Improve Garritan CFX repedaling behavior

CyberGene

This is a compilation of what I posted some years ago on PW. I prefer having it here too

By default Garritan CFX and CFX Lite have slightly "unforgiving" re-pedaling behavior, i.e. it has a relatively short timing window for re-pedaling compared to what is usual. To reiterate what re-pedaling is: on an acoustic piano while holding one or more notes with the sustain pedal, you can release the sustain pedal to dampen the strings but if you press it again shortly afterwards they will not have decayed enough to be silent, so they will continue vibrating. Logically, that is also applicable in case you press a key and lift your finger but immediately press the pedal. If you are fast enough, the note will keep sounding as though the key wasn't released at all. This behavior is supported on all digital pianos, however many software pianos don't support it at all. Well, Garritan CFX introduced it in one of their updates, however by default the re-pedaling window is rather short and so it's still insufficient to be realistic. Some people would colloquially refer to this as "unforgiving pedaling".

I communicated with Jeff Hurchalla, who is the main developer and he explained how re-pedaling timing can be reconfigured. I tweaked it to my liking and CFX becomes a much more playable instrument IMO.

The file that needs to be edited is as follows.

Garritan CFX Lite
macOS: /Library/Application Support/Garritan/CFX Lite/Programs/CFX_Lite_Full.sfz
Windows: C:\Program Files\Garritan\CFX Lite\Programs\CFX_Lite_Full.sfz

Garritan CFX (Full version)
macOS: /Library/Application Support/Garritan/CFX Concert Grand/Programs/CFX.sfz
WIndows: C:\Program Files\Garritan\CFX Concert Grand\Programs\CFX.sfz

Warning! Please backup that file before editing it. If something is not right with the modified file, the application won't start, so you have to restore the original file.

Open the file (on Windows you have to edit the file with Administrator permissions) and find the following section:

<midi>
  type=com.Garritan.Piano.MIDI.Preprocessor
  vendor_specific=298|1|299|0|296|24|297|64|295|7|301|0.150|302|0.127|303|0.101|304|0.084|305|0.074|306|0.068|307|0.062

(On macOS that section begins on line 398)

I have changed some of the values in that vendor_specific line. Here it is:

<midi>
  type=com.Garritan.Piano.MIDI.Preprocessor
  vendor_specific=298|1|299|0|296|24|297|64|295|7|301|0.020|302|0.020|303|0.020|304|0.020|305|0.020|306|0.020|307|0.040

Here's a quote from Jeff regarding that line:

Starting with the 301|0.020 are pairs of values where the first one determines a region of notes while the second one is a delay in seconds. When you press the pedal in repedaling mode (i.e. a note has just been released) the actual catching of the release portion of that note won't happen immediately after you press the pedal, but rather after a certain delay. The line specifies the corresponding delay for the corresponding region of the keyboard:

301 (stock value 0.150) covers A0 to D1
302 (stock value 0.127) covers Eb1 to G#1
303 (stock value 0.101) covers A1 to D2
304 (stock value 0.084) covers Eb2 to Bb2
305 (stock value 0.074) covers B2 to G#3
306 (stock value 0.068) covers A3 to G#4
307 (stock value 0.062) covers A4 up to the last note with dampers (G6)

Any future update to Garritan CFX would override the line, so you will have to redo the modifications.

My response to Gombessa who asked why I think that change is needed:

Basically in the default CFX there's a very short time window after you release a note and can then catch it by repedaling. As a result when playing as I usually play, I have bass notes cut out, ones that my repedaling couldn't catch. Can't say I've played hundreds of different grand pianos in my life. Most probably about 10-20. But never had this problem on a real piano. So I tweaked (prolonged the repedaling window) entirely to my liking, not emulating a particular real or digital piano. But it changed CFX for good for me and apparently to other people too. You can try it and revert if you don't like it. Or if you are happy with CFX as it is you don't need to bother at all.

HZPiano

CyberGene This is a compilation of what I posted some years ago on PW. I prefer having it here too

This is super, thanks!

I know you did this work and the explanation, yet I regularly wondered "should I need it… then where do I find it?". So today you solved that 👍!

🍻

PS Question I've been meaning to ask already: My piano PC is a fourth-generation i7 @3.6 gHz, 4x2 threads, 32 Gb RAM W7 Pro 64bits machine. Cantabile Lite is my VSTi host. Could I safely buy and successfully use the current Garritan CFX (full) on it? (I would need to buy an extra SSD for sure…) Thanks! HZ

dore_m

Man, any insight on those complicated SFZ files is great. Looks like they have a MIDI input filter, containing a bunch of parameters that effect timing in milliseconds vs keyboard zones (?)

CyberGene

dore_m I’m really interested in the logic behind that instruction. To my understanding it’s a forced decay with a minimal duration during which the repedaling doesn’t have an effect. I tried removing it by setting it to zero and the effect is that it just repedals too much, as though the note doesn’t decay at all. Thus, a minimal positive value “models” the fact that the damper is not lifted instantaneously but moves smoothly and so some dampening occurs even when you are quick with re-pedaling.

