Legato

A patch labeled "legato" plays only one note at a time, to better simulate instruments which have that limitation such as most brass and woodwinds. In this mode, if you overlap notes as you play them, or hold the sustain pedal down while playing notes, then the notes are more "connected". The result is a smooth transition between those notes, referred to as legato.

As an example of using legato, assume we create a qtractor MIDI track and load the Cellos plugin. We then set it to midi channel 2 (to play the "Legato Cellos" patch).

Opening the piano roll editor for the track, we enter the following 3 notes:

These 3 notes will play as distinct pitches.

Assume we extend the length of the first note so that it overlaps the start of the second note. We do the same for the second/third notes as so:

When notes overlap, the attack of the overlapped (second) note is "softened" so that it blends into the preceding note. This achieves a smooth flow from note to note, which is known as legato.

If your pianoroll allows it, you can even overlap 2 notes of the same pitch, and they will play legato.

Another way of playing a legato phrase is to push down the sustain pedal before (or during the first note), and not release it until after (or during) the last note. This is easier to mark notes legato if using an event list, or score staff to enter notes (rather than a piano roll). Below we insert sustain pedal controller events in an event list:

Note: Legato works only with a channel that has legato mode enabled. (ie, The channel's Mono/Legato box is checked on the Edit screen.)

To enable/disable legato, you send the plugin a Portamento (CC number 65) midi controller message. A value of 0 disables legato (and the patch can then play multiple notes simultaneously). A value of 1 to 127 enables legato (and switches the channel to one note at a time).