The Articulation Map Editor

The Articulation Map Editor allows you to modify existing maps or create new maps. You can create simple or sophisticated key switch and controller switch definitions, and define output transformations.

To open the editor, do one of the following:

Right-click in the Articulations pane and select Edit Articulation Maps

Click the Piano Roll view View menu and select Edit Articulation Maps

Figure 372. The Articulation Map Editor

A. Search filter for the map library B. All available articulation maps; double-click to add map to project C. Import articulation maps D. Articulation maps in the current project E. Export the selected articulation map F. Create groups for mutually exclusive articulations G. Articulations in the selected group H. The selected articulation’s generated MIDI events I. The selected articulation’s transformed MIDI events 

The Articulation Map Editor consists of several sections, as described below. In general, the workflow goes from left to right, top to bottom.

In use articulations are shown as bold text in the Articulation Map Editor.

Articulation Map Library section

This is an alphabetic list of all available articulation map files (.artmap) that are stored in the master library, which is located in the C:\Cakewalk Content\Cakewalk Core\Articulation Maps folder.

To insert a map into the current project, double-click the map, or select the map and click the button.

If you have other .artmap files that you would like to use in Sonar, they must be copied to the C:\Cakewalk Content\Cakewalk Core\Articulation Maps folder. The default Articulation Maps folder can be specified in Edit > Preferences > File - Folder Location.

Use the search filter to only show folders and articulations that match a specific text string.

To import additional maps into the global map library, click the Import button (see Importing articulation maps).

Articulation Maps in Project section

This section shows all articulation maps that exist in the current project, listed in the order they were added. The maps have either been imported from the master list, or created from scratch in the project.

If you have modified or created a new articulation map, and you want to use it in other projects, you must first export the map to the C:\Cakewalk Content\Cakewalk Core\Articulation Maps folder.

To do so, select the map(s) you want to export, then click Export. The exported maps now appear in the global Articulation Maps list, and can be imported into any project.

Articulation Groups section

Articulations in a map are organized into groups. Articulations that are mutually exclusive are typically grouped together, so they only occupy a single lane in the Articulations pane. Articulations that are in the same group cannot overlap on the timeline.

Drag to reorder groups, and right-click to delete or duplicate.

To add a group, click the button.

To delete the selected group, click the button.

Articulations section

This section lists all articulations in the selected group.

To add a new articulation, click the button, or click the Add from MIDI button to use MIDI Learn.

To delete the selected articulation, click the button.

The following settings are available:

Name. A textual description of the articulation. Double-click to rename.

Color. The articulation’s color, as shown in the Piano Roll view. Double-click to change the color.

Duration. The duration in ticks of generated MIDI events when their Play At attribute is set to Start, End, or Both. The default is 120 ticks.

Drag to reorder articulations, and right-click to delete or duplicate.

To move an articulation into a different group, drag it to a group in the Articulation Groups section.

To specify the articulation’s MIDI message(s), select the articulation and use the Generate New MIDI Events and/or Transform Existing MIDI Events section to define the MIDI data.

Generate New MIDI Events section

This section lists any MIDI events assigned to the selected articulation. These are events that are generated during playback.

To add a MIDI event, click the button, or click Add from MIDI to use MIDI Learn.

To delete the selected MIDI event, click the button.

The following settings are available:

Kind. The MIDI event’s type:

Note = MIDI Note

Key Aft = Key Aftertouch

CC = Continuous Controller

CC 14b = 14-bit Continuous Controller / xRPN (MSB + LSB), which offers 16,384 possible values instead of only 128 (only used for valid 14 bit controller numbers: CC 0–31, 99, and 101)

Patch = Patch/Program Change

Ch Aft = Channel Aftertouch

Wheel = Pitch Wheel

Chan. The MIDI event’s channel (1-16, Follow). When Follow is selected, the articulation will follow the track’s forced MIDI Channel (if set), or the MIDI channel of the articulation section event as specified in the articulation context menu.

Key/CC #. The MIDI event’s note or controller number.

Vel/CC.V. The MIDI event’s velocity or controller value.

Transpose. Specify if the articulation should obey or ignore the track’s Key+ (transpose) parameter (see Adjusting the Key/transposing a track (Key+)). This option should always be disabled for keyswitches. It should only be enabled if the articulation is generating “musical” note events.

Play At. Specifies when the articulation should be triggered, and its duration:

Start = Only play at the articulation event’s start time, for the Duration value specified in the Articulations section

End = Only play at the articulation event’s end time, for the Duration value specified in the Articulations section

Both = Play at the articulation event’s start time AND end time, both for the Duration value specified in the Articulations section

Duration = Play for the full duration as drawn in the Articulations pane

Chase Mode. Specifies how the MIDI event should be chased when starting playback mid-way through a project:

Note = Only the most recent note matching this event’s key will be sent. Only play the note if the note starts before the chase time, but ends after it.

CC = Only the most recent CC value matching this event’s CC Number will be sent.

Full =All instances of this event from the beginning of the track will be sent up until the playback start time.

Transform Existing MIDI Events section

This section lists any MIDI transforms assigned to the selected articulation. MIDI transforms apply real-time adjustment to existing MIDI data during playback, and you can change any input event to any output event. You can specify min/max ranges in order to filter which events get transformed.

Transforms are used to modify existing MIDI events within a track, and have many applications, such as:

Transposing the key of a note

Changing the MIDI channel of an event

Clamping or scaling the velocity of a note

Changing event type (e.g. breath control to aftertouch)

Each transform has an input filter, which specifies whether a MIDI event should be transformed or not. If the MIDI event in question matches the input filter requirements, then the output transform is applied.

To add a MIDI transform, click the button.

To delete the selected MIDI transform, click the button.

The following settings are available:

#. Shows the MIDI transform’s sequential number.

Filter. Each transform contains three rows, which provide control over the input filter, output filter, and offset filter.

The top row shows the input filter, which determines which events the transform should affect.

The middle row shows how the input events will be transformed during playback.

The button row lets you apply an offset during playback. You can use the offset controls instead of, or in combination with, the output filter.

The filter is very flexible. You can convert any input kind (Note, CC, etc.) to any output kind. For example, convert breath controllers to channel aftertouch.

You also have full control over value ranges by specifying min/max and offset values. By specifying the minimum and maximum value, you can make sure that only events mapped to a particular range are affected by the articulation.

Kind. Specifies the MIDI transform’s input and output event types:

Note = MIDI Note

Key Aft = Key Aftertouch

CC = Continuous Controller

Patch = Patch/Program Change

Ch Aft = Channel Aftertouch

Wheel = Pitch Wheel

New Note (Output only) = Doesn’t alter the existing event, but instead generates an additional note event based on the original event (for example, offset the key by +/- 12 do add octave doubling). You can offset the start time and override the duration of New Note output events:

Time Offset (T). A positive time delay in MBT that will be applied to the new note.

Duration Override (D). A replacement duration for the new note. If left at 0:00:000, the new note will inherit the duration of the original note.

Chan. Specifies the MIDI transform’s channel range (min and max).

Key/CC No. Specifies the MIDI transform’s key/CC range (min and max).

Vel/CC Val. Specifies the MIDI transform’s velocity or CC range (min and max).

Note: The Vel/CC Val Offset +/- value can operate in two modes. If the check box is not selected, the value indicates a percentage scaling (-127 to 200%). If the check box is selected, the value indicates an offset.

 

See:

Using Articulation Maps

Editing articulations

Creating an articulation map

Modifying an existing articulation map

Importing articulation maps

Exporting articulation maps

Applying articulations

Live articulations

Extracting keyswitch articulations from existing MIDI data

Articulation maps