Root Keys & Key Range

 

In many cases it is great fun to mess around with the root key, and velocity range settings of a soft sampler. It could be useful for almost any type of instruments, but we decided to focus on some of our "MysteryBox" products. Soundscapes and atmospheres are perfect material for root key & key range manipulation.

We used the second sample from the "MysteryBox 1" package. Originally it is mapped to the D1 key.

Please click here to hear the original version of the sample.

 

 

Then we started messing around, leaving the root key at D1 but extended the key range heavily. Afterwards we created this Midi sequence triggering the same sample 10 times from F2 to D4. This resulted in a totally different sound. Note how the "mood" changes several times during the sequence.


 
Please click here to hear what this new version sounds like.

 

 

We also tried the opposite: playing the same sample much lower than originally intended. The root key was changed to D3, and the velocity range was extended all the way down to C-2.

Then the sample was triggered a few times on the keys C2, G#1 and G2. This revealed a much darker quality to the sample. Experimenting this way gives almost endless creative possibilities once you get started.And lots of fun!

. 

Please click here to listen to the second version.

Note that all MysteryBoxes actually include program files designed like this. A single sample mapped to C3, and an extended key range from C-2 to C8.