Steinberg Groove Agent - SE4 Operation Manual
Operation Manual
Matthias Klag, Michael Ruf
Cristina Bachmann, Heiko Bischoff, Christina Kaboth, Insa Mingers, Sabine Pfeifer,
Quarshie, Benjamin Schütte
Kevin
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The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent
a commitment on the part of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. The software described
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All product and company names are ™ or ® trademarks of their respective holders. For more
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© Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH, 2014.
All rights reserved.
Table of Contents
4 Introduction
4 Window Overview
4 About Agents, Kits, Presets, and Groove
Agent ONE Content
7 Getting Started
7 Presets
7 Loading a Kit Preset
8 Pattern and Instrument Pads, MIDI Patterns,
and Styles
9 Playing back Pattern Pads with the Style
Player
10 Creating the Different Parts of a Drum Track
11 Recording Trigger Notes for Your Patterns
11 Dragging Patterns into a Project
12 Modifying Patterns in the DAW
13 Managing Your Sounds
13 Loading Kits
13 Kit Slot
14 Kit Rack
14 Kit Context Menu
17 Common Editing Methods
17 Encoders and Sliders
17 Multi Selection and Parameter Controls
18 Buttons
18 Value Fields
19 Using Key Commands
20 Presets
22 Working With Pads
22 Common Pad Settings
23 Pad Functions
24 Instrument Pads
31 Pattern Pads
75 Acoustic Agent SE (Cubase Elements
only)
75 Sound Editing
81 Pattern Editing
87 Mixing
90 Mixing and Effect Handling
90 AUX Mixer
91 Kit Mixer
92 Master Mixer
92 Effect Handling
94 Effects Reference
94 Reverb and Delay Effects
98 EQ Effects
101 Filter Effects
105 Distortion Effects
107 Modulation Effects
116 Dynamics Effects
126 Panner Effects
127 Automation and MIDI Controllers
127 Automation
128 MIDI Controllers
131 Global Functions and Settings
131 Plug-in Functions Section
132 The Plug-in Name and Steinberg Logo
132 Toolbar
134 Options Page
138 Mixer Routing Diagrams
140 Index
39 Beat Agent SE
39 Sound Editing
70 Pattern Editing
70 Mixing
72 Importing and Exporting Files
3
Window Overview
The application interface follows a fixed-size single window concept.
Introduction
The window is subdivided into several sections:
• The plug-in functions section at the top.
• The pad section on the left.
• The edit display on the right. It contains the Edit, Mixer, and Options pages.
About Agents, Kits, Presets, and Groove Agent ONE Content
Agents
Groove Agent SE combines the creative power of different rhythm modules:
Acoustic Agent SE and Beat Agent SE.
4
Introduction
NOTE
About Agents, Kits, Presets, and Groove Agent ONE Content
Each of these tools offers its own approach to drums and rhythms, with special
ways of creating your own inspiring beats in a huge range of styles.
Kits
Kits contain all information about the kit or sliced loop and about the insert effects
that are used on the mixer channel. Kits can also contain MIDI patterns.
Kits can be saved and loaded via the kit rack or the kit slot section.
Kit Rack
Kit Slot Section
Sliced Loop Kits
Instead of MIDI patterns, sliced loop kits contain the MIDI phrase that is needed to
play back the loop. Other than that, sliced loop kits are similar to regular kits, in that
they can use insert effects, etc.
Plug-in Presets (VST Presets)
A plug-in preset contains all information necessary to restore the complete state of
the plug-in. This includes the kit, the MIDI patterns, as well as any insert and AUX
effects. All of these settings are also saved with the project in your host application.
Groove Agent ONE Content
Groove Agent SE can load Groove Agent ONE presets. The presets can either be
loaded as kits in the kit rack or the kit slot section or as plug-in presets via the preset
management menu in the plug-in header.
If you load a Groove Agent ONE preset as a plug-in preset, the global plug-in
parameters are set to the default values.
If you load a preset as a kit, all global plug-in parameters remain unchanged.
