PRODUCTION

The experts from Audiotent on how to make the most of key keyboard features

Once we have designed a synth patch that we like, there is a great amount of expression from the performance that can be utilised. This guide will help you think outside of the box, and also help you maximise some of the often overlooked keyboard functions: velocity, aftertouch and keyboard tracking.

Velocity is the most frequently used and is often assigned to the main amplitude. It results in quieter sounds with softer key presses and louder overall volume for harder key presses. We will take this concept to the next level and assign velocity to control the rate of

LFO which then controls the filter cutoff position. This creates a very dynamic and expressive performance-orientated patch.

Aftertouch is another hidden treasure in your keyboard – providing, of course, that your MIDI keyboard actually supports this functionality. Aftertouch offers us modulation possibilities once we apply more pressure to the keys after they have been pressed. Typical applications of using aftertouch are to control the filter cutoff position and oscillator frequency. However, we are here to explore the contemporary options. So in our tutorial, aftertouch will be assigned to control the oscillator noise volume and the unison detune amount.

Keyboard tracking is commonly used to affect the cutoff position of the filter. If the synthesiser you are using is complex enough, it opens up the creative freedom to assign this to a large number of destinations. In this example, we are using Arturia Pigments. We will assign keyboard tracking to effects, such as distortion drive amount and delay dry/wet.

This step-by-step guide will hopefully give you some alternative methods to maximise your keyboard performance potential. Let’s dig in…