Post by wizzarts on Jun 5, 2013 9:33:11 GMT
There are 3 controllers directly affecting the volume of an instrument/staff.
1) Key-velocity sets a volume depending on how strong/fast we have pressed a key. In the olden days of keyboards and synthesizer most sounds were programmed with a so-called key-velocity-curve. The faster/stronger we hit a key not only the sound went louder but also changed following this curve. A saxophone-sound ie. had breathiness added when played softly and a bit of a growl-effect when played hard.
Now-a-days samplers have all sorts of different samples per note to create a more realistic sound. They are programmed with a velocity-switch to change this samples depending on the key-velocity. So a softly played violin is not only a softly played violin with more volume when played harder. A mf (key-velocity 48) sounds like a mf being that the violin was recorded for this sample in mf.
The sound directly corrensponds with the way we play.
Alica's Keys piano-library for instance got a 32-multi-sample per note, - 32 samples spread over the full range of the key-velocity. In steps of 4 the sound will change (kv: 0-3 sample 1, 4-7 sample 2, etc.)
2) Expression (CC11) is used to alter the volume while playing. This controller was used for interpreting the data coming from the expression-pedal. Also modern E-Pianos have a socket to connect such an expression-pedal.
Most libraries are using this controller to alter the volume especially on long notes, being that key-velocity is only sent once with the note-on message. This can be a good weapon when it comes to hairpins. The expression also alters the sound so when creating a a cresc. sounds which will morph from one sample into another to give it a realistic sound. So when a trombone does a cresc. you will hear the sound-change beside the increasing volume like a real trombone would sound like.
Please note: This really depends on the quality of a sound-library. The more samples are being used for one note the better. But also some libraries are using the expression as a real "expression" which means the effect is not that much compared to the main instrument-volume-controller.
We will have to know our libraries. So why not using the cresc. plugin and fooling around a bit?
3) Volume (CC7) is the main volume for a midi-channel or, in Sibelius, for a staff. We can compare this with a volume-knob on a Hifi-amplifier. There will be no effect on the sound itself. Just more or less more volume.
In my scores I am using the volume (CC7) quite a lot. I have created a default score (no manuscript) and every single staff has a volume message.
Why? Well, the mixer in Sibelius is altering the key-velocity instead of the volume of the corresponding instrument. Even if we enable the function "volume controlled by the mixer" in the playback preferences the mixer will primarily alter the key-velocity.
When we want to build a real stage we do not only set the panorama of each instrument but we have to pay attention on the distance of an instrument. A trumpet-player is sitting in the 4th or 5th row. Using the Sibelius-mixer to simulate this distance the result would be a trumpet played mf where a f should be.
The better way is to set a ~C7,080 command to every staff at the beginning and to leave the mixer alone.
It will take a little while to create a nice blending but the result is a very realistic placing. A ff-trumpet in the distance with less volume, - the correct sound at the correct place
Hope you enjoy this
1) Key-velocity sets a volume depending on how strong/fast we have pressed a key. In the olden days of keyboards and synthesizer most sounds were programmed with a so-called key-velocity-curve. The faster/stronger we hit a key not only the sound went louder but also changed following this curve. A saxophone-sound ie. had breathiness added when played softly and a bit of a growl-effect when played hard.
Now-a-days samplers have all sorts of different samples per note to create a more realistic sound. They are programmed with a velocity-switch to change this samples depending on the key-velocity. So a softly played violin is not only a softly played violin with more volume when played harder. A mf (key-velocity 48) sounds like a mf being that the violin was recorded for this sample in mf.
The sound directly corrensponds with the way we play.
Alica's Keys piano-library for instance got a 32-multi-sample per note, - 32 samples spread over the full range of the key-velocity. In steps of 4 the sound will change (kv: 0-3 sample 1, 4-7 sample 2, etc.)
2) Expression (CC11) is used to alter the volume while playing. This controller was used for interpreting the data coming from the expression-pedal. Also modern E-Pianos have a socket to connect such an expression-pedal.
Most libraries are using this controller to alter the volume especially on long notes, being that key-velocity is only sent once with the note-on message. This can be a good weapon when it comes to hairpins. The expression also alters the sound so when creating a a cresc. sounds which will morph from one sample into another to give it a realistic sound. So when a trombone does a cresc. you will hear the sound-change beside the increasing volume like a real trombone would sound like.
Please note: This really depends on the quality of a sound-library. The more samples are being used for one note the better. But also some libraries are using the expression as a real "expression" which means the effect is not that much compared to the main instrument-volume-controller.
We will have to know our libraries. So why not using the cresc. plugin and fooling around a bit?
3) Volume (CC7) is the main volume for a midi-channel or, in Sibelius, for a staff. We can compare this with a volume-knob on a Hifi-amplifier. There will be no effect on the sound itself. Just more or less more volume.
In my scores I am using the volume (CC7) quite a lot. I have created a default score (no manuscript) and every single staff has a volume message.
Why? Well, the mixer in Sibelius is altering the key-velocity instead of the volume of the corresponding instrument. Even if we enable the function "volume controlled by the mixer" in the playback preferences the mixer will primarily alter the key-velocity.
When we want to build a real stage we do not only set the panorama of each instrument but we have to pay attention on the distance of an instrument. A trumpet-player is sitting in the 4th or 5th row. Using the Sibelius-mixer to simulate this distance the result would be a trumpet played mf where a f should be.
The better way is to set a ~C7,080 command to every staff at the beginning and to leave the mixer alone.
It will take a little while to create a nice blending but the result is a very realistic placing. A ff-trumpet in the distance with less volume, - the correct sound at the correct place
Hope you enjoy this
