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Partikl 3 User Guide

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Partikl Editor : Sample Data Dialog

Samples Dialog DLS Editing screenshot, small

Note: Not available in Mixtikl mobile versions

Overview

This dialog lets you attach you attach DLS wavetables or custom "Partikl" wavetable sounds to your content.

The main controls in this unit are:

Tool bar:

  • OK - close the dialog, committing your changes.
  • Close - close the dialog, ommitting your changes.
  • DLS - shows the controls related to using DLS wavetable data.
  • Ogg - shows the controls related to using Ogg, WAV & AU files in a virtual wavetable.
  • Refresh all files - Press this to ask Partikl to re-load all referenced sample data files (e.g. DLS/Ogg files) from the host file system, whereever they can be found. Use this when you have, for example, modified a set of underlying breakbeat sounds and want to reload them.
  • Apply! - Press this to manually apply your changes to the underlying piece! If the Auto Apply? checkbox is set, then changes are applied automatically as you make those changes; you can clear this check-box to turn-off this auto-apply behaviour.
  • Import - not currently implemented
  • Export - not currently implemented

Notes on Partikl Wavetables and DLS wavetables

Partikl allows you to use both custom "Partikl" virtual sample wavetables, which you can build-up yourself from original sample files (including, for example, custom sample files in the highly compressed Ogg Vorbis format), or DLS-format files. The Ogg button related controls let you manipulate Virtual Wavetables using custom samples, and the DLS button related controls let you assign DLS wavetables that you might have available on your system. Any such files that you associate with your content are saved within the Partikl file (unless referenced by path only), and are therefore bundled automatically with your MIDI/noatikl file and effects/sound settings.

Press either the Ogg button or DLS button to display the data associated with each of the two wavetable types.

DLS Wavetables

This section is split into two regions:

  • DLS wavetables - you can have as many of these as you require. Each DLS wavetable must own at least one DLS item. Add the Wavetables first.
    • Files Add - Press this button to browse your file system to load a new DLS file to make available to this dialog. This file will only be saved within your content if it is actually referenced by one of your DLS wavetable entries.
    • Files Refresh - Press this to reload the currently selected custom sample file from the file system (if it can be found!).
    • Files Info - Press this to display information on bank/instrument/region data within the currently selected DLS wavetable. Tip: this dialog can be very useful when figuring-out which bank (and/or patch) to load data from.
  • DLS item - you can have as many of these as you require within each DLS wavetable. The DLS item defines how data is to be used from the DLS file specified by the owning DLS wavetable.

    • Load All load all banks from the specified wavetable.
      • Note: all data is loaded; both melodic and drum (percussive) sample data. Drum bank data is only available on MIDI line 10 ; melodic bank data is available to all lines other than MIDI line 10.
    • Load Bank load the specified bank from the specified bank (this bank is specified using the From Bank list box - you must specify your bank using the top list; the available patches are listed for your information in the bottom list), into the specified bank (this bank is specified using the To Bank Major/Minor sliders).

      Example: you might have data in your file called fred.dls, in bank 53; and you want to load this into bank 0 so that your MIDI file can play it using bank messages that specify bank 0.

      • Note: if a bank is a drum bank, it is marked as such in the From Bank list box. Drum bank data is only available on MIDI line 10 ; melodic bank data is available to all lines other than MIDI line 10.
    • Load Patch load the specified patch, from the specified bank and patch (this is specified using the From Bank/Patch list boxes, into the specified bank and patch (specified by you using the To Bank Major/Minor and To Patch sliders).
      • Example: you might have data in your file called fred.dls, in bank 53 at patch 7; and you want to load this into bank 0 and patch 6 so that your MIDI file can play it using bank messages that specify bank 0 and patch 6; in this case, you need to create just one DLS item.
      • Example: you might have data in your file called fred.dls, in bank 53 at patch 7 and bank 99 patch 8; and you want to load this into bank 0 / patch 6 and bank 0 / patch 7 so that your MIDI file can play it using bank messages that specify bank 0 and patches 6 and 7; in this case, you need to create two DLS items.
      • Note: if a bank is a drum bank, it is marked as such in the From Bank list box. Drum bank data is only available on MIDI line 10 ; melodic bank data is available to all lines other than MIDI line 10.

