b4 xpress manual english
TRANSCRIPT
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B4 Xpress
English
E N G L I S H
B4 Xpress
Operation Manual
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B4 Xpress
English
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and
does not represent a commitment on the part of Native Instruments Soft-
ware Synthesis GmbH. The software described by this document is sub-
ject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to other media. No
part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmit-
ted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior written permission by Na-
tive Instruments Software Synthesis GmbH. All product and company
names are ™ or ® trademarks of their respective owners.
User’s Guide written by: Marius Wilhelmi
© Native Instruments Software Synthesis GmbH, 2004. All rights re-
served.
B4 XPRESS is a trademark of Native Instruments Software Synthesis.
Germany USA
Native Instruments GmbH Native Instruments USA, Inc.
Schlesische Str. 28 5631 A Hollywood Boulevard
D-10997 Berlin Los Angeles, CA 90028
Germany USA
[email protected] [email protected]
www.native-instruments.de www.native-instruments.com
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E N G L I S HTable of Contents
Welcome to B4 Xpress 1
Installation under Windows 2
System Requirements and Recommendations 2Software Installation 3
B4 Xpress as Standalone 5
Soundcard (Audio Interface) 5
Routing 6
MIDI 7
B4 Xpress operation 8
Presets section 8
Parameter section 10
Keyboard section 10MIDI Controllers 11
Appendix A: More About Latency 13
Optimizing System Response 13
Use Low-Latency Drivers 13
How Low Can You Go? 14
About Samples and Buffers 14
Warning: Different Types of ASIO 16
Tips on Minimizing Latency 17
Appendix B: About MIDI 18MIDI Basics 18
MIDI Connections 18
About Program Changes and Bank Select 19
About Continuous Controllers 19
Appendix C: Trouble shooting and FAQ 21
Appendix D: Getting Help - The About Screen 22
Knowledge Base / Readme / Online Support 22
Updates 22
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E N G L I S HWelcome to B4 Xpress
We at Native Instruments would like to thank you for buying B4
XPRESS. This software delivers the ever-popular organ sound ofthe 60’s and 70’s with a streamlined layout which allows you to
custom tailor each preset to achieve great sounds. Countless mu-
sic productions of this era used the warm and powerful sound of
the legendary drawbar organ – which to this day works for practi-
cally every genre and style. B4 XPRESS generates the sounds of
the hardware predecessor with astonishing precision and in-
cludes 32 of the best presets from the award-winning Native In-
struments B4 Organ. More sounds will be available as download
with costs on the Native Instruments website will enhance thepotential of this instrument again. We hope you enjoy using B4
XPRESS!
-Your Native Instruments Team
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Installation under Windows
System Requirements and RecommendationsTo use B4 XPRESS, you need a computer with the following min-
imum specifications:
Hardware
• Pentium/Celeron/Athlon/Duron processor with 500 MHz. Pro-
cessors with low floating-point processing performance are ex-
pressly not recommended.
• 256 MB RAM
• 20 MB free space on your hard disk
• A sound card compatible with Windows XP.
• A MIDI interface for connecting a MIDI keyboard, another
MIDI controller or an external sequencer. The MIDI interface
integrated in many sound cards can also be used.
The audio engine in B4 XPRESS has been designed to make opti-
mum use of the available computing power in the CPU. The pow-
erful FPUs integrated in modern CPUs are best suited to carrying
out the complex computations of real-time synthesis. We recom-
mend the following high-performance processors for using B4
XPRESS: Pentium III with 700 MHz or faster, Pentium 4, Celeron
with 700 MHz or faster, Athlon, Athlon XP or Duron with 700
MHz or faster. We also recommend that you use a large amount of
RAM (512 MB or more) that is optimally matched to the architec-
ture of your processor.
Software
• Windows XP
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E N G L I S H
Software Installation
• Start the installation by double-clicking B4 Xpress Setup.exe.
• The setup program will suggest C:\Program Files\Native Instru-
ments\B4 Xpress as the path for the destination folder. Youmay also choose another folder if you wish.
