Session Horns Pro Manual English PDF

Manual
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Document authored by: musicandtext.com Dimitrov Popow

Software version: 1.0 (05/2014)
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1 Welcome to SESSION HORNS PRO .............................................................................. 7
2 SESSION HORNS PRO Key Features ............................................................................. 9
2.1 External Sequencer Automation .................................................................................................. 10
2.2 About KONTAKT / KONTAKT PLAYER ............................................................................................. 10
3 SESSION HORNS PRO Controls ................................................................................... 11
3.1 Basic Control Types .................................................................................................................... 11
3.1.1 Buttons ...................................................................................................................... 11
3.1.2 Selector Switches ...................................................................................................... 11
3.1.3 Knobs ........................................................................................................................ 12
3.1.4 Faders ....................................................................................................................... 12
3.1.5 Drop-Down Menus .................................................................................................... 12
3.1.6 Spin Controls ............................................................................................................. 13
4 The Twelve KONTAKT Instruments (.nki Files) ............................................................. 14
5 SESSION HORNS PRO – Performance.nki .................................................................... 16
5.1 Main Window View ...................................................................................................................... 16
5.1.1 Section Setup ............................................................................................................ 17
5.1.2 Section Preset Drop-Down Menu ................................................................................ 19
5.1.3 Voicing Assistant Drop-Down Menu ........................................................................... 19
5.1.4 Smart Chord .............................................................................................................. 20
5.2 Animator View ............................................................................................................................ 22
5.3 Animator View – Elements .......................................................................................................... 23
5.3.1 Tempo ........................................................................................................................ 23
5.3.2 Swing ........................................................................................................................ 24
5.3.3 Genre Drop-Down Menu ............................................................................................. 24
5.3.4 Song Drop-Down Menu .............................................................................................. 24
5.3.5 Animator Song Editor and Phrase Browser ................................................................ 24
Session Horns Pro - Manual - 4

Table of Contents
5.3.6 Dynamic Fader ........................................................................................................... 27

5.3.7 Phrase Selector Switch and Spin Controls ................................................................. 27
5.3.8 Harmony or Unison Selector ....................................................................................... 27
5.3.9 Mode Buttons ............................................................................................................ 28
5.3.10 Humanize Knob .......................................................................................................... 28
5.3.11 Progress Bar .............................................................................................................. 28
5.3.12 Link Preset to Song Button ........................................................................................ 29
5.4 Articulation View ........................................................................................................................ 29
5.5 Articulation View Elements ......................................................................................................... 30
5.5.1 Main Drop-Down Menu .............................................................................................. 30
5.5.2 Threshold Fader and Display ..................................................................................... 30
5.5.3 Velocity Switch Drop-Down Menu ............................................................................... 31
5.5.4 Humanize Knob .......................................................................................................... 32
5.6 Sound Window View .................................................................................................................... 33
5.6.1 Individual Level Faders .............................................................................................. 34
5.6.2 Solo and Mute Buttons .............................................................................................. 34
5.6.3 Panning Knob ............................................................................................................ 35
5.6.4 Drop Button ............................................................................................................... 35
5.6.5 Individual Instrument Effects .................................................................................... 35
5.6.6 Compressor Controls ................................................................................................. 35
5.6.7 EQ Controls ................................................................................................................ 37
5.6.8 Reverb and Delay Send Knobs ................................................................................... 39
5.6.9 Global Send FX .......................................................................................................... 39
5.6.10 Delay ......................................................................................................................... 40
5.6.11 Reverb ....................................................................................................................... 41
5.6.12 Global Master FX Chain ............................................................................................. 41
5.6.13 Master Compressor (Comp) ....................................................................................... 43
5.6.14 Master Equalizer (EQ) ................................................................................................ 45

Table of Contents
5.6.15 Tape Saturation (Tape) .............................................................................................. 46

5.6.16 Twang ........................................................................................................................ 47
5.6.17 LP2 ............................................................................................................................ 47
5.7 Control Window View .................................................................................................................. 49
5.7.1 Dynamic Control ........................................................................................................ 50
5.7.2 Pitch Wheel ................................................................................................................ 51
5.7.3 Samples .................................................................................................................... 52
6 SESSION HORNS PRO – Key Switch.nki ....................................................................... 54
6.1 Main Window View ...................................................................................................................... 55
6.1.1 Section Setup ............................................................................................................ 56
6.1.2 Section Preset Drop-Down Menu ................................................................................ 57
6.1.3 Voicing Assistant Drop-Down Menu ........................................................................... 57
6.1.4 Smart Chord .............................................................................................................. 59
6.2 Keyswitches View ........................................................................................................................ 60
6.2.1 Key switch Drop-Down Menus .................................................................................... 60
6.2.2 Applying the Articulations ......................................................................................... 61
6.2.3 Humanize Knob .......................................................................................................... 62
7 SESSION HORNS PRO Solo.nki ................................................................................... 63
7.1 Main Window View ...................................................................................................................... 64
7.2 Keyswitches View ........................................................................................................................ 65
7.2.1 Key switch Drop-Down Menus .................................................................................... 65
7.2.2 Applying the Articulations ......................................................................................... 66
7.2.3 Humanize Knob .......................................................................................................... 67
8 Credits ...................................................................................................................... 68

Welcome to SESSION HORNS PRO
1 Welcome to SESSION HORNS PRO

Thank you for choosing SESSION HORNS PRO.
SESSION HORNS PRO is a highly expressive and versatile horn section that lets you quickly
achieve great results. Woodwind and brass are among the most dynamic and expressive acous-
tic instruments and the interaction between the individual players of a horn section can be
very complex both harmonically and rhythmically.
SESSION HORNS PRO combines outstanding sound quality, an intuitive interface and innova-
tive functionality not only to provide you with a truly musical workflow, but also to recreate the
magic that a soulful Horn section can add to your music.
We hope you enjoy using SESSION HORNS PRO and we would be delighted to hear your feed-
back and ideas! You can find e-instruments on the web under http://www.e-instruments.com.
Thomas Koritke
e-instruments
Manual Conventions
This manual uses particular formatting to point out special facts and to warn you of potential
issues. The icons introducing the following notes let you see what kind of information is to be
expected:
Whenever this exclamation mark icon appears, you should read the corresponding note
carefully and follow the instructions and hints given there if applicable.
This light bulb icon indicates that a note contains useful extra information. This informa-
tion may often help you to solve a task more efficiently, but does not necessarily apply to
the setup or operating system you are using; however, it's always worth a look.
Furthermore, the following formatting is used:

▪ Text appearing in (drop-down) menus (such as Open…, Save as… etc.) and paths to loca-
tions on your hard drive or other storage devices is printed in italics.

Welcome to SESSION HORNS PRO
▪ Text appearing elsewhere (labels of buttons, controls, text next to checkboxes, etc.) is
printed in light blue. Whenever you see this formatting applied, you will find the same
text appearing somewhere on the screen.
Manual Structure
SESSION HORNS PRO includes three.nki file types with different functionality:
SESSION HORNS PRO – Performance, SESSION HORNS PRO – Key Switch and SES-
SION HORNS PRO – Solo. Two of the three main window views in these three .nki files types
contain exactly the same functions. To help you save time and paper, these are only described
once – in section ↑5, SESSION HORNS PRO – Performance.nki.
So, if you work with the Key Switch or Solo.nki and have questions about the Sound or Control
window views, please read the corresponding manual sections (↑5.6, Sound Window View and
↑5.7, Control Window View) in section ↑5, SESSION HORNS PRO – Performance.nki.

SESSION HORNS PRO Key Features
2 SESSION HORNS PRO Key Features

SESSION HORNS PRO delivers the sound of a tight, modern brass section and is aimed at
Soul and Pop producers. Brass found in genres such as R&B, Latin, Indie, Nu-Jazz and Reggae
can also easily be created.
▪ The SESSION HORNS PRO sounds were recorded with utmost precision and are designed
for maximum flexibility.
▪ SESSION HORNS PRO features authentic phrases and sound settings for a variety of dif-
ferent genres. Its intuitive approach lets you quickly produce excellent brass phrases and
arrangements, even if you don’t have prior detailed knowledge of brass arrangement.
▪ SESSION HORNS PRO contains a collection of ten multi-sampled brass instrument types
which you can either use as a solo instrument or as sections of up to six instruments per
opened .nki instance.
The following single instruments or instrument combinations are available to you for as-
sembling the desired horns sections:
Single Instruments Instrument Combinations
Trumpet 1 Bass and Tenor Trombones
Trumpet 2 Bass Trombone and Baritone Saxophone
Muted Trumpet Tenor and Baritone Saxophone
Flugelhorn Tenor Trombone and Tenor Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone Alto and Tenor Saxophones
Alto Saxophone Tenor Saxophone and Muted Trumpet
Baritone Saxophone Trumpets 1 and 2
Tenor Trombone Alto Saxophone and Trumpet 1
Bass Trombone Tenor Saxophone and Trumpet 1
Tuba Tenor Trombone and Trumpet 1
▪ SESSION HORNS PRO’s unique Smart Voice Split allocates each note of a chord to the
corresponding brass instrument.