Groove Agent ONE presets always show the icon for a plug-in preset in the
MediaBay, even if they are shown in the preset loader.
5
Introduction
About Agents, Kits, Presets, and Groove Agent ONE Content
Content Files and Folder Structure
Groove Agent SE comes with a large amount of ready-to-use sound content. This
content is write-protected. You can edit files while they are loaded, but you cannot
overwrite the factory content files.
To save edits to the factory content, save the files under a new name. These files
get the file name extension .vstpreset and are referred to as user content. They
can be searched and categorized in the same way as factory content.
User content is saved in a predefined folder structure on your hard disk. You can
create subfolders within this structure to facilitate moving or exchanging content.
6
Presets
PROCEDURE
Getting Started
To be able to play a sound in Groove Agent SE, you must load a preset. This can
either be a VST preset or a kit preset.
VST Presets
VST presets contain all Groove Agent SE settings, that is, all loaded kits and
their settings and all settings that are made for the plug-in instance. You can
load VST presets via the pop-up menus in the plug-in header and in the
plug-in functions section. In the Load dialog and in the MediaBay, these
presets are identified by the VST preset icon
.
Kit Presets
Kit presets contain the following:
• The kit and its samples. These are used on the Instrument page.
• The MIDI pattern or style with the corresponding MIDI files. These are
used on the Pattern page.
• The mixer presets. These are used in the Mixer.
Furthermore, kit presets contain information on the agent that the kit uses. In
the Load dialog and in the MediaBay, kit presets are identified by the kit
preset icon
Loading a Kit Preset
PREREQUISITE
Groove Agent SE is assigned to a MIDI track in your DAW.
.
1. Select the kit slot in the kit rack.
2. In the DAW, open the MediaBay.
3. Set up the MediaBay to show the Attributes Library Name, Style, and
Substyle.
7
Getting Started
Pattern and Instrument Pads, MIDI Patterns, and Styles
4. In the Library Name column, select a content set for an agent, for example,
Acoustic Agent SE Studio Kit.
5. In the Style and Substyle columns, specify the musical style that you want to
use.
6. In the results list, locate a preset for Acoustic Agent SE and double-click it.
Pattern and Instrument Pads, MIDI Patterns, and Styles
In Groove Agent SE, you can edit both the sounds and the patterns relayed by your
drum tracks.
Instrument sounds can be accessed through the instrument pads. The pattern that
is played can be edited via the pattern pads.
• To switch between the instrument pads and the pattern pads, click the
corresponding button above the pads.
Instrument Pads
If the instrument pads are shown, the pads trigger the instrument samples and
you can edit the sound of the instruments. These instruments are then used
by the pattern pads to play the selected MIDI pattern or style.
Pattern Pads
If the pattern pads are shown, the pads trigger the selected MIDI pattern or
style.
• MIDI patterns contain information on notes and drum sounds and the
rhythm in which they are played.
• Styles are complex structures of multiple patterns suited to create
different parts of the drum tracks, for example, main pattern, fill, ending,
and intro.
8
Getting Started
PROCEDURE
Playing back Pattern Pads with the Style Player
Playing back Pattern Pads with the Style Player
You can play back pattern pads using the MIDI pattern player or the style player.
The MIDI pattern player allows you to play and modify one pattern. The style player
offers a variety of patterns, suited to create the different parts of your drum tracks.
PREREQUISITE
You have loaded an Acoustic Agent SE preset.
1. In Groove Agent SE, open the Pattern page and click on an empty pattern
pad.
If a pattern pad is empty, it also plays the instrument sound, that is, if you click on the
empty pattern pad for C3, you will hear the same sound as if you clicked on the
instrument pad for C3.
2. To activate the pattern pad and make it play the pattern, open the Edit page
in the right section of the plug-in panel and click the Active button in the Pad
section so that it lights up.
3. In the Pattern section, click the Active button to activate the player, activate
the Use Style button to use the style player, and select a style from the Style
Library pop-up menu.
