DG, I actually agree with that. But I rarely ever convey that in a way that people understand it. So I just focus on timing and velocity as static elements. I believe a dualistic approach is the best answer to this in order to get the best of both worlds. Without that we run the risk of neglecting performance. The truth is, humanization is a multifaceted area to dive into. But it is one of the most important in a program where musical performance is key to many users, of course.
One of the most difficult things I think to convey is a need for humanization with CC data. Where performance is a dynamic and fluid thing for long notes, and where not every player in the orchestra crescendos the exact same way, there is a need for fluid humanization as well. Much like in VIP, I would like to be able to adjust sliders which delay and increase/decrease the values of CC data by a percentage.
That may not be the perfect solution, but I believe it highlights the problem at very least. The problem is that when I copy a violin part to the viola, The two parts should not sound so identical that they sound fake and mechanical. The thing is, real players listen to each other and adjust to each other. So I find myself editing cc data to have subtle variations in the curves which imitate this effect. I find that without doing this, the music is never believable. I believe this to be the single most important factor in realism from sampled instruments, apart from the obvious like having enough articulations, etc.
I would be interested in hearing of a more effective solution. I just believe that’s the problem to solve. LFO’s aren’t effective because they simply follow a pattern that is not very human.
My process is to create ACC performance which is realistic. I believe everyone will do this as everyone wants an element of custom control. I don’t believe you can satisfy most people with an algorithm. But if I can craft the general performance style, and then the program understands how to apply that to different parts in a way that is unique to each instrument section, then the program would save a great deal of headache.
The overall goal I believe we all share is simply stated by saying that the performance should not sound synthetic, but organic. That requires a lot of unique detail.
-Sean