SESSION HORNS PRO Key Features
External Sequencer Automation
▪ The Animator turns chords into authentic brass phrases while maintaining real-time con-
trol-ability. The Animator always follows the played chord and adjusts the brass phrase to
proper voicing.
▪ A Smart Chord mode lets you play authentic brass chords and voicings with just one or
two fingers.
▪ Dedicated Performance, Key Switch and Solo.nki's for live performance and production
work of any kind.
▪ A variety of creative mix and mastering presets provides a scope of inspiring sound im-
ages.
2.1 External Sequencer Automation

Most knobs and faders in SESSION HORNS PRO can be controlled by external MIDI or host
automation.
► Simply open the KONTAKT automation window and drag the automation ID to the desired
knob or fader.
For further information on automation assignment please refer to the KONTAKT manual.
2.2 About KONTAKT / KONTAKT PLAYER

SESSION HORNS PRO is an Instrument powered by KONTAKT; you will, therefore, have to
have KONTAKT or the free KONTAKT PLAYER installed on your computer in order to use SES-
SION HORNS PRO. Refer to the KONTAKT/KONTAKT PLAYER documentation to learn how to
load and configure KONTAKT Instruments.

SESSION HORNS PRO Controls
Basic Control Types
3 SESSION HORNS PRO Controls

This chapter introduces you to SESSION HORNS PRO’s specific controls, which are part of the
of each SESSION HORNS PRO.nki within your KONTAKT/KONTAKT PLAYER software.
The Instrument Header
To learn how to operate the Instrument Header’s controls, please refer to the documentation of
your KONTAKT or KONTAKT PLAYER software.
3.1 Basic Control Types

SESSION HORNS PRO includes six basic types of controls: buttons, switches, knobs, faders,
drop-down menus, and spin controls.
3.1.1 Buttons
These can have different shapes (“LED” or square) and are all toggles.
► Click once to turn on, again to turn off.

All buttons change their background color when actuated, which reflects the new state.
3.1.2 Selector Switches

Selector switches can also have different shapes and are used to select one of several options.
► Either click the round “LED” next to the desired option or the square option button to
select it.

Basic Control Types
3.1.3 Knobs
► To change a knob value, click on it and drag up to move the knob clockwise, or down to
move it counter-clockwise.
► Knobs can be fine-tuned by holding down your computer keyboard’s [Shift] key as you
move the knob.
► [Ctrl] + Click (Mac: [Cmd] + Click) resets a knob to its default value
3.1.4 Faders
SESSION HORNS PRO has two vertically or horizontally aligned fader types:
▪ The Dynamic fader in the Animator view of the Performance NKI, which lets you set up
what controls the dynamics of Animator phrases; the velocity with which you hit the keys
and/or the dynamics preprogrammed in the respective Animator phrase.
▪ The Threshold fader in the Articulation view of the Performance NKI, which lets you set
up a velocity threshold point at which articulation changes between the two available op-
tions.
▪ The individual instrument volume faders in the Sound views of all SES-
SION HORNS PRO .nki files, used to set up individual instrument volumes in an assem-
bled brass section.
► Click the respective fader handle and drag up or down, left or right.
3.1.5 Drop-Down Menus

These menus can usually be recognized by a small downward pointing arrow. To access a drop-
down menu’s entries, click on the menu. A list holding several entries drops down.
► To select one of the entries, move the mouse to the corresponding entry so that it gets
highlighted, then release the mouse button. The Instrument takes whatever action you’ve
requested, then closes the menu.

Basic Control Types
3.1.6 Spin Controls

Spin controls are pairs of two small horizontal arrows which provide a second option for select-
ing items; for instance drop-down menu entries.
► Click on either arrow to step through the available item list.

▪ The left arrow lets you step backwards through the list.
▪ The right arrow lets you step forward through the list.

The Twelve KONTAKT Instruments (.nki Files)
4 The Twelve KONTAKT Instruments (.nki Files)

SESSION HORNS PRO provides you with twelve separate KONTAKT *.nki files:
SESSION HORNS PRO – Performance, SESSION HORNS PRO – Key Switch and a SES-
SION HORNS PRO – Solo.nki for each solo instrument. Each .nki file holds all the relevant
controls for shaping the instrument sound. The controls are accessible in three main window
views called Main, Sound and Control. These can be made visible by clicking the correspond-
ing buttons at the bottom of the .nki-window. The SESSION HORNS PRO – Performance.nki
has two additional tabs which let you switch between its Animator and Articulation views.
▪ The SESSION HORNS PRO – Performance.nki is designed for real-time performance of the
horns section that you assemble. It features pre-programmed yet very flexible brass phras-
es using SESSION HORNS PRO’s unique Animator function as well as a ‘standard’ key-
board mode, where you can choose two from 14 available different articulations for veloci-
ty switching.
▪ The SESSION HORNS PRO – Key Switch.nki lets you predefine up to nine from sixteen avail-
able different articulations for the assembled horns section. These can then be activated
in real-time using keys in the C-1 octave of your keyboard.
▪ The SESSION HORNS PRO – Solo.nki files offer similar functionality as the Key Switch.nki,
but for one single brass instrument only—ideal for production and sequencing work.

The Twelve KONTAKT Instruments (.nki Files)
SESSION HORNS PRO - Performance.nki with Animator view open

SESSION HORNS PRO – Performance.nki
Main Window View
5 SESSION HORNS PRO – Performance.nki

The SESSION HORNS PRO – Performance.nki offers three different main window views; Main,
Sound, and Control. These and the additional ANIMATOR and ARTICULATION views are de-
scribed in detail in this chapter.
5.1 Main Window View
Performance.nki Main view with Articulation view open
► Click the Main button at the bottom to bring up the Main window view.
Using the functions in the Main window view you can:

Main Window View
▪ Select individual instruments and instrument combinations to assemble the horns section
you want. The maximum number of instruments in one instance of the Performance.nki is
six: two individual instruments and two combinations of two instruments. If you need
more, simply open another Performance.nki and use it together with the first. Several
Section presets are available in the Section Preset drop-down menu, located in the top
left corner of the window.
▪ Determine a second articulation that is used via velocity switching; i.e. when you press
the keys harder. This is done in the ARTICULATION window view that appears when you
deactivate the ANIMATOR and is not available for Animator playback, which already in-
cludes the use of articulations in its song presets.
▪ Use the Voicing Assistant to control how the individual voices are distributed among the
instruments in the horns section that you have assembled.
▪ Set up and use the unique ANIMATOR to play back pre-programmed yet flexible phrases
or just use the pre-programmed rhythm of the phrase for your own chords.
5.1.1 Section Setup

Two methods are available for horns section setup:
▪ You can select a section preset in the Section Preset drop-down menu located top left in
the window. This is described under the following heading.
▪ You can select a maximum of six instruments for the four instrument slots in the central
part of the Master window view (two individual instruments and two instrument combina-
tions, each consisting of two instruments).

Main Window View
Selecting a single instrument
To assemble a horns section from scratch, do this:

1. Click Slot A; the first slot on the left side.
2. Click Single or Combi and select the single instrument or instrument combination by
clicking on it.
3. If desired, repeat the process for all four instrument slots.
If the instrument slots do already contain instruments, which will probably be the case, we
recommend that you first click each slot and remove the instrument(s) it contains by se-
lecting the No Instrument item. This is useful as it is not possible to select an instrument
that has already been selected in another slot (as a single instrument or part of a combi). If
you use several instances of the same SESSION HORNS PRO.nki file, you can of course
select the same instrument several times – once in each instance.
Which single or combi instruments are available for a slot depends on their pitch range. In-
struments with a lower pitch can be select in slot A, instruments with the highest pitches
can be used in slot D.

