Configuring Second Touch
Second touch requires a keyboard that sends MIDI messages when additional pressure is applied to keys that are being played. A fair number of standard MIDI keyboards do provide for such messages.
The Miditzer can use three different types of MIDI messages to control second touch—Channel Aftertouch, Key (Polyphonic) Aftertouch, and Note messages. The two Aftertouch messages are a part of the MIDI standard. Note messages are standard MIDI Note messages that treat the second touch contacts of a second touch keyboard as a second keyboard. The second touch MIDI messages are expected to arrive on the same MIDI In Device as the first touch messages but they may be on a different MIDI Channel. Each keyboard can be configured to use a different type of MIDI message to control second touch for that keyboard.
Most MIDI keyboards that have an Aftertouch feature have Channel Aftertouch. This produces MIDI messages based on pressure being applied to the keyboard as a whole. The Channel Aftertouch messages do not identify a note. When Channel Aftertouch is used to control second touch, it will add second touch to all the notes that are being played on that keyboard. You may need to enable Aftertouch on the keyboard before the Aftertouch messages will be sent.
The configuration of second touch is controlled by the three rightmost columns of the Input settings circled above. The default value shown will work for the most common configurations of consoles. The settings below show examples of other possible settings.
The configuration highlighted in green for the Solo manual is the default configuration of using Channel Aftertouch on the same channel, 1, as the first touch. The Pres (for Pressure) setting gives the MIDI value above which the 2T notes will sound. The default value of 0 gives the maximum sensitivity for second touch.
The Accompaniment manual configuration highlighted in yellow is a configuration for a rare MIDI keyboard that provides polyphonic or Key Aftertouch. On such a keyboard aftertouch messages are sent giving the pressure being applied to each individual key that is being played. This is a good equivalent for second touch as found on a theatre organ except that the MIDI keyboards do not provide the proper feel for second touch. The 2nd Touch setting has been set to Key to use Key Aftertouch messages. Pres has been set to 8 to reduce the sensitivity of the second touch so more pressure will be required to play a 2T note.
The Pedal second touch configuration is highlighted in red. The Pedal traps (drums and cymbals) are second touch stops although they are not labeled as such on the Miditzer. You probably won’t have second touch on your pedalboard unless you have MIDIfied a genuine theatre pipe organ console. If you have, the second touch contacts could send MIDI Note messages (although Channel Aftertouch would be a better choice). By setting 2nd Touch to Note, Note messages received on Channel 10 will activate the second touch Pedal traps.
For the 99.999% of you who do not have second touch on the pedalboard, the default configuration of Note type 2nd Touch on the same channel as the first touch will cause the Pedal traps to be played as first touch stops.
Jim Henry2006-09-11 14:11:00
