds do not have preprogrammed envelopes. Instead, they are sustained and vary their amplitude and timbre over time according to the breath pressure. Therefore, intermediate envelope decays in the patch should be changed ( 0 – 84 ms ), and the sustain portions should be maxed out ( 100 -127 ms ). The attack and release portions should be relatively fast ( 5 – 30 ms ), but if the attack is too fast, you may experience more glitching. If the release is too fast it will sound unnatural, if it is too slow the notes will overlap, which is inappropriate for sounds that emulate acoustic wind instruments. Don’t forget that the Wind Controllers Velocity should be fixed at a high value when playing these sounds.

The message generated by the Wind Controller in response to breath pressure can ( and should ) be routed to control a variety of parameters in the synth. At minimum, it should be used to modulate the final amp stage in order to control volume. Another significant parameter to modulate with breath pressure is filter cutoff, this is especially important for brass sounds, but less so for strings. Other possibilities include effects parameters and any other parameter that responds to continuous control.

To maximize the expressiveness of an Wind Controller performance, it’s critical that you turn off LFOs in a program and generate vibrato with the jaw or right thumb sending Pitch Bend. Sometimes I use LFOs in very small amounts ( 2 – 4 ) to control Fine Pitch in individual oscillators . You can also generate tremolo or wah – wah with the breath by assigning its messages to control amplitude or timbre. This is far more expressive than an LFO, which most people immediately identify as synthetic.

When playing a sample – based synth, the Pitch Bend setting is also important. For most acoustic instrument emulations, the Pitch Bend range shouldn’t be more than a whole step or so. This not only simulates the capability of the acoustic instrument but also prevents the sample from being transposed too far from its root pitch, which sounds very unnatural.

Most synths are polyphonic, which is critical when using an Wind Controllers harmony functions. However, many synths can be set to a mono mode, which can be useful, especially with analog synths, because the envelope doesn’t reattack when slurring. That can sound unnatural when you play samples over a wide pitch range, because they are transposed beyond their normal limits.

Thanks to the continued development and evolution of Wind Controllers, wind players have more ways than ever to join the MIDI band. There are also plenty of resources, check out PATCHMAN MUSIC or EWI REASON SOUNDS. The controllers have become more sensitive with sophisticated MIDI implementations, and there are many synths that respond well to breath control. If you’ve ever wanted to expand your playing into the electronic realm, there’s never been a better time to blow!.