Main Window View
5.1.2 Section Preset Drop-Down Menu

You can use this drop-down menu to select a horn section preset.
► Open the Section Setup menu by clicking on the downward pointing arrow and select one
of the available section presets. Your choice will be reflected by the instrument images
on screen.
The Link Preset to Song option is described in section 5.1.3.1 Animator Elements.
5.1.3 Voicing Assistant Drop-Down Menu

The Voicing Assistant lets you select one of five available voicing modes. Its drop-down menu
is located top right in the Main window view. Using the options on this menu, you determine
how the individual instruments are distributed among the keys you press on your keyboard.
This has considerable impact on how your horns section sounds. These are the available Voic-
ing modes:
Polyphonic
Each note you play triggers all instruments currently selected in Section Setup.
Smart Voice Split

The voices selected in Section Setup are realistically distributed among the keys you press.
The order and number of available voices is always consistent and happens realistically from
bottom to top, no matter in which order you press the keys. Voices can therefore jump between
notes when you press additional notes or release notes.
With a full section selected in Section Setup and playing a chord with four notes, the lowest
controls the instrument(s) with the lowest pitch range (e.g. Bass Trombone or Tuba), the next
higher one the controls the instrument(s) with the next higher pitch range etc. If you add a
fifth note, the new one will replace one of the sounding notes. Which note this is depends on
the pitch of the newly pressed note.
Smart Voice Split features true polyphonic legato which lets you create naturally-sounding le-
gato phrases.

Main Window View
If you use a sustain pedal, you will always get a consistent section sound, no matter how
many keys you press, as SESSION HORNS PRO provides dedicated legato transition sam-
ples for legato play.
Voicing Assistant drop-down menu
Legato
Legato is an Italian word and means tied together. SESION HORNS PRO provides dedicated
legato transition samples for legato play. Use this mode to generate a monophonic legato melo-
dy. To make it legato, overlay the currently sounding note with the next. Each note you play
triggers all instruments currently selected in Section Setup.
Chord + Legato
Use this mode to simultaneously play chords and a monophonic legato melody. To generate a
legato melody, you must overlay within an octave the currently sounding note with the next.
Each note you play triggers all instruments currently selected in Section Setup. Example: If
you play a chord triad with a full Section selected in Section Setup, each note in the chord is
played by all instruments. This mode does not affect the selected Velocity Switch articulation.
Animator
Select this to activate the Animator and use the available Animator phrases, see Animator be-
low.
5.1.4 Smart Chord

The Smart Chord function lets you play four-voice chords by pressing one or two keys on your
external MIDI controller keyboard.

Main Window View
► To activate the Smart Chord function, click the small round button next to the text Smart
Chord.
Now you can set up the Smart Chord function:
► Open the Smart Chord setup dialog by clicking the small cog wheel icon. Then select a
root note and chord map from the two drop-down menus to the left in the Smart Chord
dialog.
Smart Chord setup dialog
The chords defined by root note and chord map will automatically be assigned to the (“white”)
keys on your controller keyboard, starting with the C key.
If you select “F” as root note and “major” as gender, pressing the C key on your keyboard will
therefore create an F major chord.
Now you can play the resulting chords by pressing the respective key on your external keyboard
controller. If you don't additionally press a modifier key, the degrees of the selected scale are
used. These already include chord inversions.

Animator View
By additionally pressing a modifier key—the “black” keys—you can further modify the result-
ing chords. These chord voicings have been created by a professional brass arranger.
Additionally pressing this key Can have this result (depending on the nature of the chord used)
C# (Warm) Mostly adds 7/9 notes to the chord.
D# (Colour) Option notes 9/11/13 are added.
F# (Crunch) Altered scale notes are used as option notes.
G# (Cinematic) Uses open quartal harmony.
Bb (Tension) Creates altered scale notes such as #9, b13, b9.
If you use Smart Chord in conjunction with the Animator (see below), it may sometimes
happen that pressing a modifier key yields no or only a slight change. This depends on the
harmonic structure of the Animator phrase that you want to modify.
If you use Smart Chords without the Animator, the resulting chords do not use the root note
as bass note in order to create more brass-like chords. You can use a solo instrument (e.g.
Tuba, Bass Trombone or other) to create the root note separately, if you wish.
5.2 Animator View
Animator view in the SESSION HORNS PRO – Performance.nki
The Animator view is located at the lower end of the Main window view. It appears when you
activate the Animator as described in the next paragraph. The Animator is an adaptable MIDI
horns phrase player. It offers a selection of authentic horns phrases for different musical styles
(genres). The phrases are grouped by genre, song and phrase. Each genre folder holds several

Animator View – Elements
songs. Each song contains six phrases. Each phrase comes with a harmonic progression which
you can shape by playing your own chords. You can also disable the harmonic progression in
the phrases altogether and just use their rhythm.
► To activate the Animator, click the “LED” next to the word Animator on the left side, so
that it lights up. This brings up the Animator view in the lower part of the window. As an
alternative, you can also select the Animator item on the Voicing Assistant drop-down
menu.
► Press a key or a chord on your controller keyboard. The currently selected phrase will play
back for as long as you hold down the key or chord. The progress bar below the Phrase
spin controls informs you about the current playback position within the phrase.
If you use a sustain pedal, you can hold Animator playback without having to keep the keys
pressed.
► You can switch to another phrase in the song by clicking its phrase selector key, one of
the spin controls (two horizontally aligned dark arrows) or any of the “white” keys in the
C-1 octave of your external controller keyboard.
Read the following paragraphs to find out what you can do with the individual controls in the
Animator section.
5.3 Animator View – Elements

From left to right, the Animator contains the following controls:
5.3.1 Tempo
This selector switch to the left in the Animator lets you select a phrase playback speed. No
matter which speed you select here, it has no impact on the phrase pitch.
► Select ½ to play back the phrase with half of the original tempo.
► Select 1:1 to play back the phrase with the tempo currently set in your host application
or in KONTAKT.

► Select x2 to play back the phrase with double speed.
5.3.2 Swing
The SWING knob is located to the right of the TEMPO selector switch.
► If you wish, use this knob to apply a swing factor to the Animator phrases. Experiment to
find a fitting swing setting for the type of music you are creating.
5.3.3 Genre Drop-Down Menu

The genre menu is located to the right of the SWING knob. You use it to preselect the genre of
the song.
► Open the drop-down menu and select the desired genre.
5.3.4 Song Drop-Down Menu

This drop-down menu is located to the right of the Genre menu. The menu drops down when
you click the white downward pointing arrow. It is used to load one of the Animator songs
available for the preselected genre. When you select an Animator song, all its phrases are auto-
matically opened and you can use the “white” keys in the C-1 octave of your keyboard to select
the individual phrases.
► Open the drop-down menu and select one of the songs by clicking its name.
5.3.5 Animator Song Editor and Phrase Browser

In the Phrase Browser, you can open genre folders to display their song content and open song
folders to select individual Animator phrases. In the Song Editor, you can then assign individu-
al phrases from the same or different songs to keys in the C-1 octave of your MIDI controller
keyboard, the phrase selector keys and the spin controls on-screen.
► To open the Song Editor and Phrase Browser in the central part of the window, click the
wrench tool icon, located to the right of the Song drop-down.

Clicking the wrench tool opens the Animator Song Editor and Phrase Browser
► Click genre folders to display the song folders they contain in the middle column.
► Click the desired song folder icon in the middle column to display all phrases available
here in the right column.
► To assign a phrase to any of the “white” keys in the C-1 octave, select the desired key by
clicking on it in the vertically aligned octave to the left in the Song Editor. The selected
key is highlighted. Now double click the phrase that you want to assign to the selected
key.

Start and Length

You can also edit both the starting point of a phrase and its length. This happens in sixteenth
note steps and is done in the Start and Length fields, located below the Phrase Browser col-
umns.
► To change the starting point of a phrase in sixteenth note steps, move the mouse pointer
over the currently set numerical value. Small vertical spin controls get visible. You can
now either click these to change the starting point or hold down the mouse button and
drag upwards or downwards.
Changing the starting point of a phrase will not change its length.
► To change the length of a phrase in sixteenth note steps move the mouse cursor over the
currently set value and use the spin controls or click and drag as described above.
Sixth Note
The Sixth Minor and Major selector switches in the Song Editor are used to determine how
sixth notes are used in a phrase:
▪ If an Animator phrase includes a sixth note and you play it using a normal minor chord,
you can convert the normal minor sixth to a major (dorian) sixth by activating the Major
button. This can e.g. be useful in R&B or Jazz music which, instead of using the natural
minor scale, often in fact introduces a dorian mode by playing minor with a major sixth.
▪ If you use the Animator phrase playing a major chord, you can activate the Minor button
to turn the major into a minor sixth note. The resulting scale—harmonic major—is less
commonly used.
► Click the Minor or Major button to activate the desired function. The selected button is
highlighted in light grey. The buttons also work like a selector switch. If one button has
already been selected, clicking the other will deactivate the previously active button.
If the Animator phrase does not use a sixth note, activating the Minor or Major button will
have no effect.

