SEQUENCER - Adjusting Track Volumesby swivel
If you want to adjust track volumes in the sequencer POST insert FX, simply place an empty instance of energyxtE after the insertFX (don't internally connect anything in the energyxtE instance).
You can then use the wet/dry value (newly introduced in 1.3.0) on the energyXTE insert to adjust volume (0 is full volume, 100 is no volume).
I find this easier than adding a mixer after the sequencer object, and I don't really adjust volume pre insert FX because compression units and the like would have to be adjusted for the new level.
Using faders and value boxes in eXTby DarkStar
You can drag faders quickly but also:
Left-clicking either side of a fader causes it to jump to the new position
Right-clicking either side of the fader moves it by one
You can also drag the value in value boxes (eg Pan position or Send level), but also
Right-clicking in the left-hand side or right-hand side of a value box changes the value by one.
ADVANCED - Assigning midi channels within the samplerby Former Pharaoh
One that may be less obvious to some (like me ) is assigning MIDI channels within the sampler.
**Activate "Multi" click on '...' and select "add sound"**
I had someone explain this to me recently since I am used to assigning channels within a sampler in an easier fasion. Not that it isn't easy, it is just less obvious.
Rendering, making an even better default-song, alternative way to "FREEZE"by Jens
Here's another tip concearning rendering:
in my sequencer-template I have a folder called 'bitbox' which is alway the lowest track in
the sequencer and is always muted. It has two subfolders: 'midi-bitbox' and 'audio-bitbox'.
Audio 'bitbox' has by default two sub-tracks: 'guitars' and 'vocals' and 'midi-bitbox' has
as well two sub-tracks: 'synth' and 'drums'. There go all the parts I currently don't need.
Usually 'bitbox' is collapsed and minimized so it doesn't use a lot of space. If I need
something from it or if I want to put something inside it I just need to expand it.
So if I e.g. want to render a synth-track which uses too much cpu I only need to render all
the different used parts of the track to a new track (by selecting ne of each) and after
that I can drag the selected parts ion the 'synth'track in the 'midi-bitbox'.
Compared to freezing it's less flexible/comfortable if I would like to tweak the sound later
on but I can still sequence/arrange the parts later on without having to unfreeze again.
Also it's faster than freezing.
T T T T T or new rhythms with EnergyXTby tali
Have you ever been setting around thinking to yourself "Gee - I'm tired of that worn out old 4/4 common time, and would really like to jazz things up a bit with some different meters and polyrhythms, but just don't know where to start"?
Never fear! Try...Tali's Tantalizing Tuplet Tips (TM):
What's that you say? Oh - you want to hear a 13 over 5/4 polyrhythm?!?! Ok!
Open energyXT SA, insert a Sequencer, add an instance of e-phonic Drumatic, then add 2 MIDI tracks and connect the outputs to Drumatic.
Set the loop points for the first MIDI part so that they will loop on 5 beats (1 full measure, plus one beat on the sequencer timeline).
Compose a simple kick and snare pattern in 5/4 time (quantize if desired or needed).
Select the second MIDI track, and set the loop points on the timeline to encompass 13 beats (3 measures, plus one beat on the timeline).
Either step write, or manually play a hi-hat pattern where each note falls precisely on each of the 13 beats (quantize if desired or needed).
Now hold down the Shift-Key, grab the rightmost edge of the 13 beat MIDI clip, and drag it to the left, so that it has been compressed to fit in the time of the above 5/4 kick-n-snare drum pattern.
Press play, and you are now hearing a perfectly played 13 over 5/4 polyrhythm!
Oh - but wait! Our Funky Polyrhythmic Drummer knows no limits! Laughing
Ctrl-Click and drag-copy each of the MIDI clips so they are extended to a 10 beat cycle.
Add another MIDI track, and set the loop-points to 19 beats, and play or step write another part with the toms (or sound of choice), where each note falls on the 1/4 beat (quantize if desired or needed).
Now hold down the Shift-Key, grab the rightmost edge of the 19 beat MIDI clip, and drag it to the left, so that it has been compressed to fit in the time of the above 10/4 kick-n-snare drum pattern.
Press play, and now you are hearing 19 notes precisely in the time of 10/4, with the 13 over 5/4!
