Please explain layers and MIDI-learn in Independence to me!

Christopher-Burke wrote on 5/23/2022, 5:28 AM

Dear Anyone.

I've got Independence Demo 32-bit. Once I understand it, I'll be buying the full version. But I'm not understanding the following points (might be others but I'll do a separate post once I understand these!)

The manual skips RIGHT over layers and MIDI learn and I'm not 'getting' it. First of all, layers. Is a layer the same as a preset? So every time I choose a preset, I'm also choosing a layer?

Is there any way of choosing a layer NUMBER? I've chosen 3 presets. They've come up as Layer 1, Layer 7 and Layer 9. I can't see how to make them come up as Layer 1, Layer 2 and Layer 3. And what's a Layer SET? When I look at the labelling function, it says 'InstrumentS' (plural) which implies you can have more than one instrument in a Layer. But nothing in the manual I can find tells you if that's correct or why you should want to. (If I've missed something in that manual, tell me, but they DO skip over functions there.) They also don't mention anywhere that I can find how to choose if two instruments are in the same layer or not, or which layer to put an instrument (preset) IN. If you have more than one instrument in a layer, will they all play simultaneously one one MIDI note is sent to that channel? I can't test that for myself, because I don't know how to put more than one instrument in a Layer or if indeed that's even possible. Might well be obvious to you guys, I'm a noob, I'm not seeing it, sorry!

MIDI learn. My DAW uses CC changes for EVERYTHING. So I chose MIDI learn on each instrument and wiggled the volume control, CC7, when playing each instrument individually (by inputting MIDI notation with the mouse.) Somehow - I've zero idea how I've done anything this dumbass but that's me, folks! - I've joined 2 sounds together so if I change the volume of one, it changes the volume of the other whether I want it to or not. And visa-versa. I only have to change the volume on one for the volume on BOTH to change. The third sound works fine and is also using CC7 for volume control, so it's not because I'm using the same CC number. The third sound works individually perfectly. All three sounds are coming up with widely-spaced layer NUMBERS, as I put above, so I don't THINK it's because two sounds are in the same layer.

Does Independence have MIDI-UNlearn so if I do anything this boneheaded again - linking two sounds in some mysterious way - I can separate them back out? Or do I just reload Independence and start again?

Right now, I'm going to reload Independence and hope it comes up clean, with no linked sounds in it!

Yours puzzledly,

Chris, who is going to buy Independence once he understands it.

Comments

SP. wrote on 5/23/2022, 7:14 AM

@Christopher-Burke A layer is basically one "soundlayer". You can combine multiple layers to get more interesting sounds, for example a layer with a piano and a layer with a synth pad to get a "dream-like" keyboard synth sound. Both layers need the same MIDI input channel to be played at the same time with the same MIDI.

Technically, you can put multiple instruments in one layer by placing all their samples in the mapping editor on top of each other, but I wouldn't do this. Some instruments use this technique to combine noise samples that occur while playing an instrument, for example sliding on guitar strings, blowing air into a flute, or pressing keys on an accordion, to get a more realistic sound.

If you give different layers different MIDI input channels you can send up to 16 different MIDI channels to Independence. This means, you can make 16 MIDI tracks in your DAW, send them to only one instance of Independence instead of running 16 instances.

 

You can unlearn MIDI by right clicking on the Volume controller in the quick edit panel and select #off. If you control the volume of multiple layers at the same time, they maybe have the same MIDI input channel and are getting the same input?

 

I never tried to change the layer numbers. It doesn't look like it's possible without creating a new layers from scratch and loading your saved instruments into them. The number doesn't matter anyway. You can drag and drop the layers around and position them in a way you like.