A Sky Full of Stars

[jimmyjames]

Was playing around trying to capture the slow filtering effect on the acoustic piano sound at the beginning of this song.

I am sure it was done with outboard equipment in the studio but hoping to get something like it using the PX-5S alone,  Tried using the LFO on the tone but it only works if you hold notes down.  Any ideas how capture this slow filtering effect while playing this two handed riff without manually manipulating a slider or knob? Haven't gotten to all the synth layers that work there way into this as the song progresses...would be a monster stage setting to capture most of these...but first things first.

[Brad Saucier]

Best way to control filtering is with a slider.  

Option one (best option)...record this riff as a phrase.  Allow the phrase to play the riff.  Use your hands to manipulate sliders and bring parts in an out.  

 

Option 2 (which probably won't work so well)

 

Pedal 2 >Target> Cutoff.  

Set the pedal to momentary.  

Set the on/off rate of the pedal envelope to match what is done in the song (it's likely the max time won't be long enough for this song).  

Set the min/max values to limit the cutoff depth.  

[jimmyjames]

Thanks for the ideas Brad.  Option 1 won't work for me due to real time issues.  Will try Option 2.  Working with the DSP LFO Wah at a very slow speed (000 or 001) to see if I can get close.  I may also try using two stage settings and the pedal to toggle between them.

 

Update: so taking Brad's suggestion in a little different direction, I thought I might be able to just use a modified version of the clav wah effect by switching it to toggle and slowing the transition.  Worked extremely well on the clav but kept disappearing when I substituted a piano tone for the clav.  Then I noticed that the target options for the pedals are not the same for the piano and the clav.  There is no [Wah Manual] target option for the pedals with a piano tone....an EQ modification option is in its place...strange architectural feature.  Any way to get the Wah Manual pedal target option with a piano tone?

 

Further Update:  Think I figured this out.  The choices you have for assigning controllers to certain things change based upon the DSP you have selected for a Stage Setting.  What I have able to do then is take a basic piano stage setting, assign the DSP to LFO Wah, adjust the parameters then assign a pedal to modify the "Manual" parameter of the LFO Wah.  I set the pedal to Toggle, not Momentary so I don't have to hold it down, but then, as Brad suggested, I slowed the on/off pedal envelope way down so the transition from wahed (filtered) to unwahed is very gradual and you can reverse an ongoing transition at any point by hitting the pedal.  Works very nicely.

 

Just wanted to add that it's hard to believe it's been two years since the PX-5S was released.  While it is rightfully being recognized as a great keyboard today, I believe as the years pass that it will take its place among the greatest keyboards of all time and will have a healthy "cult" following by the next generation of keyboardists.  I plan to hold mine...could be a good investment.