4. Adjust the tempo in the DAW to match the tempo of the style.
The original tempo of the style is indicated by the second number in the file name of
the style and in the Original Tempo value field in the Pattern section next to the Style
Library pop-up menu.
5. Click the Play button in the transport section to play back the style.
6. In the Performance section, try out different settings. Move the Complexity
slider, select a main pattern, a fill, an ending, etc., and listen to the results.
7. Keep the settings as they are and select different styles on the Pattern
Library pop-up menu in the Pattern section to compare the sound and to find
the style that you want to use.
9
Getting Started
PROCEDURE
Creating the Different Parts of a Drum Track
Creating the Different Parts of a Drum Track
To create different parts for your drum track, for example, an intro, a fill, a main part,
and an ending, it is useful to start by copying the current style to other pads. Then
modify the style for those pads.
PREREQUISITE
You have set up a pattern pad to play back a style.
1. To copy the settings of the current pad to another pad, hold down
[Alt]/[Option] and drag the pad onto another pad.
2. Repeat this until you have 4 pads with the same settings.
3. Select the second pad. In the Performance section, set the dial on the left to
a fill.
You can choose between 8 fills.
4. Set up the fill by using the controls in the Performance section. For example,
change the complexity, activate half-time, try out different intensity settings,
etc.
5. When the fill sounds the way you want it, right-click the pattern pad, select
Rename Pad from the context menu, and enter a name for the pad, for
example Fill.
6. Set up the pads for intro and ending in the same way.
AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK
You can now record trigger notes for the pads in the DAW or transfer the patterns
to the DAW by dragging them into a project.
RELATED LINKS
Converting Intros, Main Patterns, Fills, or Endings into MIDI Patterns
on page 82
Dragging Patterns into a Project on page 11
Recording Trigger Notes for Your Patterns on page 11
10
Getting Started
PROCEDURE
Recording Trigger Notes for Your Patterns
Recording Trigger Notes for Your Patterns
When you use Groove Agent SE in a DAW project, you can record trigger notes at
the positions where you want to trigger the pattern. This allows you to create the
drums for your project on the fly, in the project context.
PREREQUISITE
You have created a project in your DAW to which you want to add a drum track.
You have added a MIDI track that is assigned to Groove Agent SE.
1. In Groove Agent SE, set up the MIDI patterns or styles for your drum track.
2. In the DAW, record-enable the MIDI track and start playback of your project.
3. Record the trigger notes at the positions in the project where you want to hear
the drums.
RESULT
When you now play back the project, the trigger notes trigger the pattern playback.
You can automate parameters like complexity and intensity from within the DAW.
Any changes that you make to a pattern in Groove Agent SE are automatically
reflected in all occurrences of this pattern in the project.
Dragging Patterns into a Project
You can drag patterns from Groove Agent SE into your DAW project and edit them
there.
PREREQUISITE
You have created a project in your DAW to which you want to add a drum track.
You have added a MIDI track that is assigned to Groove Agent SE.
Before you drag your patterns into a project, make sure that the pattern pads are
not mapped to the same keys as the instrument pads.
If pattern and instrument pads share keys, activate the Use MIDI Port B for Pattern
Pads button in the lower left corner of the pattern pad section.
11
Getting Started
PROCEDURE
PROCEDURE
Modifying Patterns in the DAW
If you use separate MIDI ports for pattern and instrument pads, the trigger notes of
the pattern pads do not interfere with the notes that are part of your patterns, even
if pattern pads and instrument pads are mapped to the same keys.
1. In Groove Agent SE, set up the MIDI patterns or styles for your drum track.
2. Select the pad that plays the pattern that you want to use and drag it onto the
3. In the same way, drag the other pads into the project until you have assembled
RESULT
The patterns are inserted as MIDI parts on the track. When you play back the
project, the drum parts are played back as well.
RELATED LINKS
MIDI track at the position where you want to insert it.
your drum track.
Modifying Patterns in the DAW on page 12
Modifying Patterns in the DAW
When you have created MIDI parts for your Groove Agent SE patterns in your
project, you can further edit the parts in the DAW.
