More info required on the workings of Sibelius

[djh255]

I have used Sibelius ‘straight out of the box’ now for many years and it has proved more than adequate for my modest purposes but I’m only too aware that I am only using a fraction of its functionality.
I should like to learn more but I’m not finding it easy. Reading the reference manual from cover to cover is a non-starter and I’ve watched more than a few badly produced, irrelevant You Tube videos and been bored to tears with most of them. (But, Wizzarts, your short tutorials on SOS were excellent).
What I really want to know is more about how Sibelius works rather than just how to use it.
So I’m afraid this is silly question time born out of frustration and my own shortcomings in the ‘techie’ field.

1) I’d like to know more about how third party applications like Kontakt fit into the picture - I’m sure it was included in earlier versions of Sibelius but no mention of it in Sib7. (And what about Garriton? Is that connected with Sibelius in some way or is it completely independent ?)
2) Sibelius Sounds takes up some 40 GB of my hard drive but do I have them all? Go to Add Instruments and there is the choice of every conceivable instrument under the sun to add to your score but most of those sounds are not included in the Sib Sound set. Why? What am I missing (apart from a few braincells!)?

So if any of you can help me out a bit here, perhaps by pointing me in the right direction or recommending some more appropriate tutorial videos I shall be more than grateful.

[wizzarts]

Hi,

well, the integration of 3rd party VSTs works pretty well for all common libraries and players that make sense being intregrated in a notation-software such like Aira (Garritan), EastWest Play, VSL, Kontakt.

BUT this is only the 1st step. Due to the architecture of Sibelius the VSTs do need soundsets which assign articulations to the corresponding "keyswitches". Some can be downloaded on the manufacturer's page. Others can be bought at SSP by Jonathan Loving. www.soundsetproject.com/

But by far not for all soundlibraries are soundsets available. (8 Dio, Orchestral Tools, etc.)

Then one will have to program those by himself or do the 2 stave-trick, - one for the notes and one to enter keyswitches.

Your question No. 2:

Hmmm.... Not all instruments are covered by the built-in soundlibrary. And some sounds simply do not need a soundset because they have only one "sound".

Also when talking about a full orchestra library 40Gb is peanuts. Most commonly we find ourselves in the 1Tb region.

In my opinion the EastWest Symphonic Orchestra combined with the specific soundset from Jonathan Loving is the best choice when it comes to a real improvement.

But one should also think about Wallander's Note Performer.

[Deleted]

You say reading the manual is a non-starter? Why? You could at least skim through it, getting an idea of what CAN be done even if you don't dig deeply into each topic. There are also a useful set of Tutorials, look at the bottom of the File menu, under "Help".

The stock playback system in earlier versions of Sibelius used Kontakt Player as its engine. Current versions use "Sibelius Player". Third-party sound libraries (and their playback engines) may be added, though you'd be well advised to choose one that has a customised Sound Set that links it to Sibelius.

Garritan are one such supplier. Many of their samples were included in Sibelius 6 Sound Essentials, the set that came with Sibelius 6. Recently, Garritan have been bought by MakeMusic, the company that also owns Finale, Sibelius' main competitor. So their involvement in Sibelius products will doubtless be less :-)

Despite the name of this forum, it isn't a specialised Sibelius resource. Your Sibelius questions will be better answered at: www.sibelius.com/cgi-bin/helpcenter/chat/chat.pl?groupid=3

[djh255]

Thanks guys for your two very helpful replies.

To elaborate on my original post; my problem is not so much with Sibelius itself, which I find very intuitive and easy to use, but the understanding of the countless additional software programs that can integrate with it. Definitions of exactly what they are, what they do and how they work etc.
What we are really talking about I suppose is the need for a greater knowledge of Computer Music generally, which is obviously a vast subject and worthy of serious study. Interested youngsters have a natural affinity for absorbing this kind of information and the technical jargon which goes with it. But for latecomers to the subject, especially sufferers of ARTI (age-related technical incomprehension) like me it’s sometimes difficult to know where to start. Books are of limited value because by the time they are published the technology will have moved on. So forums such as SOS are a brilliant source of help, so as long as there are guys (and gals maybe) like yourselves who are prepared to donate your time and expertise humouring people like me, there is yet hope.
Your responses have mostly answered my initial questions, as well as pointing me towards other sources of info so thanks again, just what I wanted.

[wizzarts]

Here are some links to stuff I have done. The files come straight out of Sibelius.


=== 1 ===

8Dio Oboe using the Kontakt, EastWest SO strings, harp and Timpani. Not so much tweaking is done. Just some adjustments of the startpoint, duration and velocity which can be done in the inspector when live-playback is activated.

soundcloud.com/andrew-noah-cap/the-gallimer-saga-1-picture-3


=== 2 ===

Cornet VSL and Alicia's Keys Piano from Native Instrument unsing Kontakt. A lot of adjustments of start, duration and velocity and some tricky Automation-lines using the plugin "automation"

soundcloud.com/andrew-noah-cap/wet-leaves-in-the-park-opus-551-2014


=== 3 ===

This one is Sibelius and EastWest Symphonic Orchestra Platinum plus the soundsets programmed by Jonathan Loving. NO tweaking at all.

soundcloud.com/andrew-noah-cap/at-night-v4-wip


Maybe it helps to give you a rough idea what is possible

[Deleted]

Try my tutorials on integrating Sibelius with Presonus Studio One (a sequencer) by means of the sample player, Kontakt.

My goal from the start has been to use Sibelius to develop a reliable environment in which to attain a reproducibly credible performance of a score in a manner as straightforward as Sibelius enables one to attain professional appearance. Although the technique is a little expensive and time-consuming, I've done much of the work already by developing score and song templates, along with Kontakt multi instrument presets, to start one off.

I'm a little older myself, and I try to give step-by-step instructions that show all the details without assuming very much on the part of the viewer. For those with limited computer knowledge, I show how to set up a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), from building the machine to optimizing Windows and even how to network DAWs together. For those not very familiar with the software needed, I make sure to include information about its pratfalls and peculiarities (not just what works).

I'm serious about using Sibelius to create listenable music quickly, artistically, and reliably. Here is a quick and dirty mock-up of about 3 minutes of orchestral music. I offer it as a Proof of Concept demo to show the progress of the techniques I've developed in my tutorials. (This music is covered under the Creative Commons License, ver. 4.0, non-commercial.)

Al Johnston
Novaclassica (Youtube channel)