lokey / hikey

Determine the high boundary of a certain region.

When a region only covers one note, it is generally more convenient to use key instead of hikey and lokey. When hikey and lokey are used, they will usually need to be used together with pitch_keycenter.

These opcodes, as well as key, can use either MIDI note numbers (0 to 127) or MIDI note names (e.g. c3 or D#4). Using note numbers is recommended, however, as note numbers are interpreted consistently, while the same note names can be mapped to note numbers an octave or even two apart in different DAWs.

In the SFZ 1 specification, the allowed range is 0 to 127. However, SFZ 2 additionally includes the possibility to set lokey and hikey to -1, to prevent a region from being triggered by any keys. This is a way (though, admittedly, not a very elegant one) to use the on_loccN / onhiccN opcodes to trigger, for example, pedal noises which are triggered whether any keys are pressed or not.

Examples

<region> sample=*sine lokey=72 hikey=84

As with the key opcode, the values can also be MIDI note names:

<region> sample=*sine lokey=c5 hikey=c6

When an instrument is sampled every minor third, this kind of usage will be common:

<region> sample=a4.wav  lokey=68 hikey=70 pitch_keycenter=69
<region> sample=c5.wav  lokey=71 hikey=73 pitch_keycenter=72
<region> sample=eb5.wav lokey=74 hikey=76 pitch_keycenter=75

Category: Region Logic, Key Mapping