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What is the Minimum Duration (or minimum length) needed for pitch bend change

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Mahesha Padyana
Posts: 5
Active Member
Topic starter
 

I want to transition from one note to another note very smoothly (portamento effect). So I am using two layers do accomplish this.
In first layer, I will play one note (default quarter duration) and then give silence (so that playing is not stopped)
In the second layer, I will go for pitch bend and gradually increase the pitch bend value in a loop to maximum of 1 semitone

Default duration = 0.25
Pitch bend depth = 1 semitone (set using #CC6, #CC100 and #CC101)
So pitch bend of 8192 = 1 semitone
Number of steps = 250
Pitch wheel value per step = 8192/250
Duration of each step = 0.25/250

So ina loop, I am increasing PW in steps of 8192/250 and each step is of 0.25/250 duration. I am getting the effect correctly.

Now my question is, what is the minimum duration required so that MIDI controller is able to play? Where can I find the spec? If I go for 300 steps (duration = 1/1200), I do not see pitch bend effect. So I guess it is because the duration is too small.

Example code (using Jfugue Library) for those who are familiar with JFugue music library.

Player player = new Player();
Pattern pattern = new Pattern();
pattern.add(" T100 V0 L0 I40 :CON(100,0) :CON(101,0) :CON(6,1) C R3 L1");
int PW = 8192; // Default Pitch Bend
int steps=250; // Let us consider 250 steps in one semitone
double duration = 0.25/steps; // Duration of each step
int PWValue=8192/steps; // This is the value of pitch bend to be changed gradually
for(int i=0;i<steps;i++) // S1 to R1
{
PW=PW+PWValue;
pattern.add(" R/"+duration +" :PW("+PW+") ");
}
player.play(pattern);

 
Posted : 01/03/2017 8:01 pm
Mahesha Padyana
Posts: 5
Active Member
Topic starter
 

Sorry, the JFugue code was not put inside the code block and seems to be corrupted. Could not edit the post after posting and hence updating it here,
[code type=markup]
player.play("C D E F G E F D C");
pattern.add(" T100 V0 L0 I40 :CON(100,0) :CON(101,0) :CON(6,1) C R3 L1");
int PW = 8192; // Default Pitch Bend
int steps=250; // Let us consider 250 steps in one semitone
double duration = 0.25/steps; // Duration of each step
int PWValue=8192/steps; // This is the value of pitch bend to be changed gradually
for(int i=0;i<steps;i++) // S1 to R1
{
PW=PW+PWValue;
pattern.add(" R/"+duration +" :PW("+PW+") ");
}
player.play(pattern);
[/code]

 
Posted : 01/03/2017 8:07 pm
Clemens Ladisch
Posts: 323
Reputable Member
 

How fast a device can handle messages depends only on the device itself.

What synthesizer are you using?

Are you using a real MIDI cable (which would have a limit of about 1000 3-byte messages per second)?

(I don't know JFugue, or how it specifies timestamps.)

 
Posted : 02/03/2017 12:07 am
Mahesha Padyana
Posts: 5
Active Member
Topic starter
 

I am working with i3 Dell Inspiron laptop 3000 series. I am not sure of the synthesizer it supports.

 
Posted : 02/03/2017 6:07 am
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