Controlling All Your Instruments

Patchboard’s dashboard is a great way to handle keyswitching (or CC switching or program changes) for any instrument! Because Patchboard knows which track you’re currently recording on, the dashboard will show you only the controls that matter for the instrument you’re currently playing.

In addition to articulation switches, Patchboard’s dashboard is also useful for other things:
* Mark playable key ranges. Just like in Kontakt, but always in front of your eyes, even if the instrument’s window is closed or it’s hosted on another computer via Vienna Ensemble Pro. This is especially useful for unpitched or non-playable patches like percussion or orchestral FX, where the playable range doesn’t correspond directly to the sound itself.
* Label special key ranges. Aside from identifying the playable range, you can also label other ranges. This can be useful for a harp glissando patch, where one octave controls the root key for the glissando playback. Or for a miscellaneous percussion patch that combines many different instruments in one.
* Continuous Parameters. Add CC faders for continuous parameters like alternate mic positions or reverb and more. Often times, these CCs will be a bit esoteric. And if you use a hardware MIDI controller, you may not have those CCs easily accessible. Patchboard’s faders serve both as a reminder of which CCs control which parameters, as well as a fader you can use to record and tweak that parameter.
* Other Modes. Many instruments have additional controls that aren’t really different articulations or continuous parameters, e.g. toggling legato mode. Use switches just like you would for articulation changes, but instead signal the mode change. Use a different color for the switch to distinguish it.
* Instructions for Playing. Many instruments are idiosyncratic and expect to be played in a certain way. They may use the sustain pedal to control a non-sustain-like feature or use the mod wheel to strum a guitar. You can use the switch name or key range labels as a quick and dirty reminder of how to play the instrument, in case you ever forget!

See the patch editor for an in-depth look at all the options for patches.