One of the great things about the Garritan Jazz and Big Band 3 library is how easily you can create trumpet release effects. Depending on your DAW, you’re as close as a click or two away from producing realistic falloffs, doits, and kisses, all techniques that can take a lifetime for even the most seasoned jazzer to master.

First, for the curious or uninitiated, we should probably explain just what these release effects are.

Falloffs, if you haven’t guessed by the name, are when the pitch of the note falls, accentuating notes within the harmonic series during the descent.

Doits are just the opposite, a release effect where the note quickly rises in pitch, and the notes in the harmonic series are again noticeably marked.

Kisses are the characteristic caps at the end of screaming high notes. You’ll know it when you hear it.

Here are the ranges for the Jazz and Big Band 3 (JABB3) trumpets and their release effects.

 

 

 

Falloffs & doits span from MIDI notes F4 to F6, and kisses are available from MIDI note Bb5 and up.

With Jazz & Big Band 3, all of these trumpet release effects are controlled by MIDI CC15. In your DAW, all you need to do is draw in MIDI data before the end of the note to activate the desired release effect. Trigger kisses by setting CC15 to a value between 127 and 96, doits between 95 and 65, and falloffs between 64 and 33. The only trick is to make sure you turn off release effects before the next normal passage by setting CC15 to a value between 32 and 0.

We’d love to hear how these tips have worked for you. Please tell us how you use the Garritan Jazz and Big Band sound library by leaving us a comment.

More info on the Garritan Jazz and Big Band 3 sound library.