Installed Folders, Files, and Links
The setup program creates a new folder called B4 Xpress\ in the
installation directory (Program Files\Native Instruments). This
folder contains the files required to operate the software.
If you do not choose a different program group during the instal-lation, links to B4 XPRESS and a ReadMe file are added to the
Start menu under Programs Native Instruments.
VST Plug-in Installation
• Start the installation by double-clicking B4 Xpress Setup.exe.
• When the choice is given by the installer, select VST Plug-in
from the list of components to install.
• You can now choose to automatically search for the VST plug-in folder or manually select the VST plug-in folder of your
choice. Please select the option that best suits your installa-
tion requirements.
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Note: If more than one host program for VST 2.0 plug-ins is in-
stalled on your computer, simply copy the “B4 Xpress.dll” file
into the VST plug-ins folders of these programs. Windows: If the
VST plug-in files are not visible in the Windows Explorer, select
the Show All Files option. This option is located in the Explorermenu View
Folder Options... on the View tab below Hidden
Files. Optionally, you can set up your programs so that they all use
the same VST plug-ins folder.
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E N G L I S HB4 Xpress as Standalone
The stand-alone version of B4 XPRESS allows you to use the ap-
plication independently from other programs. In order to use the
Standalone version you have to do the audio and MIDI settingsfirst. You can call up the Audio + MIDI Settings setup dialog from
the File menu of B4 XPRESS. For setting the standalone inter-
faces please choose Setup... from the File menu.
Soundcard (Audio Interface)
Audio + MIDI Settings dialog
Interface: Choose the fastest interface protocol supported by your
interface, which will be ASIO or Core Audio. For Windows, you can
also use DirectSound and Multimedia (also called MME), but ex-
pect a significant delay between the time you play a note and the
time you hear it.
Sample rate: The drop-down menu will display compatible samplerates for your audio interface. 44.1kHz is the same sample rate
used for CDs, and is the most “universal” choice. However, some
audio interfaces offer 48kHz and 96kHz (B4 XPRESS accepts up
to 96kHz sample rates). These higher rates stress your computer
more, but offer somewhat better high frequency response. If you
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are using B4 XPRESS standalone, choose whichever rate you pre-
fer. When used as a plug-in with a host program (e.g., Cubase,
Digital Performer, Logic, Sonar, etc.), the host will determine the
sample rate.
Output Device: Use ASIO written specifically for your audio inter-
face (not “ASIO DirectX” or “ASIO Multimedia,” unless no other
choices are available), or for the Mac, Core Audio.
Input Device: Here you can define, which of the installed audio
interfaces is used as audio input. This setting depends on the
driver you have chosen under Interface.
Note: For some interfaces (e.g. ASIO or Core Audio) the Input De-
vice setting is not available. You can select the inputs for the cho-sen driver on the Routing tab instead.
Output Latency: This field displays the output latency. For some
drivers you can adjust the latency individually using a fader.
Routing
If your sound card offers multiple outputs, you can choose which
ones connect to B4 XPRESS. Inputs will not be available to B4
XPRESS. Click on Outputs to select the outputs available to you.
If you have a multichannel soundcard then you can use any of
the available outputs for B4 XPRESS, just click on the drop-
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E N G L I S H
down menu to see your choices. Note that the right and left
channels are independent and can be assigned to any inputs/out-
puts – not just stereo pairs – as well as disconnected from audio
ins and outs.
MIDI
If your MIDI interface offers multiple ins and outs, you can
choose which one connects to B4 XPRESS. When you click on
the MIDI tab you’ll see a list of MIDI I/O. Initially, each one will
be Off. This field is a toggle – click on Off to turn an input or
output On, click on On to turn an input or output Off.
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B4 Xpress operation
B4 XPRESS contains 32 organ presets, which reproduce the
original sound of the famous drawbar organ authentically.
• Icon: Click on the B4 XPRESS Icon in order to open the About
window. The About window contains information about the
software version as well as links to the NI website (e.g. addi-
tional sounds and upgrade offers, support and forum).
Presets section
• Bank: There is one preset bank included in the B4 XPRESS in-
stallation. This bank is called „Factory Bank“. Additional pre-
set banks can be purchased online following the according
links in the B4 XPRESS About window which can be opened
by clicking on the B4 XPRESS icon.
