Understanding Var1 and Var2

[kavise]

Do these controls cause an instrument to go through random changes throughout the whole song, so that if you just hit the same note repeatedly for 5 minutes it would sound different every time?
Or does it go in back and forth short repeating patterns?
or something else?

Thank you for the info!

[Shazbot]

I believe your first question is the right answer (does that make sense?), but I would like clarification, too. And also, can the VAR be assigned somewhere via MIDI? That would be particularly useful for small portamento passages, eh?

[sirbellog]

I was curious about the VAR knobs too, not knowing too well what may be expected from them and how to use them in a useful way.
This, again, is the kind of thing that would be great to be added and centralized in a new online GPO user manual v2 (as I suggested a few days ago....)

[bosone]

if i remember well, the var 1 and var 2 controls two random LFO connected respectively to the overall equalisation of the patch and to the tuning

[Tom Hopkins]

Kavise,

VAR 1 controls the random generation of tuning variations using MIDI cc22. VAR 2 controls the random generation of timbre (EQ) variations using MIDI cc24. The amount of change is determined by the value of the MIDI controller (a value of 5 will cause very small changes and a value of 100 will be extreme). Each change takes place with the triggering of the note (intonation or timbre does not change during the note). So, a series of notes will each have a different tuning and/or timbre compared to one another.

As I’ve mentioned on many posts over the last couple of months, be advised that VAR 2 is not working in the present player. It is, however, active if the library is loaded into the full version of Kontakt. This is due to a problem with the unused slider in the present player. The next version of the player will solve this problem and VAR 2 will be functioning properly (but moved to cc23).

These controls should NOT be used in a “set-and-forget” manner by moving the knobs. In fact, the knobs are there only for two purposes: To identify the presence of the controller and to give the user a quick way to test it. In use, these features should only be controlled with cc22 and cc24 data placed in the sequencer tracks. That data should be drawn into the tracks to address specific areas in the sequence that could benefit from variability. A good example of a situation that can be greatly improved by VAR is a passage that rapidly repeats a short series of notes (creating the dreaded “machine gun” effect). Drawing judicious amounts of VAR 1 and VAR 2 data during that passage can virtually eliminate the problem. Another case would be a fast run by a solo instrument. Wind and string players use their ears to rapidly adjust the pitch center of any notes of sufficient duration. Movement between notes that take place extremely quickly (as in a fast run) are least likely to be properly centered in pitch. Drawing VAR 1 data during just the notes of the run can add a degree of realism not usually found in samples, which normally create runs of notes that are too perfectly pitch-centered – and sound artificial as a result. VAR 2 can also be applied to this situation. In any case, these two features are problem solvers that should be applied on an “as needed” basis, not as something applied to an entire track.

Tom

[Shazbot]

<font color=\"brown\">Thanks for the clarification, Tom. (How many times has that been said now on this forum??!) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Can you or somebody please tell me what the CC # is for portamento?

Thanks,
Shaz</font>

[Alan Lastufka]

Shaz,

I *think* its CC20, but I\'m at school now and can\'t check for you, Tom, if I\'m wrong - please post correct answer and delete my post to keep me from looking like an ... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Tom Hopkins]

Correct.

Tom

[trentpmcd]

Thanks Tom. I\'ve been thinking about these all wrong. I also have that \"machine gun\" effect on something I was playing with (Spring, Vivaldi 4 Seasons - \"thunder\"). Nothing I did helped. Maybe this will.

Some people have asked about a new improved guide. If one ever comes out, this should be in it.

[Alan Lastufka]

[ QUOTE ]
Some people have asked about a new improved guide. If one ever comes out, this should be in it.

[/ QUOTE ]

It\'s in the old one guys, right above the detailed list of instruments about half way thru, right after the descriptions of the different sections of instruments and their placements... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[trentpmcd]

Reading page 33 of the manual where VAR 1 and 2 are discussed I don\'t get this. However, I just noticed that where the manual talks about the Kontact player on page 41 it is described pretty close to the way Tom described it here. Since nothing else in the \"How the Kontact Player Works\" was really new to me I just skimmed that section when reading the manual and have never gone back to it so I used just the impressions I got from page 33. I take pages 30 -37 as being the most important pages (my bad).

[Markleford]

[ QUOTE ]
[Tom Hopkins] In use, these features should only be controlled with cc22 and cc24 data placed in the sequencer tracks. That data should be drawn into the tracks to address specific areas in the sequence that could benefit from variability.

[/ QUOTE ]
I\'ve written an MFX plugin to accomplish auto-tweaking of these controllers based on note duration: check out the thread here. (\"http://www.northernsounds.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Number=157724&amp;page=0&amp;view=collap sed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=&amp;fpart=1#157724\")

- m

[rkl122]

Some people have asked about a new improved guide. If one ever comes out, this should be in it.

It\'s in the old one guys, right above the detailed list of instruments about half way thru, right after the descriptions of the different sections of instruments and their placements... ;)

Yeah, but it doesn't mention that VAR 2 is not implemented in the current version of the player! :rolleyes:

I'm a new user - one day old installation. I spent several hours going through the sounds and checking the controls, wondering why I wasn't hearing a response to VAR 2. The search function on this forum doesn't permit the phrase "VAR 2", so it's taken me a while to find this thread. At least I know I wasn't imagining things. Tom's statement above about the player revision is now two months old. I hope the new player will be available soon (I don't have the full Kontakt). I look forward to exploring the potential of GPO, and to using it effectively. I trust the discordance between the manual's description of VAR 2 and its actual implementation will prove just a minor inconvenience along the learning curve. -Ron

[Rico]

I also noted that the manual gives CC #18 for portamento - no wonder I never managed to get it to work until I read this thread *lol*

/Rico