Hi Jim,Well, not every bend is even a full half step bend. Others could be more of a slide up or down a string rather than a bend to change pitch on a string and that could be several steps up or down so, the answer is, it depends on the effect you are looking to emulate.
Here's some info on pitch bend just so I have a nice, impressive first post! LOL
The standard default setting for pitchbend in GM compatible equipment & sound cards is 2 half steps up and 2 half steps down from center. ( 0 bend) Sometimes this just isn't enough range for what you want . No problemo! Pitchbend range can be extended not only in hardware but also within a sequence.
Go into the events list and before the bend is to occur. Input:
Registered Parameter MSB 000 (controller 101 value 0 )
Registered Parameter LSB 000 (controller 100 value 0 )
Data Entry MSB 0xx ( controller 6 value x ) x = unknown
0xx means input anything from 001 to 024. 002 is default and what your program and sequencers are set to. That gives you 2 halfsteps up from zero and 2 down from zero for a total of 4 half steps, or 2 whole tones, so a pitch bend of maximum 8191 raises the pitch 2 semitones (A to B); -8192 lowers it 2 semitones (A to G). 005 will give you + - 5 half steps from center, or from 0. Using 008 a semitone becomes a bend of 1024 (nice, round binary number). It lets you go up or down a whole fifth plus. 024 will give you + - 24, or 2 full octaves up and 2 full octaves down from zero (or center) If you input anything higher than 24 it won't cause any harm, you just won't get anything more than + - 24. The limit is 24 semi-tones up and down.
Translated, that is 2 octaves up and down from center. After your MIDI has finished, input another Data Entry MSB to 002, so other files that use bends, sound right. Or, if you are only going to use the extended bend in one spot and want to go back to the default range immediately, do your Data Entry MSB right after your bend is completed.
(below are notes from folks who use use Sonar & Cakewalk)
-MM said:-
SONAR seems to be hiding the details as to what MIDI commands are really being sequenced: CC 100 and CC 101 to indicate the registered parameter number LSB and MSB and CC 6 and to indicate the MSB and LSB of its full data
value.
(CC = Continuous Controller)
-Don said:-
RPN is a Registered Parameter Number.
1. In Sonar 2, you would go to Event View for the Guitar track you want to increase bend range on.
2. Press your Insert key on the computer to insert an event
identical to the one you were on when you pressed the key.
3. Next you would double click under the "KIND" column of
that inserted key and bring up a dialog box called "Kind Of Event" where you will click on the radio button for the "Controller ".
4. Now you double click on the "DATA" field of that inserted event and type the number 100. This will bring up "100-RPN LS (for least significant byte).
5. Go to the next column beyond the "DATA" Field and enter the number 0.
6. While still on the inserted even, press the insert key again. It will duplicate the "Controller" and "100-RPN LS" (with 0 as its value) event. Now double-click and change the "Data" column to 101 and it will become "101-RPN MS" (most significant byte).
7. Now press the insert key once more, double click on the "Data" column and change the 101 to 6 which will then say "6-Data Entry"
8. Go to the next column beyond the Data column, double-click and type the number 24. (for 2 octaves up and down from 0)
You can go into Cakewalk and try the same thing, but you will not get a lable for the Data field that tells you its an RPN or data entry event. However, I think it still has a chance of working unless the Cakewalk software doesn't recognize the codes you put in.