• Number: This field displays the number of the currently se-
lected preset within the chosen bank. Since it is possible to
call up presets by standard MIDI program change messages,
the number displayed in B4 XPRESS corresponds to the MIDI
program change numbers -1. Depending on which program
number format your MIDI device has, the B4 XPRESS number
will match exactly the number of your MIDI device when you
call up a program change, or it will always be one digit higher
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E N G L I S H
when the MIDI device begins counting from 0. Left and right
hand of the number field there are buttons for navigation to
the previous (left) and next (right) preset. You can also click on
the number field and drag the mouse up or down with the
mouse button pressed in order to navigate through the presetbank. Dragging up increases the preset number, dragging
down decreases it. In the standalone version presets can also
be switched by using the left and right cursor keys of your
computer keyboard.
• Preset Name: This dropdown menu serves for displaying the
name of the currently selected preset and allows to choose a
preset from the list. Click on the small triangle or anywhere in
the preset name field and keep the mouse button pressed until
you see the preset list. Now move the mouse cursor to the de-sired preset and release the mouse button. If you want to
choose a preset which is not in the visible area of the list, click
within the preset name field, keep the mouse button pressed,
move the mouse pointer to the right, so that you leave the pre-
set list area and release the mouse button, so that the preset
list remains opened. Now you can use the scrollbar on the
right side of the preset list to navigate to a different section of
the list. When you see the desired entry click on it once, so
that the preset will be called up in the preset name field.• NI logo: Click on the NI logo in order to open the About win-
dow. The About window contains information about the soft-
ware version as well as links to the website (e.g. additional
sounds and upgrade offers, support and forum).
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Parameter section
Note: With certain parameter settings it is possible to overload the
B4 XPRESS output which results in audible clicks, particularly
when playing low chords. If you encounter this, try to reduce the
value for the Percussion parameter first.
• Drive: determines the preamp level sent to the main tube amp
model. At high levels, this will force the tube amp into over-
drive, and can add a beefy Rock sound to the organ.
• Vibrato: adjusts the amount of Vibrato and Chorus and the mix
ratio of both. Move the knob fully to the left in order to hear no
Vibrato nor Chorus at all. Try different settings of this parame-
ter to get several mixes of Vibrato and Chorus.
• Percussion: determines the amount of percussion effect in the
sound. The use of Percussion provides a lightness to the
sound, and is particularly useful for jazz and house organ
sounds.• Bass: boosts or cuts the level of the lower frequencies.
• Treble: boosts or cuts the level of the higher frequencies.
• Brilliance: boosts or cuts the level of the very high frequen-
cies.
• Pan: stereo placement control for the Instrument. This control
determines the Instrument’s location in the stereo field.
• Volume: The Instrument’s level control.
Keyboard section
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E N G L I S H
• MIDI lamp: The lamp indicates incoming MIDI events like
MIDI notes and MIDI controller data.
• Rotator On/Off: switches the Rotator section on or off. The Ro-
tator significantly changes the sound, so that it is not recom-
mended to use this switch while playing.• Rotator Fast/Slow: The rotating speaker simulation (Rotator)
speeds up and slows down realistically when operating this
switch (which responds to the MIDI Mod-Wheel control). The
duration of the acceleration / slow down of the Rotator de-
pends on the selected preset and can not be adjusted in B4
XPRESS.
• Virtual Keyboard: When B4 XPRESS is receiving MIDI notes,
you can see the virtual keys moving down. You can also trigger
notes by clicking with the mouse on a key.