Ogg Wavetables

This section is split into three:

  • Audio Files - you can have as many of these as you require. Each sample wavetable must own at least one instrument.
  • Instruments - you can have as many of these as you require within each sample wavetable. The instrument defines the bank/patch that your underlying regions play through. Each instrument can have optional articulators that define how the sample data is to be interpreted by the underlying synthesizer. Note that each instrument must contain at least one region. Use the Is Drum? checkbox to indicate if you want this sample data to be available to MIDI line 10 (otherwise, the sample data is available to all lines other than line 10).
  • Regions - you can have as many of these as you require within each instrument. The region defines the sample data to be used to play a specific range of frequencies and/or velocities, for the bank/patch defined within the definition of the owning instrument. Important parameters such as the key/velocity for which a given region corresponds, are defined using the Region Key/Map/Loop dialog. Each region can have optional articulators that define how the sample data is to be interpreted by the underlying synthesizer; where defined, such articulation information overrides the corresponding articulators defined for the owning instrument.
    • Samples Add - Press this button to browse your file system to load a new sample file to make available to the dialog. This file will only be saved within your content if it is actually referenced by one of your regions.
    • Samples Refresh - Press this to reload the currently selected custom sample file from the file system (if it can be found!).

Region Key/Map/Loop dialog

This dialog is used to edit various critical settings for the region. The process of building-up regions such that different regions work for different pitch and/or velocity ranges is termed layering.

  • Pitch - defines the MIDI pitch at which the sample was recorded. 60 is Middle C (C4)
  • Key Min - defines the minimum MIDI pitch ("key") for which this region is used; 0 is the minimum value, 127 is the maximum, 60 is middle C.
  • Key Max - defines the maximum MIDI pitch ("key") for which this region is used; 0 is the minimum value, 127 is the maximum, 60 is middle C. A value of 0 is the default, which is treated as though it were 127. Tip: if you only want the region to apply to just one pitch, then set both Key Min and Key Max to the same value.
  • Velocity Min - defines the minimum MIDI velocity for which this region is used; 0 is the minimum value, 127 is the maximum.
  • Velocity Max - defines the maximum MIDI velocity for which this region is used; 0 is the minimum value, 127 is the maximum. A value of 0 is the default, which is treated as though it were 127.
  • Start - the first sample item that is used from the region's sample data file. Tip: you could (for example) associate just one sample file with your piece, and have each region use a different area of that "master" sample file using the Start and End parameters; this can save a lot of overhead that might otherwise be wasted in having lots of small sample files that each has a substantial file header associated with the corresponding audio format.
  • End - the last sample item that is used from the region's sample data file.
  • Loop? - set this if you want the sample to loop. In which case, the following parameters apply:
    • Forward? - set this if you want the sample to loop from start to end and back again...
    • Loop and Release? - set this if you want the sample to loop from start to end and back again... and then use a particular release area of the source sample, which is defined using the Start and Length sliders that immediately follow:
      • Start - the first sample item to be used when releasing. region's sample data file.
      • Length - the number of sample items to be used when releasing, measured from the start item.

Articulators dialog

This dialog is used to edit various articulator settings for both instruments and regions. This dialog is split into three regions. Note that whereever a value is displayed as -1, this is a special value which means to use the internal default behaviour.

  • Amplitude Envelope - used to define amplitude envelope parameters.
    • Delay ms - delay time in milliseconds
    • Attack ms - attack time in milliseconds. Tip: use this to add a slow attack to your samples!
    • Hold ms - hold time in milliseconds
    • Decay ms - decay time in milliseconds
    • Release ms - release time in milliseconds
    • Sustain - sustain level (from 0 to 127)
  • Vibrato LFO - used to define Vibrato LFO settings.
    • Freq mHz - frequency in milliHertz
    • Delay ms - delay in milliseconds
    • To Pitch mCents - to pitch factor in millicents
    • CC1 to Pitch mCents - CC1 to pitch factor in millicents
  • Modulation LFO - used to define Modulation LFO settings.
    • Freq mHz - frequency in milliHertz
    • Delay ms - delay in milliseconds
    • To Pitch mCents - to pitch factor in millicents
    • CC1 to Pitch mCents - CC1 to pitch factor in millicents