4 velocity and performance controllers, Velocity, Velocity glide – FXpansion DCAM Synth Squad Operation Manual User Manual

Page 57: Performance controllers

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7:4 Velocity and Performance controllers

Velocity and performance controllers are special cases in DCAM: Synth Squad. They are the default sources for the
first 3 TransMod slots in each supplied preset, based on the philosophy that most people possess 3 main performance
controllers.
The first of these is MIDI key velocity, with the others typically being two of the following:
• modulation wheel
• aftertouch
• expression pedal
• breath controller
Velocity and performance controllers are arranged as follows in all presets:

TransMod slot 1

OnVel+: Key-on Velocity

TransMod slot 

Perf1+: Performance controller 1

TransMod slot 

Perf2+: Performance controller 2

Velocity

This is probably the most immediate control available to anyone with a MIDI keyboard. It requires no extra features or
hardware, and is available with ‘digital piano’ keyboards, which usually lack even a mod wheel.
It is also polyphonic! The TransMod system allows you to modulate any parameter with velocity, meaning that incredibly
dynamic sounds are possible. If you scale it through a random source, perhaps using the Load to Mod slot function, you
can create some incredibly chaotic effects.

Velocity Glide

This is a special type of glide function that smooths transitions to the modulation depths defined in slots driven by the
OnVel+ source (this source is assigned to slot 1 by default). Velocity glide is an additional way of creating glide effects
using a very accessible polyphonic performance modulator – keyboard velocity. See sections 6:3 and 7:6 for more details.

Performance controllers

Performance controllers are monophonic – they are applied to all voices. They are represented on the interface to the left
of the on-screen keyboard, but they are intended to be assigned to hardware controllers.

Performance

controllers 1 & 2

By default, the performance controllers are assigned as follows:

P1 (Perf 1)

Mod wheel (MIDI CC #1)

P (Perf )

MnPress (mono pressure, or channel aftertouch)

You can change these assignments to any other source such as pitch bend, breath controller, expression pedal or any
MIDI CC. In the preferences panel, select from a drop-down menu of possible sources for each of the 2 performance
controllers. See section 6:5 for more details of the preferences panel.
You can also assign performance controllers using the built-in MIDI Learn system. See section 6:8 for details of how to
use MIDI Learn. The on-screen controls representing the Perf1 and Perf2 controls are shown to the left of the keyboard
and to the right of the pitch-bend wheel.

Changing the

P (Perf ) assignment using MIDI Learn.

If you change these assignments (using either method), it is recommended that you save the preferences settings as
defaults (using the

Save as Defaults button in the preferences panel) so that they remain active for future sessions. The

preferences are unique for each synth, so you can have different assignments for different synths if you have a suitable
array of hardware controllers. Fusor’s own assignments override those of the synths when hosting them.

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