MIDI Controllers
B4 XPRESS uses fixed MIDI CCs (Continuous Controller) for con-
trolling the interface parameters. Usually you need to have a pro-
grammable MIDI controller unit in order to produce these MIDI
controllers. Additionally to the visible interface parameters you
can also use Expression and Hold pedals for most expressiveplaying. Here is a list of the supported MIDI controllers:
Drive (CC71)
• Vibrato (CC76)
• Percussion (CC73)
• Bass (CC75)
• Treble (CC72)
• Brilliance (CC12)
• Pan (CC10)
• Volume (CC7)
• Expression pedal (CC11): You can control the B4 XPRESS vol-
ume using an Expression pedal (MIDI controller 11). While you
can also use the standard main volume controller (CC 7) for
this purpose, we recommend using CC 11. The difference be-
tween the two controllers is that controller 7 controls the visi-
ble Volume knob on the B4 XPRESS interface, while controller
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11 is routed to the invisible swell pedal of the B4. The scaling
of the invisible swell pedal corresponds to the original B3 and
therefore creates a more authentic behavior. Professional or-
gan players use the expression pedal extensively for a dynamic
and expressive playing.• Hold pedal (CC64): You can use a Hold pedal sending on MIDI
controller 64. A hold pedal serves for sustaining all played
notes even if you have released the keys until you release the
pedal again.
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E N G L I S HAppendix A: More About Latency
A computer adds a certain amount of delay (“latency”) when pro-
cessing audio signals. Fortunately, with today’s computers and
low-latency sound card drivers, this delay can be so small that youcan’t hear it (e.g., under 3 milliseconds, which is about the same
delay caused by moving your head one meter further away from a
speaker).
Optimizing System Response
Any computer-based audio system has some delay between the
MIDI input and audio output. Even the most powerful computer
can only do a certain number of calculations per second; signalprocessing demands a lot from a processor, so it’s important to
minimize any computer-based delays.
Fortunately, three main factors make delays virtually insignificant,
assuming you have a suitable computer setup (see System
Requirements).
• Today’s multi-GigaHertz computers are so fast they dramati-
cally reduce latency.
• Many sound cards and audio interfaces include drivers opti-mized for low latency.
• B4 XPRESS, despite its superb sound quality, is written very
efficiently.
Use Low-Latency Drivers
Drivers are pieces of code that handle communications between
your computer and audio interface, whether built into a computeror attached via USB or FireWire. The more efficiently they transfer
data between audio interface and computer, the lower the latency.
B4 XPRESS works with two low-latency driver types:
• ASIO (Advanced Streaming Input Output). This cross-platform
protocol was originally developed by Steinberg.
• Core Audio (Mac only). This low-latency protocol was created
by Apple for the Macintosh, starting with OS X.
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If your audio interface does not support one of these protocols,
you will likely hear an audible delay if you play through B4
XPRESS. Although B4 XPRESS can work with the DirectSound
and MME drivers used with Windows machines, it will not make
for a satisfying playing experience.
How Low Can You Go?
1.5 ms of latency approaches the theoretical minimum, because
it will always take some time to convert digital to analog. However,
note that ultra-low latency settings (or higher sampling rates)
make your computer work harder, which may limit the number of
instances of B4 XPRESS you can add to your host program, while
still obtain audio that’s free of clicks, pops, or dropouts. So, here
are some tips on living with latency.
About Samples and Buffers
Audio cannot be handled continuously by a computer, but has to
wait its turn while other operations are being carried out. As a
result, sound cards create a “buffer,” which can hold a certain
number of samples, where data can be stored and released asneeded to create a smooth flow of data. If there’s an interruption
in the data flow for a little bit, no problem: There ’s some reserve
in the buffer. An analogy would be if you had a hose that didn’t
deliver water continuously, but in bursts. So, you use a bucket to
store the water from the hose, and release the water from the
bucket as a smooth, continuous flow.
If the bucket (buffer) is large, then you can store more water in
case the hose goes dry for a bit. But it will take longer to fill the
bucket, which is equivalent to latency. A smaller bucket takes less
time to fill, but the hose had better deliver water on a pretty
continuous basis.
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E N G L I S H
All ASIO audio interfaces and sound cards include a control panel
where you can adjust latency. This may be given as the number of
samples per buffer, as shown in the Terratec EWX control panel:
The Terratec EWX ASIO control panel lets you choose a particu-
lar number of samples/buffer. The display then shows the result-
ing latency. In this case, 256 samples/buffer has been selected,
giving latency of just under 6 ms at 44.1kHz. Setting this to 128
samples/buffer will reduce the latency, but may stress out your
computer more.
