Round Robin and Articulation Switching

Repeating one sample exposes the machine; round robin and articulation switching make it sound played.

Related

SamplerVelocityViolin

The problem

Sampled strings and winds give themselves away on repeated notes: play the same pitch three times and, if the same sample fires each time, the attack, noise and tail are identical, and the ear hears a machine. Round robin and articulation switching exist to fix that.

How it works

Round robin keeps several recordings of one note and rotates through them so repeats never duplicate. Articulation switching supplies separate sample sets for legato, staccato, portamento and mutes, selected by keyswitch or controller. Velocity layers handle loud and soft, round robin handles repetition, articulation handles phrasing. Only all three together approach a real performance. Poorly handled switches produce level jumps or breaks in timbre.

Settings and practice

Set velocity layers and round-robin groups first, then assign keyswitches. Use legato samples in connected passages and short samples for staccato. Reserve dedicated transition samples for slides instead of bending the pitch wheel. Crossfade switches where possible rather than cutting. Check that round-robin groups match in level, or the part will seem to swell and shrink. Treat articulation switching as part of playing, not as post-production repair.

What to listen for

In the Irish tune, the difference in tone between legato and staccato; in the quartet's bowing changes, one pitch produced two ways; in the Debussy repeats, whether rotation removes the mechanical edge. Good sampled playing makes you forget it is sampled.

Sources

• 轮替采样与奏法切换的实现方式，依采样器公开文档核对，未抄原文
• 乐器奏法对起音与衰减的影响，依配器通识核对，未抄文本

Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.