Alternative Switch (Altcontrol And Altmethod); Emulating Legato Play; String Resonance (Kurzweil String Resonance) - Kurzweil Forte Manual

Program Edit Mode
The KEYMAP Page

Alternative Switch (AltControl and AltMethod)

Many, but not all, Forte sample roots have been pre-assigned a carefully chosen alternate
sample start point that can be selected using the Alternate Switch feature (AltControl and
AltMethod parameters). This feature allows you to control the sample playback start/end
time triggered by any control source. (The alternate sample start point can be adjusted by
editing a sample, see
Use the AltControl parameter to specify a control source that will cause the sample to begin
or end at the Alt point. Then use the AltMethod parameter to choose between switched and
continuous calculation of the Alt point. If the value of AltMethod is Switched, the Forte will
use the Alt point when the relevant control source is at a value greater than 64 at Note Start.
If AltMethod is Continuous, the Alt point will vary depending on the value of the relevant
control source at Note Start.
As an example, suppose you're working with a flute keymap and wish to control the amount
of chiff heard at the beginning of the sound. On the KEYMAP page in the Program Editor,
set AltControl to MWheel. Now the Mod Wheel controls how much of the initial sample
attack is used. If you set AltMethod to Switched and move the Mod Wheel at least half-way
up, at Note Start the sample will begin at the pre-set alternate start point (in this case, slightly
past the initial chiff). If you set the AltMethod to Continuous, the Forte will interpolate the
sample's starting point based on the position of the Mod Wheel. If the Mod Wheel is 75%
of the way up at Note Start. the sample will begin 75% of the way between normal and
alternate start points.

Emulating Legato Play

If you place the Alt point after the initial attack transients of the sample, then you can use
the Alt Switch to emulate legato playing in an acoustic instrument. Setting the AltControl
parameter to Chan St (Channel State) will cause the alternate sample start point to be used
whenever another note is already being held. (Chan St sends a value of 127 whenever at
least one note is being held in the program's MIDI channel.) This allows non-overlapping
notes to use the sample's standard start point, while overlapping notes will use the alternate
start point. Most of the Forte's ROM samples have their Alt points set for purposes of legato
play. In most cases the difference in attacks is subtle, but for some sounds, like drums, the
difference can be more noticeable.

String Resonance (Kurzweil String Resonance)

Sympathetic string resonance in an acoustic piano is the phenomenon of undamped piano
strings resonating as a result of sound from other notes/keys. This can be observed if one
plays a C, continues holding down the key after the sound has decayed, and then forcibly
presses and quickly releases another C key. The undamped strings of the held-down C key
will audibly ring, providing a highly tuned "echo", commonly known as sympathetic string
resonance.
7-26
Editing Samples on page 9-10 for details).