5.3.6 Dynamic Fader

You find the Dynamic fader below the genre drop-down menu. It is used to define what deter-
mines the dynamics in the Animator phrase; the velocity with which you hit the keys and/or the
dynamics preprogrammed in the phrase.
► Drag the Dynamic fader handle up or down to determine how these two factors influence
the phrase dynamics.
5.3.7 Phrase Selector Switch and Spin Controls

These phrase selection tools are located below the Song drop-down menu.
Several options to select a phrase are available:
► Press any of the phrase selector keys C-1 to A-1 on your controller keyboard or the KON-
TAKT on-screen keyboard, where they are shown in pink.
► Click any of the “white” keys in the Phrase selector of the Animator.
► Use the Phrase spin controls below the Phrase selector.
Selecting a phrase in the Phrase selector
5.3.8 Harmony or Unison Selector

This switch is located below the wrench tool icon. You can use it to quickly set Animator
phrase playback voicing between harmony (all instruments play their own voice) and unison
(all instruments play the same voice).

► Click to select the desired voicing. As an alternative, use the Modulation wheel on your
external MIDI controller to achieve the same.
5.3.9 Mode Buttons

These two buttons are located to the right of the Harmony or Unison Selector.
► If you activate the One Shot button and just briefly press the desired chord, the full
phrase will be played back once. You can still change harmony during phrase playback by
changing chords on your keyboard.
► If you activate the Rhythm only button, only the rhythm and the articulation of the re-
spective phrase will be used to play back the chords you press.
Mode buttons and Humanize knob
5.3.10 Humanize Knob

This knob is located to the right of the Mode buttons. You can use the Humanize knob to con-
trol the timing, tuning and velocity accuracy of the instruments in your horns section.
► If you turn this knob down fully, all instruments in the horns section will have the exact
same timing and velocity as well as perfect tuning.
► The further you turn this knob up, the more timing, tuning and velocity offsets will be-
come clearly audible between the individual instruments in the section, just like real horn
players would sound.
5.3.11 Progress Bar

This is located below the Phrase spin controls. When you trigger a phrase, the progress bar in-
forms you about the current playback position within the phrase.

Animator Progress Bar
5.3.12 Link Preset to Song Button

This button is only available in the Performance.nki. It is a part of the animator functionality
and located below the Section Preset drop-down menu.
Link Preset to Song button
▪ Each Animator song contains tailored Section, Sound Mix and FX presets. If you activate
the Link Preset button, these presets are automatically used and when you select another
song, the preset Section, Sound Mix and FX settings of that song will automatically be
used.
5.4 Articulation View

The Articulation view uses the same window area as the Animator. It appears at the lower end
of the Main window view when you deactivate the Animator or select any voicing but "Anima-
tor" in the Voicing Assistant drop-down menu.
Articulation view

Articulation View Elements
Using the controls in the Articulation view, you can set up the Performance.nki to switch be-
tween two selected articulations when velocity exceeds or falls below a definable velocity val-
ue.
Velocity switching is not available when you use the Animator, as Animator phrases do al-
ready contain articulation switch programming.
► To set up velocity switching, you select the desired articulation types in the MAIN and
VELOCITY SWITCH drop-down menus and define a THRESHOLD value. If you play with a
velocity lower than the set Threshold, the Main articulation is used. Playing with a veloci-
ty higher than the set THRESHOLD lets you use the VELOCITY SWITCH articulation.
5.5 Articulation View Elements

The Articulation view contains the MAIN and VELOCITY SWITCH drop-down menus, the veloci-
ty THRESHOLD fader and numerical display as well as the HUMANIZE knob.
5.5.1 Main Drop-Down Menu

This drop-down menu is located on the left side of the Articulation view. The menu drops down
when you click the white downward pointing arrow. Here you can select the articulation intend-
ed for main use. The menu contains the following articulation types:
Articulation Explanation
Non Vibrato All notes are held straight for as long as you press the keys.
Vibrato All notes are held for as long as you press the keys. A vibrato starts after a short time.
► Open the Main drop-down menu and select one of the available items.
5.5.2 Threshold Fader and Display

This horizontally aligned fader next to the Main drop-down menu lets you set up the velocity
value at which the articulation switches back and forth between the two selected articulation
options. It also displays the current velocity when you play.

► Drag the fader handle left or right to set up the velocity value at which the articulation
should change. The currently selected velocity switch value is shown in the numerical
display below the fader.
5.5.3 Velocity Switch Drop-Down Menu

VELOCITY SWITCH, located to the right of the THRESHOLD fader, is the second drop-down
menu in the Articulation view. Use this to select a second articulation which is used when you
play with stronger velocity.
► Open the VELOCITY SWITCH drop-down menu and select one of the available items.
The following articulation types are available:
Rips A glide at the beginning of a sustained note. Woodwind and brass variation of
a Glissando (Italian: glide).
Grace A continuous change between the (very briefly-sounding) grace note and the
longer lasting main note. Distance between the two notes: one whole tone.
Grace Vibrato Same as above, but here the longer lasting main note has a vibrato.
FoPiCre 2Beat Short for Forte-Piano-Crescendo (Italian: loud/quiet/growing). This articulation
starts with a loud attack, gets quiet very quickly, then increases volume and
finally ends abruptly. The dynamic process is based on a tempo of 120 bpm
(beats per minute) and has a length of two beats.
If you activate Time Stretching in the Control view, the dynamic process will
be stretched so that it always matches the tempo you have set in your host se-
quencer or in the KONTAKT Master Editor.
FoPiCre 4Beat Same as above, but the dynamic process has a length of four beats.
Growl Guttural, gritty timbre
Growl Vibrato Same as above, but followed by a vibrato using the same technique.
Marcato Long (Italian: marked) Accentuated note or chord with a sharp attack followed by
the decaying sound.
Marcato Medium Same as above, but shorter.

Staccato Italian: separated.
Staccato is an articulation technique characterized by an accented start of
each pitch and a short, truncated end resulting in detached and briefly played
notes.
Staccatissimo Same as above, but extremely truncated.
Sax Trill Semi Rapid alteration between two adjacent notes; in this case the notes are a sem-
itone apart. For saxophone only.
Sax Trill Whole Same as above, but here the two notes are a whole note apart.
Brass Shake Sounds like a coarse trill. Note: For physical reasons, a saxophone can't create
a shake.
5.5.4 Humanize Knob

This knob is located to the right of the Mode buttons. You can use the HUMANIZE knob to
control the timing, tuning and velocity accuracy of the instruments in your horns section in a
way that they sound like real human horn players.

Sound Window View
5.6 Sound Window View
Sound window view
► Click the Sound button at the bottom of the window to bring up the Sound window view.

Sound Window View
This window view displays the same instrument slots as in the Main window view and addition-
ally adds individual mixer channel strips (including a level fader, a panning knob, a solo and a
mute button) for each instrument. Slots containing a combination of two instruments (combi)
have individual mixer channel strips for each instrument. A Drop button in each mixer channel
strip lets you individually transpose each instrument downwards by one octave.
The effects section below the instruments is used to set up individual compressor and equaliz-
er settings for each instrument in your assembled horns section. You can also set up the indi-
vidual instrument's send levels to the global effects reverb and delay.
A Global Send FX section helps you set up the available delay and reverb parameters.
Finally, there's a Global Master FX section where you can control the parameters of a master
effect chain, consisting of compressor, equalizer, tape saturation, twang and a low pass filter.
5.6.1 Individual Level Faders

These faders can be used to control the level of each individual instrument in the horns sec-
tion that you have assembled. This is where you mix your section and set up the balance be-
tween the individual instruments.
► Position the mouse pointer over the fader handle and drag it up or down.
5.6.2 Solo and Mute Buttons

To mute an individual instrument means to silence it. To solo an instrument means that all
instruments, except for those already set to solo, are muted. This is done by using the M and S
buttons at the top of the mixer channel strips.
► To mute an instrument, click its M button so that it gets highlighted. To unmute it, click
the M button again. In the Main and Control views, muted instrument slots display this
icon:
► To solo an instrument, click its S button. Unless you have done the same for other indi-
vidual horns, all other instruments will be muted. To deactivate solo for an instrument,
click its S button again.

