Velocity switching workaround ?

[MotorBongo]

Just curious, anybody found a workaround/trick/method yet how to realize velocity switching of samples on the SP-606 ? (as found on rackmount samplers & even the MPC500)

So not just increasing volume, but also switching to another (timbre of the same) sound.

One cloud for instance put those different samples on different pads, but then you have to adapt the MIDI-notes that you send to the SP-606 as well.

At least I thought the MIDI-notes for each pad in each bank are fixed....

... only thing I could think of to realize velocity switching by sending out a higher MIDI-channel if you hit harder on the controller that you use to send MIDI-data to the SP-606 ...
(realizing it just on the SP-606 by itself can only by the mentioned method of using different pads with each a different sample)

Thanks!

[preqwal]

Don't think this is possible as each sample is triggered by the midi note, not velocity. My MPC1000 could do this tho. Was quite handy at times.

I would copy the sample several time over some of the pads and manually change the sound a little so I could trigger them when i wanted it.

For example.

I have a 404sx that doesn't have velocity pads, but I want to program a pattern to have velocity hi-hats. I'll copy the sample sample over say 8 pads. Then manually change the volume, start and end points of each sample. now I can program a realistic hi hat phrase with different velocities

[MotorBongo]

Hi,

Thanks for the response. The copying to other pads for variations works indeed, only too bad we need to trigger with different MIDI-notes.
In fact a bit nasty from Roland that they gave the SP-606 velocity pads, but without velocity switching !

Hmm, I forgot if the SP-606 sends out MIDI-data (notes) when playing the pads (I assume it should, but surprisingly thought to have seen that it didn't -
which would mean that you can't use it as a stand-alone trigger-pad to control other sound sources !?!? Or perhaps only by MIDI(USB), just not from the MIDI(DIN) connectors?

In case it DOES send MIDI-notes + velocity information, one could try subsequent processing of the audio, controlled by
the MIDI-data. Haven't tried it, but I guess an external MIDI-controlled filter like the Waldorf '4-pole' filter could in some way ot another be made to open up more
with increased velocity.

Thanks!

[preqwal]

It does send MIDI data. I seem to remember using it to trigger the drum rack within ableton live (I think anyway)

[Ill Green]

Well, the MPC500 has 4 sample layers per pad and thats why it can perform velocity sample changes like that. 606 has one sample per pad, but there are Mute Groups Just gotta have fast hands to make samples change to another on the fly. Thats the only workaround on the machine, but the MIDI thing might work.

[MotorBongo]

It does send MIDI data. I seem to remember using it to trigger the drum rack within ableton live (I think anyway)

That's sure good to hear ! So far I did only check it by some MIDI-data analyser, which didn't report MIDI-notes coming from the SP-606 when pressing pads, but I'm glad to hear it _does_ send notes.
Would have been a BIG omission if it hadn't been like you describe!

Thanks!

[MotorBongo]

Well, the MPC500 has 4 sample layers per pad and thats why it can perform velocity sample changes like that. 606 has one sample per pad, but there are Mute Groups Just gotta have fast hands to make samples change to another on the fly. Thats the only workaround on the machine, but the MIDI thing might work.

Too bad they limited the SP-606 to just one sample/pad, but can imagine Roland doesn't want to provide all functionality that one could think of in one machine - they need to sell other boxes as well...

After the SP-606 would have received velocity switching, we'd be asking for round-robin. And after that we'd want ... etc etc

You mean using the mute-groups for related pads (samples) & then moving between these pads for the desired variation, right ? Or some other nifty trick ?

Another by-MIDI workaround that might work is when triggering the SP-606 from say an Octopad. At least the PAD-80 has some velocity-switching possibilities, where additional samples/settings come into play when hitting harder. I've only thought about this so far & thought to have found confirmation in the manual that it could work indeed like I hoped, but I haven't actually tried it yet. Those PAD-80's go cheap.

Bye !

[PHeMoX]

You could look into the MFX though, but it would involve resampling too if you don't wish to rely on velocity alone for accents.