Access Virus User Manual - SoundProgramming.Net

ACCESS VIRUS OS4 221
Problems Related to Parameter Control
PROBLEMS RELATED TO
PARAMETER CONTROL
If you enjoy experimenting with
recording parameter changes,
sooner or later, you will run into
the following problem: When controller
sequences are recorded to a
sequencer, the last recorded value
remains valid until another value is
sent for this controller. For example,
if you gradually open a filter
for a sound in the middle of the
song and record this parameter
change, the filter will stay open
until the end of the song if you not
close it manually or close it via controllers.
Moreover, when you start
the song from the top, you’ll again
hear the sound with the filter open
because the Virus hasn’t received a
command at the beginning of the
song to close the filter. Not until
the song arrives at the position
where the recorded event begins
does the Virus receive the first controller
value for the filter. If, on the
other hand, the song is started
with the stored and unedited version
of the filter sound, everything
will be fine: The filter is closed and
won’t be opened until the recorded
event tells the Virus to do just that.
If you understand this connection
between recorded parameter
changes and the current parameter
status of the Virus, you’ll find it
easy to come up with solutions for
these kinds of problems. Sticking
with our example, you could send
a controller value to the Virus that
closes the filter again in a suitable
position within the song, for
instance, at some point after the
filter opens or at the beginning of
the song. However, this procedure
can become tedious rather quickly
if you have recorded many parameter
changes – after all, what
you’re actually doing is literally
copying the original values of different
parameter in order to enter
them into the sequencer. You could
of course simply activate the
sound at the beginning of the song
via a program change message,
which resets the parameters to
their original stored values. What
if, however, you change or replace
the sound in the Virus at some
point? The program change message
in the song would call up the
wrong sound. The more reliable
and certainly more elegant solution
would be to store the sound(s)
in the song. The Virus then receives
all settings for sounds at the