Keylab MK3 + breath controller?

[Bidinou]

Hi everyone !

I have been a bit obsessed with the Osmose controller lately especially due to the way it enables to “play the envelope” of the sound.

I thought I could achieve something similar with my Keylab MK3, minus the polyphony, with a breath controller.

There is no “breath controller” input on the Keylab MK3 – only sustain, expression and aux. No mention in the manual and I couldn’t find anyone talking about it online.

My questions are :

• maybe it could be added to the wishlist to support expression pedals ?
• maybe there is a way to “convert” a breath controller into an expression pedal ?
• does any of you use any other controller to add this kind of expression ?

There are USB breath controllers too I could use.
Thanks for your help !

[LBH]

Hi @Bidinou,

Keylab MK3 do not have a dedicated Breath controller input. I assume that would require a speciel voltage with conversion input.

I assume you can use the controllers external inputs if the Breath controller have a Breath to Expression converter.
You will have the same kind of control like when using an Expression pedal.

If you use a USB Breath controller, then i assume it will show up as a external MIDI device in both your DAW/ Host and in Arturia’s applications. It may depend on the Breath controller.

I will assume the effect you will get in any of is MONO/ Global and not POLY/ Single note based as you don’t output a midi note. So it’s probably not like the Osmose. More like Channel Aftertouch and not Poly Aftertouch.

Perhaps You can also ask Arturia support, if the external inputs can handle a Breath controller directly without using a converter. I doubt it, and would not try it without asking, as it might damage the controller.

Perhaps someone who have tried this know more than me. I’m only assuming.

[Sean_W]

@Bidinou

it enables to “play the envelope” of the sound.

Arturia has done this with its “Full Touch” keybed on the PolyBrute 12.
(the Osmose has additional side movements, though)

@Bidinou

maybe there is a way to “convert” a breath controller into an expression pedal ?

There is a Breath controller to USB/MIDI available from TEC:

USB MIDI Breath Controller

[Bidinou]

Hi LBH & Sean, thanks for your reply !

Actually, the Full Touch keybed is very different from the Osmose ; when I say the Osmose enables to play the envelope, it is because it does not return the initial velocity + aftertouch, but a continuous value as soon as the key is slightly pressed. Is really gives a fantastic feeling of controlling the sound.

Meanwhile, well, I decided to stick to “conventional” expressivity before trying the breath controller from TEC and added a triple pedal stand from Roland to my Keylab (RPU-3). I was very pleasantly suprised to see the 3 pedals inputs on the Keylab MK3 are continuous and not on/off switches. So I could have for instance a sustain, sostenuto, and another synth parameter, in addition to velocity, the modwheel and the aftertouch. Or a sustain + 2 synths parameters…

[Sean_W]

@Bidinou

Actually, the Full Touch keybed is very different from the Osmose ; when I say the Osmose enables to play the envelope, it is because it does not return the initial velocity + aftertouch, but a continuous value as soon as the key is slightly pressed.

This is also what the Full Touch keybed of PolyBrute 12 does: Continuous control from the top of the key to the bottom + poly-aftertouch options once you reach the bottom!

[Bidinou]

Ooooh, I had completely overlooked that ! Sounds great <3

I must have mixed that with the fact quite a few people complain the Keylab Mark 3 doesn’t have the poly-AT of the PolyBrute 12. But that’s a completely different beast !

(I think the benefits of poly AT are nice to have but quite minor compared to a keybed like the Osmose or PB 12 indeed.)