Working with Splits

The Structure Of A Split

VSampler presets are devided into splits. A split defines

 You can assign some additional attributes to a split:

The management of split attributes happens at the pages "Volume", "Filter", "LFO", "Effects" and "Controllers" (see below).

A special feature of VSampler is the synthesizer-split (see The Synthesizer too). This special split does not have an underlying sample. Instead the sampledata is generated in realtime by the integrated synthesizer. This eats up more CPU power than the direct playback of an (already calculated) sample from memory. All other things of a "sythesizer split" are identical to "normal" splits and you can manage them alike.

The Split Management

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The split management is located on top of the on-screen keyboard and shows the splits of the currently selected preset graphically. The current split is marked, all other splits have a different color. With a mouseclick you can change the current split. Additionally you can move the splits with the mouse and change them in size. A more comfortable split-management is provided by the integrated split zones editor (see below), you can activate it with the "Zones" tab. Below the bankselection panel you can find 3 additional buttons to navigate through the splits and to delete the current split.

Managing Split Zones

The split zones editor can be activated by selecting the "Zones" tab. The split zones editor allows flexible editing of splits as well as changing the split's keyrange and root key. Additionally is shows stacked splits and velocity layers graphically.

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The Split Zones page has the following elements:

Within the split window you can assign split ranges (key ranges or velocity ranges) for each split with the mouse. By holding the left mouse button you can resize splits as well as move splits.

The Split Drumloop Mode

The combobox "Split Mode" on the "Presets" page allows easy playback of drumloops (phrase sampler). To activate it, set the Split-Mode to "DrumLoop". The special about this mode: it starts the sound with the first Note-On command and stops it with the next Note-On command for this Note, not with the usual Note-Off.

The Split Monophonic Mode

The combobox "Split Mode" on the "Presets" page allows easy playback of exclusive drumsamples  (e.g.. Hi-Hats). To activate it, set the Split-Mode to "Monophonic". This feature sends a note-off command to any voices of the split already playing when triggering a new voice. Only one voice of such a Split is active at any time. Additionally you can specify a release time for "cut" voices.

The Split OneShot Mode

The combobox "Split Mode" on the "Presets" page allows easy playback of OneShot Samples. To activate it, set the Split-Mode to "OneShot". OneShot samples are played exactly one time to the end of the sample regardless of incoming Note-Off MIDI events. The OneShot mode is not available for looped samples.

The Split Grouped Mode

The combobox "Split Mode" on the "Presets" page allows easy playback of grouped splits. To activate it, set the Split-Mode to "Grouped". You must also assign a group to the split on the "Zones" page (see above). Additionally the polyphony for each group can be limited and you can specify a release time for "cut" voices.

The Volume Page

The Volume page provides settings for the envelope of the currently selected splits as well as velocity settings. The envelope defines, how the volume of the splits changes with the time.

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The Volume-page consists of:

The Envelope Graph

An envelope has 5 sections (ADHSR):

The envelope can be edited graphically with the mouse. With left mousekey pressed you can move the envelope nodes. The start of the release section is marked with "Off".

The "A", "D", "H", "S" and "R" buttons are used to enable or disable logarithmic scaling for the appropriate envelope segment. The allows natural sounding envelopes.

The envelope timer resolution is 10 ms, so an attack-rate of 63 means an attack-time of 630 ms. On demand the stepsize can be scaled up via the input field "EG x" (EG multiplier), a scale factor of 2 results in an attack-time of 1000 ms at an attack-rate of 50. The maximum technical resolution of an envelope is always 10 ms and is not affected by the scale factor.

Possible rates for all sections range from 0 (no delay) to 63 (delay multiplied by the selected EG scale factor). The possible volume levels range from 0 (silence) to 128 (maximum level).

General Settings

Velocity Options

The following options affect the velocity-behaviour of the selected split. Velocity is the strength that is used to play a specific note. MIDI velocity ranges from 0 (no velocity at all) to 127 (highest velocity). A velocity-enabled keyboard sends the actual velocity value of a note with every keystroke. To receive velocity data you need to activate the checkbox Channel Velocity in the Preferences|MIDI dialog (see MIDI Connections).

The following options are available:

Saving and Loading of Settings

By using the "1", "2" und "3" in the topleft corner you can save or recall the settings of this page. There are 3 internal memory areas (1-3) reserved by VSampler. Saving the settings is done by a click with the right mouse button onto the appropriate button, by left clicking the settings are restored.

Changing all splits of a Preset at once

The checkbox Change all Splits can be used to apply all changes within the "Envelope" page to all splits of the current preset (instrument).

The Filter Page

The filter page can be used to apply digital filters to the sound output of a split. You can use up to 2 independent filters per Split. You can choose between a resonant lowpass filter and a resonant highpass filter. Both filters can optionally be controlled by an envelope or LFO or both.

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The "Filter" page consists of  an envelope-graph and the sub-pages "General", "Velocity" and "LFO".

The button "Cutoff-Curve" can be used to define a custom filter curve.

The button Apply makes the filter with the actual settings permanent (changes the sample data), this saves CPU cycles because the realtime calculation of the effect isn't necessary anymore.

The "Selection" control in the topright corner is used to select the current filter ("Filter 1" or "Filter 2") for this Split.

The Envelope Graph

The filter envelope has 5 sections (ADHSR):

The envelope can be edited graphically with the mouse. With left mousekey pressed you can move the envelope nodes. The start of the release section is marked with "Off".