PREREQUISITE
You have assigned a MIDI track in your DAW to Groove Agent SE.
You have dragged your patterns to this track.
1. In the Inspector of your Steinberg DAW, open the Drum Map pop-up menu
for the track and select Create Drum Map from Instrument.
This creates a drum map based on the information about the used drum sounds in
Groove Agent SE.
2. Open the part in the Drum Editor.
The editor displays the correct drum names in the drum names list on the left. In the
event display on the right, the MIDI notes are shown.
3. Set up the pattern by deleting or entering notes, by copying or moving notes,
etc.
For information about how to edit notes and controllers in the Drum Editor, refer to
the “Operation Manual” for your Steinberg DAW.
12
Loading Kits
There are several ways to load kits:
• Via drag & drop from the MediaBay or the Windows Explorer/Mac OS Finder.
• Via the context menu in the kit rack.
• By clicking the Load Kit button at the right of the kit name in the kit slot
Managing Your Sounds
section.
Kit Slot
This section shows the name of the loaded kit. In addition, the following global
controls are available:
Load button
Click this button to show the list of available kits.
You can also click the kit name to open this list. Right-click the kit name to
open the kit context menu.
Load Previous/Next Kit
Click these buttons to load the previous/next kit from the list of available kits.
Load Kit with Patterns
Activate this button to make sure that kits are always loaded together with
their patterns.
Polyphony
Adjusts the polyphony of the kit.
MIDI Input Indicator
The MIDI symbol starts blinking if incoming MIDI signals are detected.
13
Managing Your Sounds
Kit Rack
Kit Rack
Velocity Curve
Sets the velocity response curve of the kit. This allows you to adapt the kit to
your hardware MIDI controller or playing style.
Song Position Counter
The song position counter shows the current song position in bars, beats, and
16th notes. If you activate the Play button in Groove Agent SE, the song
position counter always starts at 1.0.0.0 and runs until you click stop.
Tempo Display
The tempo display next to the position counter shows the tempo of the host
application.
The kit rack can be found to the right of the kit slot section.
It gives you an overview over the loaded kit and its agent, and allows you to perform
some kit editing via the context menu.
Kit Context Menu
14
Managing Your Sounds
Kit Context Menu
Load Kit
Opens a pop-up menu containing the available kits. Double-click a kit to load
it.
Load Kit With Patterns
Allows you to load a kit with its MIDI patterns, if any.
Load Pattern Group
Allows you to load a predefined set of MIDI file assignments and play
parameter settings for the 16 pads of the group.
Save Pattern Group
Allows you to save the 16 pads of the group and their settings as a pattern
group.
Delete Pattern Group
Allows you to delete a pattern group.
Save Kit
Saves the kit. If you try to overwrite write-protected factory content, a dialog
opens that allows you to save the edited kit under a new name.
Save Kit As
Allows you to save the kit under a new name.
Revert to Last Saved Kit
Reverts to the kit that was originally loaded on the slot. If the kit was loaded
without patterns, only the kit and no patterns are loaded.
Cut Kit
Copies the kit and its patterns and removes it from the slot.
Copy Kit
Copies the kit and its patterns.
Paste Kit
Pastes the copied kit into the slot. If the slot already contains a kit, it is
replaced.
Rename Kit
Allows you to rename the kit.
Reset Agent
Loads the Init preset of the agent.
Import
Allows you to import MPC and GAK files into Beat Agent SE kits.
15
Managing Your Sounds
NOTE
Kit Context Menu
Export Kit With Samples
Exports the Beat Agent SE kit together with its associated samples.
Samples that are part of protected content, such as the VST Sound content,
cannot be exported.
16
Common Editing Methods
NOTE
Encoders and Sliders
Encoders and sliders can be unidirectional or bidirectional. Unidirectional values, for
example level values, start at a minimum value and go up to the maximum.
Bidirectional controls start from the middle position and go to the left for negative
and to the right for positive values.
Most of the editing methods are the same for encoders and sliders.
• To adjust a value, click an encoder or a fader and drag up and down, or use
the mouse wheel.
