Creating realistic Harp Glissandi can be a tedious task if you are doing so by entering each individual note in the desired scale. Fortunately, there are resources available for Garritan Personal Orchestra users which allow for Glissandi in different scales and keys to be achieved when playing a white-key glissando on a MIDI keyboard via the ARIA Player.
Glissando Pedal Mode
In Garritan Personal Orchestra 5, the available Pedal Mode harp patches offer users the ability to alter pitch classes using CC MIDI Data. For example, it’s possible setup playback of a G Harmonic Minor Scale(which includes the pitches B-flat, E-flat, and F-sharp) with Pedal Mode by sending the following CC data commands and values:
Bb - Send value of 26 to 50 to CC# 45
Eb - Send value of 26 to 50 to CC# 41
F# - Send value of 76 to 100 to CC# 42
Upon sending these commands, a G Harmonic Minor Scale would sound when playing a white-key glissando on your MIDI keyboard. Pasted below you will find an image displaying the Pedal Mode interface for the Pedal Mode Glissando Harp 1 patch from the Control view in the ARIA Player. For more information regarding Pedal Mode in Garritan Personal Orchestra 5, please follow this link: Garritan Personal Orchestra 5 - Harps.
G Harmonic Minor scale setup in the Pedal Mode console
Harp Glissandi MIDI Packets
For users who own Garritan Personal Orchestra 4 and earlier, Glissando Harp MIDI Packets can be used in a DAW application to playback different types of scales in any key.
For example, one available packet allows the G Harmonic Minor Scale (which includes the pitches B-flat, E-flat, and F-sharp) to sound when playing a white-key glissando on your MIDI keyboard. This can make creating Glissando effects in a DAW much easier than entering each individual note in the Glissando. You can download the available MIDI Packets by clicking the link below.
Harp Gliss Packets MIDIFiles.zip (80 KB)
Users can load these packets onto a track running an instance of the ARIA Player plug-in in their DAW. Once a MIDI packet is loaded onto a track referencing a Glissando Harp Patch, the sound for that particular packet will be played back when a white-key glissando is performed on that track. Note that each DAW handles MIDI files differently, and users should load these MIDI packet files using the recommended workflow as outlined by the manufacturer of their specific DAW.