But there may be other explanations.

HZPiano My piano PC is a fourth-generation i7 @3.6 gHz, 4x2 threads, 32 Gb RAM W7 Pro 64bits machine. Cantabile Lite is my VSTi host. Could I safely buy and successfully use the current Garritan CFX (full) on it?

Absolutely! Garritan CFX is very lightweight. I have it running on my old Mac Mini 2012 (2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, upgraded with SSD and 16GB RAM) and it never experienced even a slight glitch.

vagfilm

HZPiano Could I safely buy and successfully use the current Garritan CFX

I use it on a laptop with far inferior specs (with only occasional glitches) so you would be ok. It has a standalone player, so you won't need cantabile. SSD is almost mandatory, or it will take many-many-many minutes to load (and an eternity to install...)
Nonetheless, I don't know if you will like the tone... It is on the opposite spectrum of ModernU: very spacious sound with only a couple of mic options, very mellow with extremely controlled dynamics. Perfect for rendering midis because it is almost impossible to make it sound bad, but very different from ModernU to live playing. Listen carefully before buying and keep in mind that what you hear is what you will get: not a lot of room for sound customization...

n-player

HZPiano PS Question I've been meaning to ask already: My piano PC is a fourth-generation i7 @3.6 gHz, 4x2 threads, 32 Gb RAM W7 Pro 64bits machine. Cantabile Lite is my VSTi host. Could I safely buy and successfully use the current Garritan CFX (full) on it? (I would need to buy an extra SSD for sure…)

If you use a desktop I think it is worth a try. Desktop computers generally work better than laptops for live audio as there are fewer energy saving schemes.

Garritan states Windows 8.1 is required but on PianoWorld we see several people using Windows 7 and older computers than you have.
https://www.garritan.com/products/cfx-concert-grand-virtual-piano/system-requirements/

If you want a SSD, you don't need the very best as an older computer can't take advantage of the transfer speeds. SATA probably will perform just as well as nvme and might be a bit cheaper. An external SSD might not be a bad idea but it depends on your budget and what is on sale.

HZPiano

Hello,

vagfilm

CyberGene

Thanks guys!

Vagfilm, Thank you for being so considerate and recognizing my needs, and for pointing out how the Garritan CFX may not meet those.

Indeed, exactly that (spaciousness/room component) has thus far held me back from diving in; and Modern U seems rather unique in providing that true "at the piano in my own room" feel. Without experiencing Modern U, I probably wouldn't have gained any confidence in VSTi use at all, or even in digital pianoing in general.

Still, the Garritan CFX every now and then keeps tickling my curiosity, because it is often written about and because some people who I think know what they're doing and who play much more seriously and way better than I ever in another century (or three) will be able to (David Lai springs to mind among quite a few others), and who use Garritan CFX to their satisfaction.

Hmmm…

Cheers and happy playing,

dore_m

CyberGene I’m really interested in the logic behind that instruction. To my understanding it’s a forced decay with a minimal duration during which the repedaling doesn’t have an effect. I tried removing it by setting it to zero and the effect is that it just repedals too much, as though the note doesn’t decay at all. Thus, a minimal positive value “models” the fact that the damper is not lifted instantaneously but moves smoothly and so some dampening occurs even when you are quick with re-pedaling.

To me, without looking at the script in detail, it looks like those parameters are an array or something that could indeed affect decay time or curve. I know there's a way to define a curve in sfz scripts using point data like that. Man, in kontakt you just draw a curve. So much easier, except that it doesn't work for pedaling because in kontakt you can't change an envelope after the sample has started.

dore_m

I've been staring at that sfz file, and it's much more complicated than mine. Yet, I do understand alot of it. The part that is interesting is that they use 'virtual continuous controllers' , CC numbers 301, 302, etc as in @CyberGene 's post. I think they define these CC's and assign them to control different custom parameters, such as the pedal delay/decay for a particular zone. When that defined CC can change from 0-127, it can effect a parameter of that group using a curve defined by points. I'll have to investigate more, but wow, it's difficult to develop this way purely by text editor.

Joannchr

Hello CyberGene , I have used that script when I found it in another board ( 😉 ) in the past. This is brilliant.

I have recently also changed the values for 296 & 297 , as recommended by Jeff to modify the range for half pedalling and it works very well too.

Just a question to double check if this is a typo or not, but on pianoclack forum, the value you have entered for 307 is 0.040 I was just wandering is there a reason or if it was a typo ?

Cheers

CyberGene

Joannchr Just a question to double check if this is a typo or not, but on pianoclack forum, the value you have entered for 307 is 0.040 I was just wandering is there a reason or if it was a typo

Actually long ago I changed that value for a slightly better response but couldn’t update my post on PW. But it’s a very small difference anyway. Not a typo, what I posted here is my latest config I use.

Joannchr

CyberGene

CyberGene thanks ! I will amend the value accordingly.