Sound Window View
5.6.3 Panning Knob

Each instrument's individual mixer channel strip contains a panning knob, located directly be-
low the solo and mute buttons. You can use it to position the instrument in the stereo panora-
ma.
► Position the mouse pointer over the knob and drag up or down.
5.6.4 Drop Button

This button is located at the bottom of each instrument's individual mixer channel strip. You
can use it to transpose the respective instrument downwards by one octave.
► To activate downward transposition for an instrument, click the Drop button so that it
gets highlighted.
► To deactivate downward transposition, click the Drop button again.
5.6.5 Individual Instrument Effects

All compressor and EQ settings as well as the reverb and delay send level settings can be set
up separately for individual instruments. Proceed as follows to do this:
► Click the desired instrument in one of the instrument slots so that it gets selected. Its
name will now be displayed in the top left button of the effects section.
► You need to click this button to display the individual instrument effects, should the ef-
fects section currently show the Global Send FX or Global Master FX.
5.6.6 Compressor Controls

A compressor is a device used to reduce the level of loud signal peaks. It does this by narrow-
ing the dynamic range. The resulting loss in overall level can be compensated by raising it us-
ing a makeup gain control.
Remember that you can make separate settings for each instrument in your selected horns
section!

Sound Window View
Proceed as follows to bring up the compressor controls:
► Click the Comp button (not the “LED”) so that it gets highlighted in light grey. Now all
compressor controls get visible in the centre of the effects section.
► Activate the compressor by clicking its “LED” so that it lights up.
Compressor controls
Threshold Knob
This knob lets you set the level at which compression starts. Signals below the set Threshold
pass unaffected. Signals above Threshold level are compressed. You can select a value be-
tween -20dB and +20dB. The current value gets visible when you set up the Threshold or
when you click the knob.
Ratio Knob
The Ratio knob is used to control the amount of gain reduction applied to the signal above
Threshold level. The Ratio can be set between 1:1.5 and 1:10. The current value gets visible
when you set up the Ratio or when you click the knob.
Attack Knob
Use this knob to set up the time it takes for the compressor to react when the signal rises
above the set Threshold level. A number of fixed Attack times between 0.1ms and 30ms can
be used. The current value gets visible when you set up the Attack time or when you click the
knob.

Sound Window View
Release Knob
Using the Release knob, you determine the time it takes for the compressor to let the signal
through unaffected after signal level has dropped below the set Threshold value. You can set
up Release times between 100ms and 1600ms. When you turn the knob up fully, Release
time is handled automatically. The current value gets visible when you set up the Release time
or when you click the knob.
Make Up (Gain) Knob

Compression levels out audio signal peaks. The Make Up Gain knob is used to compensate for
the resulting volume loss. Available value range: -5.0db to 20.0dB. The current value gets visi-
ble when you use or click the knob.
Mix Knob
Using this knob, you can control the balance between the original (uncompressed) and com-
pressed signal in the output signal. The current value gets visible when you use or click the
knob.
5.6.7 EQ Controls
Proceed as follows to bring up the EQ controls:
► Click the Eq button (not the “LED”) so that it gets highlighted in light grey. Now all EQ
controls are visible in the centre of the effects section.
► Activate the Equalizer by clicking its “LED” so that it lights up.

Sound Window View
An Equalizer (short: EQ) is used to alter the frequency response of an audio signal. The EQ used in SESSION HORNS PRO
has controls to filter four partly overlapping frequency ranges; low. mid1, mid2 and high. Depending on the filter type used,
filtering is done by first selecting the corner or center frequency of the frequency range to be edited and then adjusting its
gain and thereby level up or down. You can switch the filter type used for the high and/or low frequency ranges between
shelving filter and bell filter.
Remember that you can make separate settings for each instrument in your selected horns
section!
The following table lists up the frequency and gain ranges of all four filters in the EQ:
Name Gain Range Name Frequency Range Filter Type
Low Gain -20dB - +20dB (Low) Freq(uencies) 40Hz - 600Hz Shelving, Bell
Mid1 Gain -20dB - +20dB (Lower Mid) Freq(uencies) 200Hz - 2.5 kHz Bell
MID2 Gain -20dB - +20dB (Upper Mid) Freq(uencies) 600Hz - 7kHz Bell
High Gain -20dB - +20dB (High) Freq(uencies) 1.5kHz - 22kHz Shelving, Bell
► Position the mouse pointer over a Freq knob and drag up or down to select the filter's
corner or center frequency. The current value gets visible during editing and when you
click the knob.
► Position the mouse pointer over a Gain knob and drag up or down to boost or reduce gain.
The current value gets visible during editing and when you click the knob.
► To change the filter type used for the high and/or low frequency range from shelving to
bell filter, click the small "bell" button next to the respective Freq knob so that it lights
up. If you want to go back to the shelving filter, click the "bell" button again.

Sound Window View
5.6.8 Reverb and Delay Send Knobs
If you want to use these effect sends, make sure that Delay and/or Reverb are switched on
in the Global Send FX section.
Use the Rev Send and Del Send knobs to define the level of the instrument signal that is sent
to the built-in global effects Reverb and Delay.
► To set the Send level for the selected instrument, position the mouse pointer over the de-
sired Send knob and drag up or down.
Remember that you can make separate settings for each instrument in your selected horns sec-
tion!
The available Delay and Reverb master parameters are described below in the Global Send Ef-
fects section.
5.6.9 Global Send FX

► Click the Global Send FX button, located to the left in the effects section, to bring up the
Global Send FX master parameters.
Opening the Global Send FX master parameters
The controls available in this effects section view are used to set up the master parameters for
each of the two master effects Delay and Reverb. The signals that you send from the individual
instruments via their Reverb and Delay Send knobs is processed according to the settings you
make in this view and then returned to the output stage.

Sound Window View
5.6.10 Delay
This effect is used to create single or multiple echoes of the input signal.
► To activate Delay, click the “LED” button in the top left corner so that it lights up.
Time Knob and Sync Button

The Time knob is used to define the time span until the first echo gets audible. What time
span this is depends on the Sync button setting:
▪ When the Sync button has been activated, this will be a note value and synced to your
host sequencer tempo or the tempo you have set up in KONTAKT stand-alone.
▪ If Sync is not active, it will be a time value in milliseconds.
► To edit the Time parameter, position the mouse pointer over the knob and drag up or
down.
► To activate Sync, click the Sync button so that it gets highlighted. If you click again,
Sync will be deactivated.
Feedback Knob
Use this knob to set up the number of echo repeats.
Damp Knob
Using this function has two effects:
▪ The high frequencies in the original signal are gradually degraded in each repeated echo.
▪ The number of echo repeats decreases.

Sound Window View
Return Level Knob (Rtn Lvl)

This knob is used to determine echo volume.
5.6.11 Reverb
SESSION HORNS PRO includes a high-end convolution reverb that lets you place the horns
section in a variety of different rooms and ambiences. You can choose from a great number of
presets.
► To activate Reverb, click the “LED” button to the left of the word REVERB so that it
lights up.
Reverb Drop-Down Menu

This is located to the left in the Reverb section.
► Click on the name of the currently selected reverb preset to open the menu where you
can select another preset.
Return Level Knob (Rtn Lvl)

This knob is used to determine reverb volume.
5.6.12 Global Master FX Chain

► Click the Global Master FX button, located to the left in the effects section, to bring up
the Global Master FX chain.

Sound Window View
Opening the Global Master FX chain
This section contains with five master effects arranged as a signal chain, where the second ef-
fect receives its signal from the first, the third receives it from the second and so on. In con-
trast to the effects that you select for an individual instrument, the Global Master effects proc-
ess the signal of all instruments and they do that directly before the audio output stage.
Keep in mind that one of these master effects (Twang) has level controls on its inputs and
outputs and another (Tape) has an output knob. As the Global Master FX chain is posi-
tioned directly before the final audio signal outputs, fully turning down one of these level
controlling knobs will prevent that your audio signal reaches the audio outputs. If you use
Tape and/or Twang, make sure that the level and output knobs are not fully turned down!
When you deactivate Tape or Twang, the signal will bypass these controls.
The following effects are available here:

Effect Name Explanation
Comp A compressor used to process the bundled output signal of all instruments in
your horn section.
EQ An Equalizer that lets you filter the bundled output signal of all instruments in
your horn section.
Tape (Saturation) An effect that introduces a natural sounding harmonic distortion as it occurs
when recording on magnetic tape.
Twang An effect that sounds as if the horns signal is put though an amplifier, which
can give it more punch, add distortion and may change its frequency range.
LP2 A filter with a resonance control, e.g. usable for wah-wah and resonance ef-
fects.

Sound Window View
Selecting and Activating Global Master Effects

Each master effect can separately be selected and activated /deactivated.
► To select a master effect, so that its controls get visible in the Effects section, click its
rectangular button.
► To activate a master effect, click its “LED” button so that it lights up.
Activating a master effect does not display its controls; you need to click both buttons to
activate and edit its settings. It is an advantage of this design that you can quickly activate
or deactivate effects without losing sight of another effect's controls.
5.6.13 Master Compressor (Comp)

This compressor has the same control types and value ranges as its earlier described brother:
Threshold Knob
This knob lets you set the level at which compression starts. Signals below the set Threshold
pass unaffected. Signals above Threshold level are compressed. You can select a value be-
tween -20dB and +20dB. The current value gets visible when you set up the Threshold or
when you click the knob.