If you press [Alt]/[Option] when clicking an encoder, a small fader appears,
allowing you to set the parameter.
• To make fine adjustments, press [Shift] and move the encoder or use the
mouse wheel.
• To restore the default value for a parameter, press [Ctrl]/[Command] and click
on the control.
Multi Selection and Parameter Controls
To edit multiple pad parameters at the same time, select the pads that you want to
edit.
If several pads are selected and they are not set to the exact same values, most of
the controls indicate this by turning red. This is true for encoders, switches, combo
boxes, value fields, and text faders.
For example, if you have selected 3 pads with cutoff frequency values of 1200,
1400, and 2500
1200 to 2500. The corresponding field shows the value of the focused pad in red.
More complex controls, such as the envelope editors, only show the values of the
focused pad.
Hz, the corona of the frequency encoders shows a range from
17
Common Editing Methods
Buttons
Adjusting the Value Ranges
You can adjust the value range of a parameter using the corona of the encoder. The
values for the pads are distributed within the new range, keeping their relative
distances.
• To compress or expand the value range, drag the corona.
• To adjust the upper limit of the range, hold down [Ctrl]/[Command] and drag
the corona.
• To adjust the lower limit of the range, hold down [Alt]/[Option] and drag the
corona.
Buttons
On/Off Buttons
Push Buttons
Value Fields
These controls normally have two states, off and on. If you move the mouse over an
On/Off button, it changes its appearance to show that you can click it.
Push buttons only trigger an action and then go back to their inactive state. These
buttons can be found for opening menus or file dialogs.
To set a value, you have the following possibilities:
• Double-click in a value field, enter a new value, and press [Enter].
If the entered value exceeds the parameter range, it is automatically set to the
maximum or the minimum value, respectively.
• Click in the value field and drag up or down to change the value.
• Position the mouse over a value field and use the mouse wheel to adjust the
value.
• To set the parameter to its default value, [Ctrl]/[Command]-click the value
field.
• To use a fader to adjust the value, [Alt]/[Option]-click a value field.
• Click the up/down triangles next to the field.
18
Common Editing Methods
NOTE
Using Key Commands
• You can adjust musical values, such as key ranges or the root key, using your
MIDI keyboard.
To enter a value with your MIDI keyboard, double-click the value field, press a
key on your MIDI keyboard, and press [Return].
• To navigate to the next parameter, press [Tab]. To jump backwards to the
previous parameter, press [Shift]-[Tab].
If no parameter is selected inside the focused view, pressing [Tab] always
jumps to the first parameter.
Using Key Commands
• To open the Key Commands dialog, click the Key Commands button.
The commands are arranged in a hierarchical folder structure on the left. When you
open a category folder, the items and functions are displayed with any currently
assigned key commands.
• To set up a key command, select the function in the list, enter the key
command in the Type in Key field and click the Assign button to the right of
the field. If this key command is already used for another function, this is
displayed in the field below.
• To delete a key command, select the corresponding command, select the key
command in the Keys list and click the Delete button (the trash icon).
• To search for a specific function, enter its name in the search field at the top
of the dialog and click the search button (the magnifying glass).
You can set up several key commands for the same function.
19
Common Editing Methods
NOTE
NOTE
PROCEDURE
Presets
Presets
Groove Agent SE offers two types of presets: section/module presets and VST
presets. VST presets contain all information necessary to restore the complete state
of the plug-in. Section and module presets store and recall the setup of a specific
component on the Groove Agent SE panel.
During setup, the factory presets are installed in a dedicated folder and a user folder
is created for your own presets. The handling of presets is the same throughout the
program.
Factory presets are write-protected, but may be overwritten when a software
update is executed. Presets in your user folder are never changed by the software
update.
For more information on VST presets, see the Cubase/Nuendo “Operation Manual”.
Handling Section and Module Presets
The preset controls can be found throughout the program. The handling is always
the same.
• To save a preset, click the Save button (the disk icon).