To break things up a bit if the rhythms get too busy, open the MIDI parts in the editor and delete some of the notes to give some 'air' to the rhythms.
SEQUENCER - A little envelope-automation manualby Jens ( also, see energyXT Commands Guide: "Sequencer - Tracks and Parts" >> "Envelope (Automation) Tracks" )
you can make automation-presets which you can save in categorised folders and easily load them when you need them.
that way you can save standard-waveforms such as sine, square and sawtooth and use them as LFO's for any automatable vst-parameter.
you can assign them to several tracks at once.
also you can assign them to several parameters at once.
you can easily duplicate automation-parts by pressing crtl+d.
you can shrink/stretch them by pressing shift while dragging them.
they are ghosted by default.
you can mute them by pressing crtl+m.
the little dot which changes the speed of the curve makes it very easy to draw complex curves.
if you want to automate the volume of a track you need to route an envelope-track to it.
Envelope-tracks are by default set to CC74 (don't ask me why). You can change this in
the track header after having opened it for editing (double click the envelope-track header).
But for now leave it at CC74. Now you only need to set the volume-fader to CC74. To do this
right-click on the '1' right beside the level-meter of the audio-track and select 'map to CC'
from the menu that opens now. Choose '74'. That's all.
If you have a template (e.g. your default project) with pre-defined tracks you can set them
all to 74 which makes it easier to automate them.
if you want to automate a vst/vsti parameter you again need to route the envelope-track
to the track the vst/vsti is loaded to. Then you need to open the vst-gui and select
'CC-map' from the top left corner of the gui-window. Now a new small window pops up
which for now has only one button: 'new' - click on it. Now you've got a parameter
drop-down menu and on the left you can set the CC# - set it to '74' for a start.
On the right you have minimum and maximum values. When the minimum value is bigger
than the maximum value it turns the automation direction around.
If you want to automate further parameters simply click 'new' once more.
How to get rid of audio-material after recording. Organizing XT-foldersby Jens
when you start a new project give it it's own sub-folder. Do this by choosing 'save as'
Right-click in the save-dialogue and select 'create-folder'. Important: Do this in any
case before you make your first audio-recording. Save your project file in the new folder
you just created (e.g. c:\song-projects\eXT-projects\song one\song1.ext)
after that select 'song sample folder' from the 'options'-menu and choose the newly
created folder. This means all the audio-files you record for this certain project go
into this certain-folder.
When you made an audio-recording (e.g. you recorded 12 takes of vocals but you only need
one composite-take out of it) and you edited the result so that you are satisfied, and
are sure that you don't need the rest of the wave-file anymore:
double-click on the part(s) the wave-file resides in so that the editor opens.
Double-click on the waveforms on all used channels in the editor and from the
'process menu' in the top-left corner choose 'trim'. Now eXT renders a trimmed copy
of the audio-file and names it appropriately (e.g. when the original file is
'record_22.wav' the trimmed copy is named 'record_22_trim.wav' and when you trim further
bits of the same original audio-file the subsequent trimmed copy is called
'record_22_trim_1.wav' and so forth.
Now if you did this with all of the audio-files you use in a project and you are sure
that you are satisfied and don't need the original audio-files anymore because the
trimmed copies are what you want you can safely close eXT and open the folder 'song one'
in Windows Explorer and delete all audio-files that start with 'record*' but don't
end with '*trim*.wav'.
be careful though: if several different parts in the sequencer use the same recording
trim them all!
also you can now select 'show samples' from the 'options-menu' within eXT and delete
all entries for the files you just deleted.
WORKAROUND - Panning Automation of AudioTracks with "Orange Peel"by RChler
if you are about to mix a song, you might realize (as I did) that Jorgen hasn't yet
implemented a Native "Map to CC" of the Panning function...and not every VSTi has some
kind of Panning Control as well...
This is a nice Workaround recently suggested by the Coder of the Orange Series, Benedikt :
Use the ORANGE PEEL, which is a very basic Channel Strip Plugin, as insert to your
audio track...now you can easily automate the internal Panning Control of Orange Peel.
Orange peel is quite low CPU consuming, and you can do several other nice things with it,
for example a bit LOFI Sound by using the Low/highPass Filters...
