# Cubase Preset - The Cluster Designer - Use ANY Kontakt patch



## benmrx (Jul 14, 2018)

Here's a fun little track preset I put together called 'The Cluster Designer". I use this when I want to bend notes around, get a clustery kind of feel, maybe build some risers and if you play your cards right you can get some evolution type patches. The idea here is that you use the patches you would normally use for standard writing, and then when you want to get 'clustery'..., you do. 


I put this together because I wanted to use ANY Kontakt patch for getting this type of sound, and I didn't want to have to pre-determine which Kontakt patches those were. 


Hope someone gets something out of this!


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## Musician32 (Jul 14, 2018)

really cool


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## benmrx (Jul 14, 2018)

Musician32 said:


> really cool



Thanks!!!


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## MarcusD (Jul 14, 2018)

Really cool video! Have you tried experimenting with Note to CC? Some interesting results by creating an instrument track (with something like Sample modelling brass on) then also creating a MIDI track (set to the same input) and using Note to CC on the MIDI track to control dynamics. So as you play soft, it triggers soft dynamics and as you play harder you get full dynamics. Sounds way more realistic than using the mod wheel. Although it's not perfect.. Might have to experiment with the transformer method you've show!


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## benmrx (Jul 14, 2018)

MarcusD said:


> Really cool video! Have you tried experimenting with Note to CC? Some interesting results by creating an instrument track (with something like Sample modelling brass on) then also creating a MIDI track (set to the same input) and using Note to CC on the MIDI track to control dynamics. So as you play soft, it triggers soft dynamics and as you play harder you get full dynamics. Sounds way more realistic than using the mod wheel. Although it's not perfect.. Might have to experiment with the transformer method you've show!



Thanks! I'm brand new to this idea of making tutorial videos so if you have any feedback let me know.

I _have_ tried experimenting with note to CC. I think I used that function at one point trying to put my 'swarm designer' together. The swarm function is quite a bit harder (at least for me) to achieve because I want to be able to trigger a LOT of different notes.., but I want a fair bit of control over what those notes are, how far they spread from the notes you're playing, what their velocities are, how far apart 'rhythmically' they are from each other, whether they're 'one the grid' or loose, etc. 

I don't have any Sample Modeling instruments (I've used the trumpet a couple times at a friends place). It's amazing how much control you get with those instruments. Yeah, it can be fun to use a 'control track' for... controlling other tracks or parameters. I've used that idea so I can have CC1 (or other) data going to multiple tracks. Also, don't forget about the MIDI sends, and that you can also put MIDI effects on those sends!


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## benmrx (Jul 14, 2018)

Also FWIW, I use this same basic crossfade method for simple things like creating an "Ark Choir", where the patches from Ark2 live on the bottom of the modwheel, and Ark1 is at the top. Or SCS ensembles at the bottom of the modwheel and SSS at the top. Or a2 patches on bottom, a6 on top, etc. And whole new worlds open up when you start adding synths with their own 'synthy' parameters.


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