What is Aftertouch?

[pianoman1976]

What exactly is aftertouch on a controller keyboard? Is that the function that changes the tone of the sound after the key is depressed when you alternate pressure?

I'm trying to determine if I need it or not.

When I'm using a acoustic guitar sample and use more velocity to get a bend twang in the tone. Is that aftertouch?

Would there be any need to have aftertouch if I was only using piano and rhodes software instruments such as NI stuff?

Thanks.

 

[pianoman1976]

Cool, that makes sense.

I don't think I need aftertouch for piano and rhodes sounds. Yet some of the electronic music I may be doing on the side might benefit from it.

Thanks.

 

[WhiteStrat]

Velocity is how hard you strike the key. Hit it softly the volume is less. Strike it hard the volume is more. Velocity can be programmed to control other parameters as well. With your guitar sound the velocity likely opens up a filter to make it brighter and twangier.

Aftertouch is when you've already struck the key and still depressed down you can apply more pressure to the key and have it control a variety of effects or parameters. An organ sound may use aftertouch to increase or enable a rotary speaker effect. Saxophone maybe add some growl to it when the key is pushed harder. Vibrato to strings.

I'm not sure how much use you'd find with piano type sounds. I miss it when I play a board that doesn't have it. Any music shops you can get to and play around with some synths or other keyboards that may have it?

Great explanation! I've always wondered that as well. Thanks for the info...

 

[comradec]

Synth pads are the sort of patches where aftertouch can make a real difference.

With short stabs or percussive-sounding patches, there's not enough time for such subtleties, but when you're playing more sustained parts, like pads, you can get some really nice effects with a well-programmed aftertouch.