You cannot overwrite factory presets. If you want to save changes made to a factory
preset, save the preset under a new name or in a new location.
• To load a preset, click the arrow icon and select a preset from the list.
• To delete a preset, click the Delete button (the trash icon). Note that factory
presets cannot be deleted.
Handling VST Presets
Loading VST Presets
1. In the header of the plug-in panel, click the Preset management button next
to the preset name field and select Load Preset.
2. Select a preset to load it. Double-click a preset to load it and close the preset
loader.
20
Common Editing Methods
PROCEDURE
Presets
Saving VST Presets
• In the header of the plug-in panel, click the Preset management button next
to the preset name field and select Save Preset.
21
Working With Pads
Instrument and pattern pads have multiple functions and can show various
information about the pads. Some pad functions are only available for specific
agents. If this is the case, this is clearly stated.
The Pad section on the left can show the instrument pads or the pattern pads.
Instrument pads can be used to trigger samples. Pattern pads can trigger MIDI
drum patterns or styles.
• To switch between the instrument pads and the pattern pads, click the
corresponding button above the pads.
Transport Controls
• To start or stop playback of the selected pad, use the corresponding controls.
Common Pad Settings
• Pads show the associated MIDI note in the top right corner.
For pattern pads, you can change the MIDI note assignment. For instrument
pads, you can only change this if Use Hardware Controller Mapping is
activated.
• In the lower section, the name of the pad is displayed.
• If samples are assigned to an instrument pad, the LED above the pad lights
up.
• If a MIDI file is mapped to a pattern pad, the LED above the pad lights up.
• A pad lights up if the associated MIDI note is triggered.
• A yellow frame around a pad indicates that this pad is selected for editing.
22
Working With Pads
Pad Functions
Pad Colors
Selecting Pads
You can colorize the instrument pads and the pattern pads using up to 16 different
colors.
This can be used to improve the overview of instruments within your kit, for example.
You can set the bass drum to one color, the snare to another, toms and cymbals to
another, and so on.
• To apply a color to a pad or to several selected pads, open the context menu
and select a color from the Set Color submenu.
Apart from the regular selection options, you can use the additional selection
options on the pad context menu.
• Select All Pads – All 128 pads are selected.
• Select All Pads in Group – All 16 pads of the pad group are selected.
• Invert Selection – Selects all unselected pads and deselects all selected
• Invert Selection in Group – As above, but only for the pad group.
Pad Functions
• To change the name of a pad, right-click the pad, select Rename Pad from
• You can edit multiple selected pads. The first selected pad shows a yellow
• To select a pad without triggering a sample or pattern, [Alt]/[Option]-click the
• In Instrument mode, the pads can be used to trigger sounds. You can trigger
pads.
the context menu, enter a new name and press [Enter].
This is useful if the names of the samples are either too long or not very
intuitive. Renaming pads also allows you to indicate that more than one
sample is mapped to a pad, for example.
frame, the rest of the selected pads a lighter yellow frame.
pad.
them with different velocities. Velocities are lower the further down towards
the bottom of a pad you click. Clicking towards the top of the pad results in
higher velocities.
• To mute or solo an instrument pad, click the corresponding icon in the upper
left corner of a pad. Click again to unsolo or unmute.
• To unmute or unsolo all instrument pads, click the Reset All Mute/Reset All
Solo buttons below the pads.
• To remove samples from an instrument pad, right-click the pad and select
Remove All Samples from the context menu.
23
Working With Pads
Instrument Pads
• To reset a pad, right-click the pad and select Reset Pad from the context
menu. To reset all 128 pads, right-click a pad and select Reset All Pads from
the context menu.
For instrument pads, this removes all samples and resets name, color, and
trigger note for the pads to their default values.
For pattern pads, this removes the MIDI file and the name from the pads and
resets color and trigger note to the default values.
Instrument Pads
The pad section provides up to 128 pads, organized in 8 groups of 16 pads. The
instrument pads can be used to trigger sounds. Each pad is mapped to a MIDI note,
which triggers a sample. If samples are assigned to a pad, the LED above the pad
lights up.