Some control panels simply show the latency that results from
choosing a particular setting in milliseconds rather than showingsamples/buffer.
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Creamware’s ASIO control panel simply lets you choose the de-
sired latency; buffers are adjusted “behind the scenes” within
the Creamware Scope application (in this case, to 128 sam-
ples). The Device Setup panel in Cubase confirms the latency,
which is about 4 ms, but doesn’t indicate the buffer size.
Warning: Different Types of ASIO
It’s extremely important to use the ASIO driver written for the card
you’re using. There are also “generic” ASIO drivers, typically
called (for Windows) “ASIO DirectX Full Duplex Driver” or “ASIO
Multimedia Driver.” There will usually be a drop-down menu in the
host program to choose the desired ASIO driver. You’ll know you’ve
chosen the right one when there’s a dramatic decrease in latency.
With the generic ASIO Multimedia Driver selected, the output la-
tency is a totally unacceptable 749 ms – almost one second! By
choosing ASIO Scope (the driver written for the sound card used
in this example), the latency shrinks to 4 ms.
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E N G L I S H
Tips on Minimizing Latency
• Set latency to the highest comfortable value. 256 samples/
buffer is very responsive yet gives your computer some
“breathing room.” 512 samples may also be acceptable, any-thing more will create too much delay. If you can’t get reliable
audio with 512 samples, it’s time for a better computer!
• If your ASIO Control Panel shows latency in milliseconds,
you’ll find that anything over 10 ms or so gives an audible de-
lay. 5 ms is a good compromise between speed and minimum
stress to your computer.
• Download your sound card’s latest drivers from the manufac-
turer’s web site. This can make a huge difference in perfor-
mance.• If you are recording in a host application and using software
synthesizers, use your program’s “freeze” function (if avail-
able) to disconnect some synths from the CPU. Or, render a
soft synth’s output as a hard disk audio track (then remove the
soft synth), as audio tracks are less taxing on the computer.
Hint: If you retain the MIDI track driving the soft synth, which
places virtually no stress on your CPU, you can always edit the
part later by re-inserting the soft synth.
• Sometimes there are two latency adjustments: A Control Panelfor the sound card sets a minimum amount of latency, and the
host can increase from this value if needed. Or, the host may
“lock” to the control panel setting.
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Appendix B: About MIDIThe complete MIDI spec is fairly “deep” and complex. Fortunately
for MIDIphobes, there are only a few parts of the spec necessary
for a basic understanding, so there’s not really that much to learn.Let’s start with MIDI basics.
MIDI Basics
A MIDI system requires something that sends MIDI messages
(such as a footpedal or footswitch that says “make the instrument
louder,” “select this effect,” “add more echo,” etc.) and
something that receives these messages and acts on them, like B4
XPRESS. Of course, this assumes your computer has a MIDI inputso that B4 XPRESS can receive MIDI messages.
Stripped to its basics, you can think of MIDI as a catch-all name
for the process of sending control messages from one device (e.g.,
a footswitch) to another device (e.g., B4 XPRESS) over a MIDI
cable. Host sequencers also use MIDI data to record MIDI notes
and provide automation for B4 XPRESS when it’s serving as a
plug-in.
There are many different kinds of MIDI messages, most of whichrelate to keyboards, sequencers, drum machines, lighting
controllers, tape recorders, and other gear we can ignore. With B4
XPRESS, 99% of the time you need to know about only three kinds
of MIDI messages: MIDI notes, program changes (which call up
different Presets) and continuous controller messages (which alter
B4 XPRESS parameters in real time).
MIDI ConnectionsYour computer’s sound card probably has a MIDI in jack (receives
MIDI message) and MIDI out jack that transmits MIDI messages.
There may also be a MIDI thru jack, which provides a duplicate of
the signal at the MIDI in jack.
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E N G L I S H
About Program Changes and Bank Select
To understand program changes, take a trip with me down memory
lane to the mid-70s, when disco ruled, synthesizers were not yet
programmable, and guitar effects were starting to progress beyondfunny little boxes that ate batteries and burped noise. Guitarists
discovered early on that the hippest control on any signal
processor was the in/out footswitch because it allowed you to bring
an effect in as needed (distortion is wonderful, but not all the
time). Nowadays many MIDI keyboards have controls for calling up
programs (program change) and transmit the according program
number via the MIDI out port. These numbers are recognized by
B4 XPRESS without any additional setting, so that the presets
there are switched according to the received program change
number.