Sound Window View
Ratio Knob
The Ratio knob is used to control the amount of gain reduction applied to the signal above
Threshold level. The Ratio can be set between 1:1.5 and 1:10. The current value gets visible
when you set up the Ratio or when you click the knob.
Attack Knob
Use this knob to set up the time it takes for the compressor to react when the signal rises
above the set Threshold level. A number of fixed Attack times between 0.1ms and 30ms can
be used. The current value gets visible when you set up the Attack time or when you click the
knob.
Release Knob
Using the Release knob, you determine the time it takes for the compressor to let the signal
through unaffected after signal level has dropped below the set Threshold value. You can set
up Release times between 100ms and 1600ms. When you turn the knob up fully, Release
time is handled automatically. The current value gets visible when you set up the Release time
or when you click the knob.
Make Up (Gain) Knob

Compression levels out audio signal peaks. The Make Up Gain knob is used to compensate for
the resulting volume loss. Available value range: -5.0db to 20.0dB. The current value gets visi-
ble when you use or click the knob.

Sound Window View
Mix Knob
Using this knob, you can control the balance between the original (uncompressed) and com-
pressed signal in the output signal. The current value gets visible when you use or click the
knob.
5.6.14 Master Equalizer (EQ)

The Master Equalizer EQ works the same way and has the same controls as its earlier descri-
bed brother. Here's the recap: An Equalizer (short: EQ) is used to alter the frequency response
of an audio signal. The EQ to filter four partly overlapping frequency ranges; low. mid1, mid2
and high. Depending on the filter type used, filtering is done by first selecting the corner or
center frequency of the frequency range to be edited and then adjusting its gain and thereby
level up or down. You can switch the filter type used for the high and/or low frequency ranges
between shelving filter and bell filter.
The following table lists up the frequency and gain ranges of all four filters in the EQ:
Name Gain Range Name Frequency Range Filter Type
Low Gain -20dB - +20dB (Low) Freq(uencies) 40Hz - 600Hz Shelving, Bell
Mid1 Gain -20dB - +20dB (Lower Mid) Freq(uencies) 200Hz - 2.5 kHz Bell
MID2 Gain -20dB - +20dB (Upper Mid) Freq(uencies) 600Hz - 7kHz Bell
High Gain -20dB - +20dB (High) Freq(uencies) 1.5kHz - 22kHz Shelving, Bell
► Position the mouse pointer over a Freq knob and drag up or down to select the filter's
corner or center frequency. The current value gets visible during editing and when you
click the knob.
► Position the mouse pointer over a Gain knob and drag up or down to boost or reduce gain.
► To change the filter type used for the high and/or low frequency range from shelving to
bell filter, click the small “bell” button next to the respective Freq knob so that it lights
up. If you want to go back to the shelving filter, click the “bell” button again.

Sound Window View
5.6.15 Tape Saturation (Tape)

This master effect is the digital version of a truly analog phenomenon, which occurred when
recording on multi-track tape machines was the best technology available. In contrast to to-
day's digital technology, a signal recorded on tape, slightly louder than 0dB, would not pro-
duce nasty distortions but instead produce a pleasing harmonic distortion, a slight compres-
sion of the higher frequencies and a fatter bass. This was loved and used by many contempo-
rary artists.
Now you can apply this effect to your horns section. Here are its controls (remember that the
parameter values get visible when you edit the parameter or click the knob):
Gain Knob
This parameter lets you add gain to the signal and thus creates distortion. It has a value range
of 0dB to +48dB and should therefore be used with care, unless you want real distortion.
Warmth Knob
The knob does what its name implies; it adds warmth to the sound and slightly fattens the
bass frequencies. It can be set to values between -3db and +3dB.
HF Roll-Off Knob
The HF Roll-Off knob controls a filter and you can use it to gradually dampen the high fre-
quency range starting from the cutoff frequency that you select using this knob.
Output Knob
This knob is of course used to control the level of the output signal.
Keep in mind that turning this knob fully down prevents that the signal reaches the output
stage. In other words: you will hear nothing.

Sound Window View
5.6.16 Twang
This effect works similar to a guitar amplifier. Distortion will occur when you crank up its Vol-
ume knob. Using Volume and Output more subtly will give the signal more punch and room.
The Bass, Mid and Treble filters can help to give the instrument its distinctive space within a
mix. Experiment!
Volume Knob
This knob is used to control the level of the signal that comes in from the previous effect in the
chain.
Keep in mind that turning this knob fully down will prevent that the signal reaches the output
Bass, Mid and Treble Knobs

These knobs let you filter the signal.
► Position the mouse pointer over the respective knob and drag up or down.
Output Knob
This knob is used to control the level of the signal that goes out to the next effect in the chain.
Keep in mind that turning this knob fully down will prevent that the signal reaches the output
5.6.17 LP2
This is a low-pass filter with a static slope and a resonance control that you can use for crea-
tive sound processing.

Sound Window View
Cutoff Knob
The LP2 filter has a frequency range from 21.8 kHz to 43.6 Hz. You can e.g. use it to create
filter sweeps. Fully turning up the cutoff frequency knob will let the signal pass unaffected.
Gradually turning it down will increasingly attenuate the frequencies above the set corner fre-
quency.
Except when using instruments that can produce very low frequencies, such as Tuba, Bass
Trombone etc., fully turning down Cutoff may give you the impression that something is
wrong as you hear nothing, while it is in fact the instrument that doesn't produce sounds
below the set cutoff frequency.
Resonance Knob
Using this knob induces a feedback at the current cutoff frequency which creates a response
peak. You can e.g. create a nice expressive Wah-Wah by first setting up Resonance and then
turning the Cutoff knob up and down.

Control Window View
5.7 Control Window View
Control Window View

Control Window View
The Control window view appears below the instrument slots when you click the Control button
at the bottom of the window. Here you can select and set up a number of parameters that you
can control using external MIDI controllers or by the way you play. In addition, you can activate
or deactivate a few important sample management functions.
5.7.1 Dynamic Control

You can select one of two available methods—Velocity or Expression (MIDI Controller Change
#11)—to control the SESSION HORNS PRO dynamics.
Velocity
If you select this option, you control the dynamics by playing the keys on your controller key-
board harder or softer (i.e. with more or less velocity).
MIDI CC11 (Expression)

If you select this option, you control the dynamics by using the Expression MIDI Controller
Change #11 (CC#11). Use this mode for dynamic changes that should occur after you have
pressed the keys. One common use for this controller type is to generate crescendos or decre-
scendos. Note that the Velocity switch articulation is still available here. It can be activated as
usual by pressing the keys harder.
The Expression controller type can only be used if your keyboard supports it.
► Click one of the two “LED” buttons to select the desired option.
Velocity Drop-Down Menu

This menu lets you select one of three available Velocity curves. These can be used to adjust
the overall Velocity response of SESSION HORNS PRO to your controller keyboard’s character-
istics:

Control Window View
Soft Velocity This setting is useful for “heavy” master keyboards as they respond more easily to your
playing.
Linear velocity The input velocity values are passed on unprocessed.
Hard Velocity This is useful if you happen to use a “light” master keyboard (which outputs higher ve-
locity values even when you play rather softly) as this transforms higher input velocities
to relatively low ones.
This menu is only available when select Velocity for dynamic control.
► Open the drop-down menu and select the desired curve.
5.7.2 Pitch Wheel

Here you can select one of three available options and thereby define what happens when you
use the Pitch Wheel on your controller keyboard. These are the options:
Normal
As the name implies, the Pitch Wheel will behave normally when you selected this option. That
means, you can use it to continuously bend the pitch of the sound by +/- two semitones.
Doits/Falls on Note
Select this option to use the Pitch Wheel for controlling Doits and Falls on Note start. Doits
and Falls are typical brass articulations.
► Turn the Pitch Wheel fully up and play a chord or note which ends with quick Doits.
► Turn the Pitch Wheel up just a bit to get slower Doits.
► Turn the Pitch Wheel fully down and play a chord or note which ends with quick Falls.
► Turn the Pitch Wheel half down to get the slower Falls.
► Turn the Pitch Wheel down just a bit to get the slowest Falls.