The "A", "D", "H", "S" and "R" buttons are used to enable or disable logarithmic scaling for the appropriate envelope segment. The allows natural sounding envelopes.

The envelope timer resolution is 10 ms, so an attack-rate of 63 means an attack-time of 630 ms. On demand the stepsize can be scaled up via the input field "EG x" (EG multiplier), a scale factor of 2 results in an attack-time of 1000 ms at an attack-rate of 50. The maximum technical resolution of an envelope is always 10 ms and is not affected by the scale factor.

Possible rates for all sections range from 0 (no delay) to 63 (delay multiplied by the selected EG scale factor). The possible levels range from 0  to 128.

The options "Env->Freq" (envelope to filter cutoff) and "Env->Res" (envelope to filter resonance) on the "General" tab are used to specify how the envelope influences the filter (see "General Settings").

General Settings

On the "General" page you specify general settings for the filter:

Velocity Options

On the subpage "Velocity" you specify velocity settings for the filter.

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You can adjust the following options:

LFO Options

On the subpage "Velocity" you specify options for an additional LFO of the filter.

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The following options are available:

You can also affect the filter by using the two LFOs on the "LFO" page (see below).

Saving and Loading of Settings

By using the "1", "2" und "3" in the topleft corner you can save or recall the settings of this page. There are 3 internal memory areas (1-3) reserved by VSampler. Saving the settings is done by a click with the right mouse button onto the appropriate button, by left clicking the settings are restored.

Changing all splits of a Preset at once

The checkbox Change all Splits can be used to apply all changes within the "Filters" page to all splits of the current preset (instrument).

The LFO Page

VSampler provides up to 2 LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillator) per Split. You can change settings for these LFOs on the "LFO" page.

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The LFO page consists of an envelope-graph and controls that affect the currently selected LFO.

The "Selection" control in the topright corner is used to select the current LFO ("LFO 1" or "LFO 2") for this Split.

The Envelope Graph

The LFO envelope has 5 sections (ADHSR):

The envelope can be edited graphically with the mouse. With left mousekey pressed you can move the envelope nodes. The start of the release section is marked with "Off".

The "A", "D", "H", "S" and "R" buttons are used to enable or disable logarithmic scaling for the appropriate envelope segment. The allows natural sounding envelopes.

The envelope timer resolution is 10 ms, so an attack-rate of 63 means an attack-time of 630 ms. On demand the stepsize can be scaled up via the input field "EG x" (EG multiplier), a scale factor of 2 results in an attack-time of 1000 ms at an attack-rate of 50. The maximum technical resolution of an envelope is always 10 ms and is not affected by the scale factor.

Possible rates for all sections range from 0 (no delay) to 63 (delay multiplied by the selected EG scale factor). The possible levels range from 0  to 128.

General Settings

The following settings are available for the selected LFO:

Saving and Loading of Settings

By using the "1", "2" und "3" in the topleft corner you can save or recall the settings of this page. There are 3 internal memory areas (1-3) reserved by VSampler. Saving the settings is done by a click with the right mouse button onto the appropriate button, by left clicking the settings are restored.

Changing all splits of a Preset at once

The checkbox Change all Splits can be used to apply all changes within the "LFO" page to all splits of the current preset (instrument).

The Effects Page

The effects page can be used to apply digital effects to the sound output of a split.

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All available effects are shown, the included effects as well as Cubase VST plugin effects. You can activate and adjust the strength of both effects selectively (Effect Send).

The button Effect Properties opens a dialog window with controls for the currently selected effect.

The button Apply makes the effect with the actual settings permanent (changes the sample data), this saves CPU cycles because the realtime calculation of the effect drops.

For soundcards which support Environmental Audio Extension (EAX) it's possible to apply additional EAX effects to the output of the split. Those effects typically need less computing power than VSampler effects or VST plugin effects. You can activate or deactivate EAX at the menu entry Preferences|Audio (see Audio Preferences). The activation of EAX always causes the activation of the 3D extensions. And if your soundcard supports EAX it's vice versa too, the activation of 3D extensions always causes the activation of EAX.

For soundcards which support 3D sound it's possible to apply additional 3D effects to the output of the split. That's the purpose of the rotary knobs PanFB (Pan Forward-Backward) and PanTB (Pan Top-Bottom).  The activation of EAX always causes the activation of the 3D extensions. And if your soundcard supports EAX it's vice versa too, the activation of 3D extensions always causes the activation of EAX. You can activate or deactivate the 3D extensions at the menu entry Preferences|Audio (see Audio Preferences).

Saving and Loading of Settings

By using the "1", "2" und "3" in the topleft corner you can save or recall the settings of this page. There are 3 internal memory areas (1-3) reserved by VSampler. Saving the settings is done by a click with the right mouse button onto the appropriate button, by left clicking the settings are restored.

Changing all splits of a Preset at once

The checkbox Change all Splits can be used to apply all changes within the "Effects" page to all splits of the current preset (instrument).

The Controllers Page

At the controllers page you manage the MIDI effects for the current split.

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The following options are available:

The button Reset Controllers resets all controller settings back to the default settings.

Saving and Loading of Settings

By using the "1", "2" und "3" in the topleft corner you can save or recall the settings of this page. There are 3 internal memory areas (1-3) reserved by VSampler. Saving the settings is done by a click with the right mouse button onto the appropriate button, by left clicking the settings are restored.

Changing all splits of a Preset at once

The checkbox Change all Splits can be used to apply all changes within the "Controllers" page to all splits of the current preset (instrument).