Controller Parameters

When setting up a controller it is sometimes useful to have parameters to guide how they activate. You can alter sensitivity and threshold to govern what level of change causes your controllers to activate.

Sensitivity

The sensitivity parameter governs how much change from one timbre, velocity, or speed to another will cause the controller to activate.

If you set up a Center-to-Edge timbre controller on the snare drum and leave the sensitivity parameter in its default state, when you assign it to a knob, you will notice that as you strike the drum repeatedly from the center to the edge, the knob will move to the right as you get closer to the edge.

Now move the left tab of the sensitivity controller to the center and play the snare in the exact same manner. Notice that the knob stays to the left until you get deeper into edge zone of the drum, then suddenly jumps to the right side before smoothly completing its transition to the right.

In this example, the center timbre’s sensitivity is controlled by the left side of the sensitivity parameter, while the edge timbre’s sensitivity is governed by the right tab. Additionally in a velocity controller’s sensitivity parameter, quiet hits are governed by the left tab and hard hits are governed by the right tab. In the Speed sensitivity parameter slower hits are governed by the left tab, and faster hits are governed by the right tab.

Threshold

You may want some controllers to activate only when a certain velocity threshold is met. By dragging the white line on the controller threshold parameter, you can govern the minimum velocity required to activate a controller. The top bar of the threshold parameter is a handy input monitor that will indicate the level of velocity input that is received by the controller.

If you put a velocity controller on a channel or pad and assign it to a knob, increasing the threshold will cause you to have to play harder to activate the controller.

The controller threshold parameter is helpful if you don’t want an effect activating on quiet musical gestures.

Range and Smooth

When you assign a controller to a knob, number box, or slider in Sensory Percussion, you will notice that an assignment description and controls will appear under the assignments tab. The range limits the scope of the assignment’s movement - for example, moving the left tab to the right means the assigned knob, number box, or slider will never hit its lowest value. Conversely, moving the right tab to the left means that control will never hit its highest value.

The smooth parameter sets the amount of time the controller glides between values. When fully disengaged (in its default position) the controller leaps between values, and when fully engaged it slides smoothly.