Control Window View
Doits/Falls on release
Select this option to use the Pitch Wheel for controlling Doits and Falls on key release. This
lets you play a chord for as long as you want and end it with Doits or Falls as soon as you let go
of the keys on your controller keyboard.
► Turn the Pitch Wheel fully up and play a chord or note which ends with quick Doits when
you release the keys.
► Turn the Pitch Wheel up just a bit to get slower Doits when you release the keys.
► Turn the Pitch Wheel fully down and play a chord or note which ends with quick Falls
when you release the keys.
► Turn the Pitch Wheel half down and play a chord or note which ends with slower Falls
when you release the keys.
► Turn the Pitch Wheel down just a bit to get the slowest Falls.
With this option selected, you can also use the Pitch Wheel after Note On.
5.7.3 Samples
The three functions available in this section help you create an even more realistic horns sec-
tion sound. As this may also increase your computer's workload, these functions are optional.
► Click the respective "LED" button to activate the desired function. To deactivate it, click
again.
Release Samples
If you activate this function, special release samples, which reflect natural instrument release
behavior, are applied at the end of played notes.

Control Window View
Round Robin
If you activate this function, various slightly different samples (instead of one) become availa-
ble for each note of each instrument you play. These samples are used randomly which creates
a much more lively and realistic acoustic picture.
Time Stretching
The two articulations FoPiCre 2Beat and FoPiCre 4Beat each have a defined length: 2 beats or
4 beats and the dynamic process has a length that is based on a tempo of 120 bpm (beats per
minute). If you activate the Time Stretching option, the dynamic process will be stretched so
that it always matches the tempo you have set in your host sequencer or in the KONTAKT Mas-
ter Editor.

SESSION HORNS PRO – Key Switch.nki
6 SESSION HORNS PRO – Key Switch.nki

This .nki file lets you assemble the horns section of your choice, select up to nine from sixteen
available articulations and switch between them by pressing keys in the C-1 octave of your
controller keyboard. It can be used both for composition and performance work. Same as the
Performance.nki, the Key Switch.nki has three main window views – Main, Sound and Control.
Main is described in detail in this chapter. For information about the Sound and Control win-
dow views, see sections ↑5.6, Sound Window View and ↑5.7, Control Window View.

Main Window View
Key Switch.nki Main Window view

Main Window View
▪ Select individual instruments and instrument combinations to assemble the horns section
you want. The maximum number of instruments in one instance of the Key Switch.nki is
six - two individual instruments and two combinations of two instruments. If you need
more, simply open another Key Switch.nki and use it together with the first. Several Sec-
tion presets are available in the Section Preset drop-down menu, located in the top left
corner of the window.
▪ Select up to nine from sixteen available articulation types and thereby automatically as-
sign them to buttons on the screen and keys in the C-1 octave of your external keyboard.
Once you have done this, you can quickly change between the articulations by clicking a
button or pressing a key on your keyboard.
▪ Use the Voicing Assistant to control how the individual voices are distributed among the
instruments in the horns section that you have assembled.
6.1.1 Section Setup

Two methods are available for horns section setup:
▪ You can select a section preset in the Section Preset drop-down menu located top left in
the window. This is described under the following heading.
▪ You can select a maximum of six instruments for the four instrument slots in the central
part of the Master window view (two individual instruments and two instrument combina-
tions, each consisting of two instruments).
If the instrument slots do already contain instruments, which will probably be the case, we
recommend that you first click each slot and remove the instrument(s) it contains by se-
lecting the No Instrument item. This is useful as it is not possible to select an instrument
that has already been selected in another slot (as a single instrument or part of a combi). If
you use several instances of the same SESSION HORNS PRO.nki file, you can of course
select the same instrument several times – once in each instance.
To assemble a horns section from scratch, do this:

1. Click slot A; the first slot on the left side.
2. Click SINGLE or COMBI and select the single instrument or instrument combination by
clicking on it.
3. If desired, repeat the process for all four instrument slots.

Main Window View
Which single or combi instruments are available for a slot depends on their pitch range. In-
struments with a lower pitch can be select in slot A, instruments with the highest pitches
can be used in slot D.
Selecting a Combi for slot C
6.1.2 Section Preset Drop-Down Menu

You can use this drop-down menu to select a horn section preset.
► Open the Section Setup menu by clicking on the downward pointing arrow and select one
of the available section presets. Your choice will be reflected by the instrument images
on screen.
6.1.3 Voicing Assistant Drop-Down Menu

The Voicing Assistant lets you select one of five available voicing modes. Its drop-down menu
is located top right in the Main window view. Using the options on this menu, you determine
how the individual instruments are distributed among the keys you press on your keyboard.
This has considerable impact on how your horns section sounds. These are the available Voic-
ing modes:

Main Window View
Polyphonic
Each note you play triggers all instruments currently selected in Section Setup.
Smart Voice Split

The voices selected in Section Setup are realistically distributed among the keys you press.
The order and number of available voices is always consistent and happens realistically from
bottom to top, no matter in which order you press the keys. Voices can therefore jump between
notes when you press additional notes or release notes.
With a full section selected in Section Setup and playing a chord with four notes, the lowest
controls the instrument(s) with the lowest pitch range (e.g. Bass Trombone or Tuba), the next
higher one the controls the instrument(s) with the next higher pitch range etc. If you add a
fifth note, the new one will replace one of the sounding notes. Which note this is depends on
the newly pressed note's pitch. Note that Smart Voice Split features true polyphonic legato
which lets you create naturally-sounding legato phrases.
Tip: If you use a sustain pedal, you will always get a consistent section sound, no matter
how many keys you press, as SESSION HORNS PRO provides dedicated legato transition
samples for legato play.
Legato
Legato is an Italian word and means tied together. SESSION HORNS PRO provides dedicated le-
gato transition samples for legato play. Use this mode to generate a monophonic legato melo-
dy. To make it legato, overlay the currently sounding note with the next. Each note you play
triggers all instruments currently selected in Section Setup.
Chord + Legato
Use this mode to simultaneously play chords and a monophonic legato melody. To generate a
legato melody, you must overlay within an octave the currently sounding note with the next.
Each note you play triggers all instruments currently selected in Section Setup. Example: If
you play a chord triad with a full Section selected in Section Setup, each note in the chord is
played by all instruments. This mode does not affect the selected Velocity Switch articulation.

Main Window View
6.1.4 Smart Chord

The Smart Chord function lets you play four-voice chords by pressing one or two keys on your
external MIDI controller keyboard.
► To activate the Smart Chord function, click the small round button next to the text Smart
Chord.
Now you can set up the Smart Chord function:
► Open the Smart Chord setup dialog by clicking the small cog wheel icon. Then select a
root note and chord map from the two drop-down menus to the left in the Smart Chord
dialog.
▪ The chords defined by root note and chord map will automatically be assigned to the
(“white”) keys on your controller keyboard, starting with the C key.
If you select “F” as root note and “major” as gender, pressing the C key on your keyboard will
therefore create an F major chord.
Now you can play the resulting chords by pressing the respective key on your external keyboard
controller. If you don't additionally press a modifier key, the degrees of the selected scale are
used. These already include chord inversions.
By additionally pressing a modifier key—the "black" keys—you can further modify the resulting
chords. These chord voicings have been created by a professional brass arranger.
Additionally pressing this key... ...can have this result (depending on the nature of the chord used)
C# (Warm) Mostly adds 7/9 notes to the chord.
D# (Colour) Option notes 9/11/13 are added.
F# (Crunch) Altered scale notes are used as option notes.
G# (Cinematic) Uses open quartal harmony.
Bb (Tension) Creates altered scale notes such as #9, b13, b9.
In order to create more brass-like chords, the root note is not used as bass note. You can use a
solo instrument (e.g. Tuba, Bass Trombone or other) to create the root note separately, if you
wish.

Keyswitches View
6.2 Keyswitches View
Keyswitches view
The KEYSWITCHES view contains nine drop-down menus, each with a button on its left side,
and the HUMANIZE knob. Each button displays the name of the key in the C-1 octave of your
keyboard that you must press to select the assigned articulation. These are described below.
6.2.1 Key switch Drop-Down Menus

The Key switch drop-down menus are used to pre-select different articulations for quick
switching. Each menu drops down when you click its white downward pointing arrow. Here you
can select the desired articulation. The menu contains the following articulation types:
Non Vibrato All notes are held straight for as long as you press the corresponding keys.
Vibrato All notes are held for as long as you press the corresponding keys. A vibrato starts after
a short time.
Marcato Long (Italian: marked) Accentuated note or chord with a sharp attack followed by the decay-
ing sound.
Staccato is an articulation technique characterized by an accented start of each pitch
and a short, truncated end resulting in detached and briefly played notes.

