I’ve read what’s in the Reference Manual but it’s kind of matter-of-fact on the subject of Rate and Offset in the Velocity Job. And I use the Velocity Job in Song mode all the time. I understand what the percentage Rate is doing to the Velocity parameters, but I’m a little vague about the relationship between Rate and Offset. Offset is adding/subtracting WHAT exactly? to the Velocity in ADDITION to what the Rate is doing, or imposing a THRESHOLD of some kind? 

Anyway, if there’s someone here who wouldn’t mind explaining it might be a great tool, but I avoid it now out of ignorance.

The MOXF Reference Manual explanation (page 88, 02: Modify Velocity) seems pretty clear, at least to me.

Rate changes the original velocity by a percentage.

Offset adds/subtracts a fixed value.

The resulting velocity is the original velocity times the rate, plus/minus the offset. Since the allowable velocity range is 1~127, if that results in 0(zero) or less, the value is set to 1, and if it results in greater than 127, it’s set to 127.

Pardon me for barging in, but I can think of an arbitrary example that might help to picture how these work.  You might want to set ALL the velocities for a certain track of the song to a fixed number for some reason.  Let’s say, 65.  You want all the cowbell notes to be velocity=65.

Without even looking at the velocity values that you played when you recorded the track, you could use the Job-Velocity operation to set the Rate=0% and the Offset=65.  The rate change would effectively eliminate all the velocity and make the notes inaudible.  All the velocities would be 0.  But then it performs the Offset=65, and now all your velocities are exactly the same… 65.

tritone - 13 January 2021 09:15 PM

Pardon me for barging in, but I can think of an arbitrary example that might help to picture how these work.  You might want to set ALL the velocities for a certain track of the song to a fixed number for some reason.  Let’s say, 65.  You want all the cowbell notes to be velocity=65.

Without even looking at the velocity values that you played when you recorded the track, you could use the Job-Velocity operation to set the Rate=0% and the Offset=65.  The rate change would effectively eliminate all the velocity and make the notes inaudible.  All the velocities would be 0.  But then it performs the Offset=65, and now all your velocities are exactly the same… 65.

While your example should indeed set the velocity to a fixed value (65 in this case), it can be done in one step by using the SetAll Parameter for the purpose. See the Reference Manual page I previously mentioned.

I’m getting the M.O. down now. I was hoping Offset was something more that I just wasn’t understanding.

I could envision using it if you’ve already got a track laid by hand (velocities are nice and random and human sounding) BUT the Velocities are too low AND the Voice produces a different quality above 100—so a combination of Rate / Offset would get the majority of those notes above 100 but preserve the random/human feel of the original performance. I guess I’m wishing for a “humanizer” plug-in as might be found on a DAW.

muscarella - 14 January 2021 11:42 PM

I could envision using it if you’ve already got a track laid by hand (velocities are nice and random and human sounding) BUT the Velocities are too low AND the Voice produces a different quality above 100—so a combination of Rate / Offset would get the majority of those notes above 100 but preserve the random/human feel of the original performance. I guess I’m wishing for a “humanizer” plug-in as might be found on a DAW.

Applying the SetAll Parameter certainly would “dehumanize” the velocity values.

However, in your example you mention increasing the velocities. While Offset could somewhat diminish the “human” variations if applied that way, use of Rate alone would not.

For example, let’s say two notes originally have velocities of 70 and 80, a difference of 10. If only Rate of 150% was applied, that would result in velocities of 105 and 120. While the velocity value difference would then be 15, the percentage difference in velocity between the two notes remains the same as the original.

Please explain how that doesn’t meet your expectations.