This section describes the keyboard mapping and articulations of EXS-based percussion instrument performance patches. See Patches overview.
Performance patches are designed to make it easy for you to play multiple articulations of a specific percussion instrument with a MIDI keyboard. Performance patches include a small number of related instruments, such as several shakers, with articulations assigned to individual keys. This approach differs from other percussion patches that contain a larger variety of percussion instruments.
Many performance patches also feature performance keys, which enable you to play a number of related instrument articulations with a single keyboard key. For example, the Conga performance patch performance key uses velocity splits to access three articulations. If you play the key at low velocity, the Conga Mute articulation is triggered. If you play the key at moderate velocity, the Conga Open articulation is triggered. If you play the key at high velocity, the Conga Slap articulation is triggered. This makes it easy for you to create realistic conga performances with your keyboard or a drum pad.
Performance patches can also exhibit interesting characteristics that differ when playing live and when playing back a region. When you play a note live on the keyboard, the sample is played from the sample anchor—a marker that represents the musical focus of the sample, or the position that should land on a beat. When you play back recorded MIDI events, however, the full sample is played, even if it starts before the note on event. This behavior leads to more natural-sounding instruments—for example, the sound of a tambourine that is generated before the actual palm hit.
Blocks & Bells: Velocity splits are used to emulate different playing styles such as muted, stick, and mallet strikes. There is no performance key mapping in this instrument.
Bongos and Bongos Stick: Velocity splits are used to emulate different playing styles, such as fingertips, open palm, or thumbstrikes.
Cajon: Velocity splits are used to emulate different playing styles, such as open palm or fingertips. There is no performance key mapping in this instrument.
Claps & Snaps: Velocity splits are used to emulate different articulations, such as group size and timing. There is no performance key mapping in this instrument.
Congas and Congas Bright: The performance key uses velocity splits to access three articulations. If you play the key at low velocity, the Conga Mute articulation is triggered. Moderate velocity triggers the Conga Open articulation, and high velocity triggers the Conga Slap articulation.
Shakers 1 and 2: The performance key triggers different shaker speed articulations based on velocity. In addition, pressing and releasing the performance key triggers different shaker forward and backward articulations, emulating the movement of real shaker players.
Tambourines: The Tambourines performance triggers different articulations, such as shake speed variations at different velocities. It also offers different movement articulations (forward/backward) for note on/off triggers.
Timbales: Velocity splits are used to emulate different playing styles, such as stick strokes, rim shots, and rolls.