You can switch between the groups by clicking on the group buttons below the
pads. The button of the active group is highlighted. If one or more pads of a group
have samples mapped to them, an orange LED above the group button lights up. If
a pad within a group receives a MIDI note, a green MIDI indicator LED lights up.
By default, group 3 is active when you open Groove Agent SE.
Below the pad section, you find several buttons. These are different for the different
agents.
Showing Information about the Instrument Pads (Beat Agent SE Only)
• Activate the i button below the pad section to show the following information
for the pads: the pad number, the number of samples, and the output.
24
Working With Pads
PROCEDURE
Instrument Pads
• Activate the E button to show the exclusive group settings for the pads. If you
move the mouse over a pad that belongs to an exclusive group, all pads that
belong to the same exclusive group are highlighted. If a hidden pad group
contains pads that belong to the same exclusive group, a red LED above the
group button lights up.
Setting the Output for the Pads (Beat Agent SE Only)
You can set the output of the samples via the pad context menu.
• Right-click the pad, open the Assign Output submenu, and select the output
that you want to use.
This sets all samples of the pad to this output.
Locking Color and Output Settings (Beat Agent SE Only)
• You can lock the color and output settings for the pads. For example, this
allows you to lock the output configuration for the pads, and then switch
between kits while keeping these outputs. You can specify which parameters
you want to lock for the pads on the context menu for the Lock button below
the pads. If the button lights up, at least one setting is locked for the pads.
Locking Pad Settings (Acoustic Agent SE Only)
You can lock the color settings for the pads by activating the Lock Pad Colors
button. The button lights up when it is active.
Using an Alternative MIDI Note Assignment
If you use an external hardware drum controller that sends specific MIDI notes for
specific instruments, you can specify an alternative MIDI trigger note mapping.
1. Activate the Use Hardware Controller Mapping button in the lower right
corner of the pad section.
Now you can load, save, and delete different trigger note configurations.
2. Specify a new trigger note for the pad.
• Right-click a pad, select Edit/Learn Trigger Note and specify the new trigger
note by entering it into the value field or by playing the corresponding note on
your hardware controller.
• Right-click a pad, select Trigger Notes > Assign Trigger Note and select the
note from the submenus.
25
Working With Pads
PROCEDURE
Instrument Pads
3. Groove Agent SE jumps to the next pad. Assign a MIDI note to all the pads
that you want to use and press [Enter] to stop assigning MIDI notes.
Assigned trigger notes are shown on the Trigger Notes submenu of the context
menu.
Assigning Multiple Trigger Notes to an Instrument Pad
Some hardware drum controller instruments, like crash cymbals, provide several
zones. These zones are sending different MIDI notes, in order to play different
articulations.
If a drum kit comes with a sample mapping that contains all articulations on
dedicated instrument pads, each instrument pad only requires one specific trigger
note.
However, if the kit does not provide a pad for each articulation, you might need to
assign mutiple trigger notes to one instrument pad, so that each zone on the
hardware controller triggers the same sample.
1. Activate the Use Hardware Controller Mapping button in the lower right
corner of the pad section.
Now you can load, save, and delete different trigger note configurations.
2. Specify an additional trigger note for the pad.
• Right-click the instrument pad, select Trigger Notes > Add/remove Trigger
Note and select the note that you want to add from the submenus.
• Right-click the instrument pad, select Trigger Notes > Learn Additional
Trigger Notes and play the additional note on your keyboard.
You can specify up to 3 additional notes for each pad.
Assigned trigger notes are shown on the Trigger Notes submenu of the context
menu.
Removing Additional Trigger Notes
You can remove additional trigger notes in the following ways:
• On the context menu for an instrument pad, select Trigger Notes >
Add/Remove Trigger Note and deselect the note that you want to remove.
• On the context menu for an instrument pad, select Trigger Notes > Remove
Trigger Notes and select the note that you want to remove.
• To remove all additional trigger notes and replace them with a new single
trigger note, use the Edit/Learn option on the context menu.
