Articulations and MIDI

When working with MIDI, i. e. when you are entering notes via a MIDI keyboard, editing notes in the MIDI editors or using VST instruments, articulations need to be realized as different sounds.

To trigger the necessary sound changes, use the following command and data types:

Program Change: Program Change messages can be used to instruct a connected VST instrument to switch from one program to another. Depending on the instrument, this can be used to play a different articulation.
MIDI channel: Multi-timbral instruments, such as Steinberg’s HALion, feature programs, usually representing different articulations. These can be accessed via MIDI channel messages.
Key switches: Some software samplers, like Steinberg’s HALion Symphonic Orchestra, make use of “key switches”, meaning that certain keys are not used to trigger sounds, but to switch between articulations, for example.