About Continuous Controllers
Changing from one program to another is a good start, but
sometimes you’d like to vary a particular parameter within an
individual program.
When you call up a program’s parameter, you usually change its
value by turning a knob. The idea of continuous controllers came
about because synthesizers and effects have pedals, knobs, levers,
and other physical “controllers” that alter some aspect of the
sound over a continuous range of values (this is why they’re called
continuous controllers, as opposed to a controller such as an on-
off switch, which only selects between two possible values).
Unlike a program change, which is a single event, continuous
controllers generate a series of events, such as a volume fade-in
(each event raises the volume a bit more than the previous event),or change in some other parameter.
Like program changes, continuous controller messages are
transmitted over a MIDI output and received by a MIDI input. The
transmitter usually digitizes the physical controller motion into
128 discrete values (0-127). For example, pulling the controller’s
pedal all the way back generates a value of 0. Pushing down on
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the pedal increases the value until at midpoint, the pedal
generates a value of 64. Continuing to push on the pedal until it ’s
all the way down generates a value of 127.
Note that continuous controller transmitters only send messages
reflecting a change; for example, leaving a pedal in one position
doesn’t transmit any messages until you change the pedal’s
physical position.
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E N G L I S HAppendix C: Trouble shooting and FAQ
Q: I do not hear any sound when clicking on the virtual keyboard
with the mouse. What can I do about it?
A: Please refer to the installation chapter of this manual andmake sure that you followed all instructions regarding the sound
card or host/sequencer setup, before contacting support. Also
make sure that the Volume knob in B4 XPRESS is not set to zero.
Q: When I play notes on my MIDI device, the keys on the virtual
MIDI keyboard do not move. What is the problem?
A: This can either be a problem of the sound card configuration
(since if B4 XPRESS does not produce any sound, it will not re-
ceive any MIDI as well) or the MIDI configuration. If you are usinga host/sequencer, make sure first, that the host/sequencer is re-
ceiving MIDI from your MIDI device and that it can produce any
audio signal. Please refer to the installation chapter of this man-
ual and make sure that you followed all instructions, before con-
tacting support.
Q: My Hold pedal works the opposite way as supposed to: When I
press the pedal, the notes are not sustained, when I release it,
they are sustained.
A: The format of the MIDI controller sent by the Hold pedal de-
pends on the manufacturer. When you use the pedal together with
a MIDI device from the same manufacturer, normally you should
not get any strange behavior. In many MIDI keyboards you can
change the behavior of the Hold pedal in the MIDI setup, so that
you should be able to solve this problem there.
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B4 Xpress
Appendix D: Getting Help - The About ScreenIf you can’t find out the reason for a problem, Native Instruments
provides extensive help to registered users. The relevant links are
gathered by clicking on the product logo in the upper left-handcorner of any NI Software. This opens the About screen.
Knowledge Base / Readme / Online Support
Choose the support tab of the About Screen to find a series of
buttons directly leading you to the Native Instruments Online
Knowledge Base and to the Sonypicture Online Support.
In your communication with the support team, keep in mind thatyou should offer as much information as possible about your hard-
ware, your operating system and the version of the software you
are running, to give the possibility to help you. In your descrip-
tion, you should mention:
• how to reproduce the problem
• what have you already done to try to fix the problem
• a description of your setup, including all hardware
• the brand and specs of your computer
Important: Always consult the Readme file of a new software ver-
sion. It contains important information and all last minute
changes, that weren’t available when printing this manual.
Updates
Whenever you encounter problems, you should also check if youhave installed the latest update. The version number of your soft-
ware is displayed on the first page of the About dialog. Updates
are released regularly to fix known problems and to constantly im-
prove the software. You can find a link to check for the latest up-
date in the About dialog/Support tab, in the Readme file, or by
checking on www.native-instruments.com.