How can I automate a specific parameter in Kontakt 7/Play Series instruments?

jakubpatok

Hello!

I've been playing with new Play Series instruments a lot lately since I upgraded from K14 Select to Standard last week. Today I tried 40s Very Own Drums and came up with an idea to automate the pitch of the hi-hat in the beat. Is such a simple thing not possible? I know about the Host Automation tab in Kontakt menu but when I try to drag an empty spot (in this case #0011) and drop it on the Pitch parameter of the hi-hat, a plus sign doesn't appear and I cannot assign the knob to this parameter. This solution works only with only a few parameters but most cannot be assigned to the knobs and be automated. Am I doing something wrong? I use Maschine software so solutions for FL Studio or Ableton don't work for me. Can anybody help?

jakubpatok

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/75461#Comment_75461

There is no such menu tab in Play Series related to drums.

However, inspired by @Kymeia's posts, I've finally found the solution by myself!

You need to "sacrifice" one of the big knobs prepared by Native Instruments (in 40s Very Own Drums, for instance, Saturation, Reverb or Delay) and adjust them according to your needs. I'll show you how it works, maybe it will be useful to someone.

You load a kit, you have these parameteres ready to be automated:

You pick one of these and you "sacrifice" it for the parameter that you want to automate. I'm choosing "Reverb" because I know that I won't add it to my drums anyway. Go to "Macros" tab at the top:

You go to the "Reverb" tab in the Macros menu and delete everything that is here (Pad 9 Send 1, Pad 10 Send 1, etc.). This way the parameters that are automatically assigned to the "Reverb" knob won't be changed when you play with the Reverb knob.

Remember that sometimes there are two pages to clear. It should look like this afterwards:

Next, you go to the page with the parameter that you'd like to automate (for example, the pitch of a specific element of the kit) and colourful dots should appear next to the "big knobs" at the bottom of the menu. Click on the dot next to the knob that you would like to adjust (I picked Reverb so I click on the dot next to Reverb). The dot starts to flash. When it starts to flash, click on the parameter that you'd like to automate. The Reverb knob now controls the pitch of the percussion sample:

It's basically done. You can even change the name from "Reverb" to "Perc pitch" or whatever your knob now controls by the double-click:

Well, it's basically done! I guess I've asked the question myself and found the solution myself but I'm glad that it works. Maybe it's not the ultimate fix but at least you can automate these parameters. I haven't tried it myself yet but I think that you can assign a few parameters to be adjusted and automated by the same knob at the same time since you have several slots to fill in the Macros menu tab. It could give some nice effects!

Kymeia

I don't have that instrument but maybe you can assign a LFO to modulate pitch and set it to sync to the beat?

jakubpatok

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/75289#Comment_75289

Thank you for your comment. Can you elaborate a bit?

I want to automate the pitch of only one element of the kit in 40s Very Own Drums, in this case a hi-hat. I don't know if it's possible with your solution unless I don't understand you fully.

The situation is the same with other Play Series instruments (Melted Vibes, Ignition Keys, etc.) - it seems that you cannot automate specific individual parameters of these plugins (you can only automate "the big" knobs that you have automatically assigned to each Play Series instrument). Well, I think you can't but maybe there is a workaround.

Kymeia

Like I said I don't have it installed so it would be hard to elaborate without having the instrument in front of me. I do have Melted Vibes and can assign an LFO to Tune easily but maybe for kits it is different?

jakubpatok

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/75461#Comment_75461

There is no such menu tab in Play Series related to drums.

However, inspired by @Kymeia's posts, I've finally found the solution by myself!

You need to "sacrifice" one of the big knobs prepared by Native Instruments (in 40s Very Own Drums, for instance, Saturation, Reverb or Delay) and adjust them according to your needs. I'll show you how it works, maybe it will be useful to someone.

You load a kit, you have these parameteres ready to be automated:

You pick one of these and you "sacrifice" it for the parameter that you want to automate. I'm choosing "Reverb" because I know that I won't add it to my drums anyway. Go to "Macros" tab at the top:

You go to the "Reverb" tab in the Macros menu and delete everything that is here (Pad 9 Send 1, Pad 10 Send 1, etc.). This way the parameters that are automatically assigned to the "Reverb" knob won't be changed when you play with the Reverb knob.

Remember that sometimes there are two pages to clear. It should look like this afterwards:

Next, you go to the page with the parameter that you'd like to automate (for example, the pitch of a specific element of the kit) and colourful dots should appear next to the "big knobs" at the bottom of the menu. Click on the dot next to the knob that you would like to adjust (I picked Reverb so I click on the dot next to Reverb). The dot starts to flash. When it starts to flash, click on the parameter that you'd like to automate. The Reverb knob now controls the pitch of the percussion sample:

It's basically done. You can even change the name from "Reverb" to "Perc pitch" or whatever your knob now controls by the double-click:

Well, it's basically done! I guess I've asked the question myself and found the solution myself but I'm glad that it works. Maybe it's not the ultimate fix but at least you can automate these parameters. I haven't tried it myself yet but I think that you can assign a few parameters to be adjusted and automated by the same knob at the same time since you have several slots to fill in the Macros menu tab. It could give some nice effects!