Keyswitches View
Rips A glide at the beginning of a sustained note. Woodwind and brass variation of a Glis-
sando (Italian: glide).
Grace A continuous change between the (very briefly-sounding) grace note and the longer
lasting main note. Distance between the two notes: one whole tone.
FoPiCre 2Beats Short for Forte-Piano-Crescendo (Italian: loud/quiet/growing). This articulation starts
with a loud attack, gets quiet very quickly, then increases volume and finally ends
abruptly. The dynamic process is based on a tempo of 120 bpm (beats per minute) and
has a length of two beats.
If you activate Time Stretching in the Control view, the dynamic process will be stretch-
ed so that it always matches the tempo you have set in your host sequencer or in the
KONTAKT Master Editor.
FoPiCre 4Beats Same as above, but the dynamic process has a length of four beats.
Growl Vibrato Same as above, but followed by a vibrato using the same technique.
Brass Shake Sounds like a coarse trill. Note: For physical reasons, a saxophone can't create a shake.
Sax Trill Semi Rapid alteration between two adjacent notes; in this case the notes are a semitone
apart. For saxophone only.
Empty You can select this item in drop-down menus that you don't use. This frees up memory
space on your computer.
► Open the desired drop-down menu and select one of the available items.
6.2.2 Applying the Articulations

Two methods are available to apply an articulation or to switch to another articulation.
A key name button is visible to the left of each Key switch drop-down menu. These key name
buttons refer to keys in the C-1 octave of your external controller keyboard.
► To select the assigned articulation, press the respective key on your keyboard.
Alternatively:

Keyswitches View
► Click the key name button on the screen.

The name of currently selected articulation is displayed below the Section Preset drop-down
menu, top left in the SESSION HORNS PRO window.
Selecting another articulation on-screen
6.2.3 Humanize Knob

This HUMANIZE knob is located in the lower right corner of the window. You can use it to con-
trol the timing, tuning and velocity accuracy of the instruments in your horns section.

SESSION HORNS PRO Solo.nki
7 SESSION HORNS PRO Solo.nki

For good reason, the Solo.nki files feature only one instrument at a time and are therefore just
right for detailed composition and production work. Each available .nki file bears its instru-
ment name.
Same as the Performance and Key Switch.nki's, a Solo.nki has three main window views –
Main, Sound, and Control. Main is described in detail in this chapter. For information about
the Sound and Control window views, please refer to the respective sections in the Perform-
ance.nki chapter. Note that the Solo instruments are strictly monophonic, just as real horns.

Main Window View
Solo.nki Main Window view

Keyswitches View
▪ Select up to nine from sixteen available articulation types and thereby automatically as-
sign them to buttons on the screen and keys in the C-1 octave of your external keyboard.
Once you have done this, you can quickly change between the articulations by clicking a
button or pressing a key on your keyboard.
7.2 Keyswitches View

The KEYSWITCHES view contains nine drop-down menus, each with a button on its left side,
and the HUMANIZE knob. Each button displays the name of the key in the C-1 octave of your
keyboard that you must press to select the assigned articulation. These are described below.
Keyswitches view
7.2.1 Key switch Drop-Down Menus

The Key switch drop-down menus are used to select different articulations for quick switching.
Each menu drops down when you click the white downward pointing arrow. Here you can se-
lect the desired articulation. The menu contains the following articulation types:
Non Vibrato Notes are held straight for as long as you press the key. True legato transitions are used
for legato play.
Vibrato Notes are held for as long as you press the key. A vibrato starts after a short time. True
legato transitions are used for legato play.
Marcato Long (Italian: marked) Accentuated note or chord with a sharp attack followed by the decay-
ing sound.

Keyswitches View
Staccato is an articulation technique characterized by an accented start of each pitch
and a short, truncated end resulting in detached and briefly played notes.
Rips A glide at the beginning of a sustained note. Woodwind and brass variation of a Glis-
sando (Italian: glide).
Grace A continuous change between the (very briefly-sounding) grace note and the longer
lasting main note. Distance between the two notes: one whole tone.
FoPiCre 2Beats Short for Forte-Piano-Crescendo (Italian: loud/quiet/growing). This articulation starts
with a loud attack, gets quiet very quickly, then increases volume and finally ends
abruptly. The dynamic process is based on a tempo of 120 bpm (beats per minute) and
has a length of two beats.
If you activate Time Stretching in the Control view, the dynamic process will be stretch-
ed so that it always matches the tempo you have set in your host sequencer or in the
KONTAKT Master Editor.
FoPiCre 4Beats Same as above, but the dynamic process has a length of four beats.
Growl Vibrato Same as above, but followed by a vibrato using the same technique..
Brass Shake Sounds like a coarse trill. Note: For physical reasons, a saxophone can't create a shake.
Sax Trill Semi Rapid alteration between two adjacent notes; in this case the notes are a semitone
apart. For saxophone only.
Empty You can select this item in drop-down menus that you don't use.
► Open the desired drop-down menu and select one of the available items.
7.2.2 Applying the Articulations

Two methods are available to apply an articulation or to switch to another articulation.

Keyswitches View
A key name button is visible to the left of each Key switch drop-down menu. These key name
buttons refer to keys in the C-1 octave of your external controller keyboard.
► To select the assigned articulation, press the respective key on your keyboard.
Alternatively:
► Click the key name button on the screen.

The name of currently selected articulation is displayed below the Section Preset drop-down
menu, top left in the SESSION HORNS PRO window.
7.2.3 Humanize Knob

The HUMANIZE knob is located in the lower right corner of the window. You can use it to con-
trol the timing, tuning and velocity accuracy of the solo instrument.
► If you turn this knob down fully, the instrument will have the exact timing and velocity as
well as perfect tuning.
come audible.

Credits
8 Credits
Produced, engineered and mixed by Thomas Koritke
Concept: Thomas Koritke, Sebastian Bretschneider, Frank Elting
Sound Design / Sample Editing: Sascha Haske, Holger Brauns, Lars Dahlke
Script Programming / Product Development: Sebastian Bretschneider, Martin von Frantzius, Mar-
tin Keil
GUI Design: Max Mondon, Simon Martin
Animator: Paul Lawley, Sebastian Bretschneider, Martin von Frantzius, Lars Dahlke
Impulse Responses: Native Instruments, e-instruments, Studiotools
Musicians: Jonas Schoen-Philbert, Michael Leuschner, Jan-Peter Klöpfel, Sebastian Hoffman,
Claas Ueberschär, Markus Hötzel
Manual: musicandtext.com Dimitrov Popow
Native Instruments QA: Bymski
Special thanks to: Jürgen Klever, Gerhard Groth, Johannes Waehneldt, Thanos Kazakos, Tobias
Menguser, Robert Linke, Alexander Stamm, Philipp Dransfeld, Nadine Raihani, Gustav
Sto. Tomas, Christian Wachsmuth, and all the fantastic musicians for their patience and devo-
tion.

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What are some of the key features of SESSION HORNS PRO?

What are some of the key features of SESSION HORNS PRO?

Manual

Document authored by: musicandtext.com Dimitrov Popow

© Native Instruments GmbH, 2014. All rights reserved.

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 4

5.3.6 Dynamic Fader ........................................................................................................... 27

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 5

5.6.15 Tape Saturation (Tape) .............................................................................................. 46

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 6

1 Welcome to SESSION HORNS PRO

Furthermore, the following formatting is used:

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 7

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 8

2 SESSION HORNS PRO Key Features

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 9

2.1 External Sequencer Automation

2.2 About KONTAKT / KONTAKT PLAYER

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 10

3 SESSION HORNS PRO Controls

The Instrument Header

3.1 Basic Control Types

► Click once to turn on, again to turn off.

3.1.2 Selector Switches

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 11

3.1.5 Drop-Down Menus

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 12

3.1.6 Spin Controls

► Click on either arrow to step through the available item list.

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 13

4 The Twelve KONTAKT Instruments (.nki Files)

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 14

SESSION HORNS PRO - Performance.nki with Animator view open

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 15

5 SESSION HORNS PRO – Performance.nki

5.1 Main Window View

Performance.nki Main view with Articulation view open

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 16

5.1.1 Section Setup

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 17

Selecting a single instrument

To assemble a horns section from scratch, do this:

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 18

5.1.2 Section Preset Drop-Down Menu

5.1.3 Voicing Assistant Drop-Down Menu

Smart Voice Split

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 19

Voicing Assistant drop-down menu

5.1.4 Smart Chord

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 20

Smart Chord setup dialog

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 21

5.2 Animator View

Animator view in the SESSION HORNS PRO – Performance.nki

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 22

5.3 Animator View – Elements

Session Horns Pro - Manual - 23