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Working With Pads
NOTE
Instrument Pads
Using MIDI Effects
For each instrument pad, you can set up MIDI effects.
To open the MIDI effects page, activate the Instrument button in the pad section,
open the Edit page on the right side of the panel, and click the MIDI Fx tab.
Pad Mode
Pad mode determines to which pad the settings on the MIDI FX page are applied.
Internal
In Internal mode, the MIDI effects are applied to the samples on the selected
pad.
Remote
In Remote mode, you can select to which destination pad you want to apply
the MIDI effects.
This allows you to trigger an instrument with and without MIDI effects. Also,
any sound editing can be performed on one pad.
• If the destination pad also contains MIDI effects, these are not taken into
account.
• If you set up remote MIDI effects on a pad for which samples are
assigned, the remote MIDI effects are applied only to the samples on the
destination pad.
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Working With Pads
Instrument Pads
Rudiments Section
Active
Type
If you activate Remote mode for a pad, a remote icon is displayed on the pad
in the pad section.
• To bypass the remote effects, click the Disable MIDI to Remote Pad
button to the left of the remote icon.
Click this to activate the articulation.
Determines the rudiment type.
• Flam plays 2 hits very close together.
Flam, Drag, and Ruff
For Flam, Drag, and Ruff, the following parameters are available:
Sync
Time
Note Value
• Drag plays 3 hits very close together.
• Ruff plays 4 hits very close together.
• Roll continually plays drum hits to produce a sustaining drum sound.
• Buzz emulates the effect of a drummer pressing the stick into the drum
while hitting it. The stick bounces on the drum, producing multiple hits
that sound like a decaying drum roll.
Synchronizes the hits to the project tempo. The time span between the hits is
set in fractions of beats.
Adjusts the time span between the hits.
If Sync is activated, this parameter adjusts the time span in fractions of beats.
Dynamics
Adjusts the dynamics of the hits.
• With negative values, the first hit is softer than the following hit or hits.
• With positive values, the first hit is louder than the following hit or hits.
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Working With Pads
Instrument Pads
Roll
Humanize
Use this parameter to randomize the timing, the dynamics, and the pitch of the
hits.
For Roll, the following parameters are available:
Sync
Activate this button to synchronize the hits to the project tempo. The time
span between the hits is set in fractions of beats.
Time
Adjusts the time span between the hits.
Note Value
If Sync is activated, this parameter adjusts the time span in fractions of beats.
Buzz
Dynamics
Adjusts the dynamics of the hits. Higher values attenuate the even-numbered
hits of the roll.
Humanize
Use this parameter to randomize the timing, the dynamics, and the pitch of the
hits.
For Buzz, the following parameters are available:
Grip
Determines how the drumstick is held. Higher settings produce less buzz.
Pressure
Adjusts the pressure on the stick. Higher settings produce a longer decay of
the buzz.
Humanize
Use this parameter to randomize the timing, the dynamics, and the pitch of the
hits.
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Working With Pads
NOTE
Instrument Pads
MIDI Delay
MIDI Delay produces echo effects by repeating the notes that you play.
The subsequent note events can be modified, for example, you can vary the time
span between the echoes with the Distribution parameter.
Active
Activates/Deactivates the MIDI Delay effect.
Sync
Synchronizes the echoes to the project tempo. The time span between the
echoes is set in fractions of beats.
Time
Adjusts the time span between the echoes.
Note Value
If Sync is activated, this parameter adjusts the time span in fractions of beats.
Repeats
Determines the maximum number of the echoes.
Damping
Determines whether the echoes fade-in or fade-out with the MIDI velocity. If
you set this parameter to negative values, the MIDI velocity gradually
increases. If you set this parameter to positive values, the MIDI velocity
gradually decreases.
Damping shows only an effect if the sound settings of the samples use
velocity.
Pitch
Determines how much the pitch changes from echo to echo.
Distribution
Determines the time distribution of the echoes. If you set this parameter to
negative values, the time span between echoes gets shorter, that is, the
echoes speed up. With positive values, the echoes slow down.
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