# Garritan Personal Orchestra 5 without a MIDI controller



## Papounetto (Jan 13, 2022)

Good morning everyone,

I am new to (orchestral) music production and very happy to have found this community. I am still trying to figure out whether I have the right material. I use Reaper as a DAW, GPO 5 as a VST plugin, and my digital piano (Kawai CA79) as a MIDI input. However, it seems that controlling the dynamics of sustain notes on GPO 5 requires a "mod wheel", which my Kawai doesn't have.

I am tempted to simply buy a MIDI keyboard on top of the rest to be able to use GPO 5 to its full extent. Is this the best way forward, or are there any alternative (and cheaper) solutions?

Thanks a lot!
Papounetto


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## GGaca (Jan 13, 2022)

You can manually draw a curve of Mod Wheel aka Dynamics aka CC1 in MIDI Editor but
if you want to control dynamics 'live' you can buy KORG nanoKONTROL 2 and link one of it's faders to CC1.


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## Double Helix (Jan 13, 2022)

Welcome to VI-Control, @Papounetto.
If your Kawai CA79 has an input for an expression pedal, you may be able to map it to control CC1 (which would free up your left hand to play rather than manipulate a mod wheel).
I use this $49 Moog EP-3:


https://www.moogmusic.com/products/ep-3-expression-pedal-0


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## poly6 (Jan 13, 2022)

Or you can pick up a Korg Nanokontrol2. They're relatively cheap.


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## QuiteAlright (Jan 13, 2022)

It's definitely true that getting a physical mod wheel will make things easier but you don't have to get one. You can draw in mod curves manually and in fact that will often be necessary to get things exactly how you want them.


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## Papounetto (Jan 13, 2022)

Thanks so much for all the useful replies! I didn't know that you could draw mod curves manually and this is indeed a great option for me at the moment. Thanks again.


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## Bee_Abney (Jan 13, 2022)

Papounetto said:


> Thanks so much for all the useful replies! I didn't know that you could draw mod curves manually and this is indeed a great option for me at the moment. Thanks again.


A smart phone or tablet can also be used as a controller and this includes controlling CC1 instead of using a mod wheel. I haven't done this (my DAW, Studio One, has its own app), but you could try TouchOSC.


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## Tralen (Jan 13, 2022)

Papounetto said:


> Thanks so much for all the useful replies! I didn't know that you could draw mod curves manually and this is indeed a great option for me at the moment. Thanks again.


You can add as many controller lanes as you want to the bottom of the MIDI Editor in Reaper. GPO uses Channel Pressure to control Vibrato, for instance.

There is a list of the controls (CCs) in the online manual.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Jan 13, 2022)

I use a virtual mod wheel via my iPhone. TouchOSC, it’s $6. I believe it’s available for android as well.


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## Tralen (Jan 13, 2022)

Oh, and you can label the control lanes and keyswitches in the MIDI Editor using a Note/CC map. It is a little text file that you load on the MIDI Editor for each instrument, so you know what each CC does and where the keyswitches are.

To load the names, in the MIDI Editor:
`File > Note/CC Names > Load Note/CC names from file`

Here is an example file for the Flute KS patch. You can just edit it for the other instruments.


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## Papounetto (Jan 16, 2022)

Tralen said:


> Oh, and you can label the control lanes and keyswitches in the MIDI Editor using a Note/CC map. It is a little text file that you load on the MIDI Editor for each instrument, so you know what each CC does and where the keyswitches are.
> 
> To load the names, in the MIDI Editor:
> `File > Note/CC Names > Load Note/CC names from file`
> ...


Thank you very much!


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## Papounetto (Jan 16, 2022)

Does anyone know some good resources to learn GPO 5? I am still new to it, and of course I am unhappy with how my first productions sound (especially the strings). I have studied the manual in detail and experimented a bit with the different controls, but it would be great to see some good examples of how the controls are used to create a more realistic sound.

Any idea? Or anyone willing to share her/his MIDI files?


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## takaliuang (Mar 10, 2022)

Papounetto said:


> Does anyone know some good resources to learn GPO 5? I am still new to it, and of course I am unhappy with how my first productions sound (especially the strings). I have studied the manual in detail and experimented a bit with the different controls, but it would be great to see some good examples of how the controls are used to create a more realistic sound.
> 
> Any idea? Or anyone willing to share her/his MIDI files?


GPO 5 is old one, You may try the BBC Discovery from Spitfire. If you want immediatley download, it costs 49bucks, but if you wait for 2 weeks, it's tottally free.
Link:https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/bbc-symphony-orchestra-discover/

I found the less expensive way to control dynamic is using TouchOSC, works on iOs and Android.Costs 20bucks
LInk: https://hexler.net/touchosc


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## stigbn (May 25, 2022)

Just a comment: I have Garritan 5, I've had had it for 10 years (started with version 4), and recently after a pause I've gotten into symphonic writing and I got BBC Core ( which is a larger version of the free Discover). But I was somewhat disappointed as the BBC core, it is very reverberant and the attacks on the strings and horns on BBC are very slow compared to Garritan. It may be more 'correct' sounding, I don't know, but I'm so glad that I have Garritan, I find it very useful.


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## Papounetto (May 25, 2022)

Thanks stigbn! That's very helpful. I am also finding Garritan quite good, especially the strings (in legato at least), the flute, the bassoon and the horn. I am less convinced by the strings in staccato mode (I find they have a "metallic" sound that is quite unnatural), the oboe, the clarinet, the trombone and the trumpet. But overall I am quite happy with it.


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## b_elliott (May 25, 2022)

Papounetto said:


> Does anyone know some good resources to learn GPO 5? I am still new to it...


Groove3 has a related course (@6 years old) you may want to check in case it meets your needs. Course instructor Eli Kratenberg is top notch from other courses I have taken. Cheers, Bill






Garritan Orchestra Explained by Eli Krantzberg


Presented by life long musician and world class music technology instructor Eli Krantzberg, this collection of videos contains all you need to know to get started on your musical theory journey.




www.groove3.com


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