Examples of growl?

[WaldoB]

Hello all,

I've just recently installed JABB, and will be using it mainly as a VST plugin within Cubase SX. I've successfully navigated the reefs having to do with activation and updates (whew!), and am happily exploring the potentials of the various instruments.

But so far, this "growl" feature (cc18, I think) has me stumped, and I wonder if someone might steer me to an example of what you think a good Garritan growl might be, and give me a clue about how to make it happen properly. The best I can get is not at all what I'd expected, and sounds quite like an embarrassing Bronx cheer--no matter what the instrument. Maybe it's just a semantic issue?

Best wishes, and thanks in advance!

[Little Red King]

Hi Waldo,

Unfortunately this post will not be to offer help, rather it is to say that I too have had a tough time figuring out how to use this effectively.

So any help ( maybe with a midi example ? ) that others more experienced with the functionality can offer will be much appreciated.

[Phil Coggan]

Hi Waldo,

I've not really looked into this but try this, record two or three notes with an exagerated setting 127 of the 'growl ' knob then record the same with 'growl' turned off, look into, if it,s Logic 'Hyper edit' to see what's happened, it might show up there.

Phil

[rbowser-]

Hi, Waldo

I don't have an example clip handy of the growl in action, but I can see what the problem is with the way you've tried it.

First I should say that the growl heard full tilt for any length of time doesn't sound like what one would expect. It's an artificial and staticy sound that isn't very attractive--I agree.

BUT, when used in moderation it really can give some oomph that you'd expect a "growl" effect to do.

The trick is that it's meant to be used as a CONtinuous controller. You don't insert a high value suddenly and just leave it that way for awhile, and then turn it off.

If you have a programmable slider or wheel on a keyboard, assign it to cc18. In the passage where you want the growl, begin with the wheel at zero, swoop it up on a note where you want the growl, but don't let it stay there more than a split second, swoop it back down again. If it's a bluesy passage with a lot of notes that could be growled, keep swooping it up in varying amounts on appropriate notes.

That's the way to use it. In a totally solo recording, the effect may still not be what you want, but in an ensemble, you'll definitely hear the grungier, bluesier effect sprinkled throughout a passage, doing a passable job of being a flutter tongue/growl performance.

If you're not using a keyboard, then go to your MIDI editor, set it for cc18, and draw some swooping peaks in, the same as if you'd recorded them in real time with a wheel or slider.

Try it!

Randy B.
(rbowser)

[WaldoB]

In a totally solo recording, the effect may still not be what you want, but in an ensemble, you'll definitely hear the grungier, bluesier effect sprinkled throughout a passage, doing a passable job of being a flutter tongue/growl performance.

Thanks very much for the specific tips, Randy. I've come to pretty much the same conclusion, and hope this thread will be helpful to other new users.

I find myself shying away from the available control surface hardware most recently...it's much easier (for me) to draw the values in the tracks and tweak them from there. The right combinations of controller variation, under the relevant musical conditions, can make a result that's quite impressive!

Best wishes, and thanks again!

[rbowser-]

Hi, Waldo

I'm with you on not being excited about this huge proliferation of control surfaces. They aren't needed.

Record your MIDI tracks, have even a humble keyboard with one assignable wheel - like the MK-4902 I use, and with a decent piece of recording software (I use Sonar Home Studio)--you have everything you need. Just dig into that Piano Roll View, and yoiu're pretty much set. Who needs remote control of all those things with hardware dials and switches? - People have to go in and hand edit the results anyway - or at least, they Should do that.

Do understand that I'm saying the growl effect in JAFF works well in an ensemble setting. It just has to be used as a continuous controller, not a "insert one value" thing.

Have fun!

Randy B.
(rbowser)