When creating a large scale orchestral score, should strings be placed all in the same channel? Whenever I do that, I get a sound on playback that isn't very string sounding. It's very nasal sounding. I guess what I really want to know is which instruments should be put into the same channel and which shouldnt so that they sound right when they're played back.
Here's what I do. Channel 1 - piccolos and flute 2. Oboes (also Cor Anglais if needed) 3 Clarinets (plus bass if needed) 4 Bassoons (plus bass if needed) 5 Horns 1 & 2 (for 3 & 4 see tuba) 6 Trumpets 7 Tenor and bass trombones 8 Tuba and 3rd & 4th Horns 9 Timpani 10 All percussion 11 1st Violins (using string ensemble) 12 2nd Violins (using tremolo strings) 13 Violas 14 Cello 15 D. Bass There is a spare channel for whatever extras you may have. Check out one of my large files on the Scripto or in the sample file of NWC2.
If I may stick my tuppenceworth in :-) If you want to have a section transposed for - say - a different keyed intrument, wouldn't it be easier to insert an instrument patch with the transposition included?
I can confirm this weird behaviour. I downloaded and installed the latest version (Beta 2) yesterday. Just checked for updates from within the programme and got the update (?). Using comparison software, the two setup thingies are identical.
Michael - did you install V2.2 in the same place as V2 1.7?
Yes, Ed. Even though Tina hasn't confirmed or denied it yet, Birds Eye are - in Australia - a purveyor of frozen vegetable produce.
Yes. Birds Eye is/was freezer and purveyer of food generally. They were the first company in the UK to do so. I did hear a while ago, they were closing down / being bought out or something.
Only if it is the MIDI controllers in MIDI. It might be an effects thingummy in the soundcard set up. If using a soundblaster card, there's an EAX setting in the creative folder. Incidentally 'mpc' in nwc (1 or 2) means Multi Point Controller. It is not a Midi controller, only the means whereby MIDI controllers can be set at variable points (places) on MIDI channels.
wma is windows media audio - playable with windows media player. If you have any recording software either with a "save as" function - or converts what it hears to mp3, that should do it.
I listened and looked at the file. Beautiful :-) If I may make a couple of suggestions? On the violin staff, if you had set all the dynamics to 120 (staff properties / instrument) and used a user tool to change the volume you would have saved yourself a lot of work. Also, it would look neater (IMHO) if the tempo markings were a) on one staff only and b) the preserve width option was unticked.
The tempo of 40 per dotted half is equivalent to 120 per quarter (crochet) Try changing the dotted half to a quarter (from the drop down menu) and you may find it too slow. experiment from there until you get what you want. For stereo effect, look in staff properties / midi and change the pan setting. It goes from 0 (far left) to 127 (far right) 64 being centered.
For those who notate orchestral works, this lists instruments in the order they occur in most scores, including transpositions. The channel 10 percussion are designed for single line staves, with the notes centered.
This is easily overcome by using the itree facility. If I get time later today I will post an orchestral itree, which includes all the (common) transpositions values.
Unless there is a note in between that is the same pitch as the tied notes of the chord, there is no problem. Somehow this sounds more complicated than it really is!
In that case layering is the solution. But - if both staves are on the same channel, then mute the shorter note, otherwise the longer one will be cut off.
Horses for courses, of course, but a user tool would have done the same thing much quicker. Changing velocities of dynamics could easily have been done in the staff properties box. Better yet, in the itree - then all you needed to have done was refresh the instruments in staff properties. Don't forget that dynamics have both velocity and volume - both of which can be changed.
The main drawback to using volume is that if you change the initial staff volume (to balance the staves say) then all your calculations are thrown out! Although slightly more difficult you can get the same effect using expression in an MPC.
On the other hand, if you use volume for dynamics, you can use expression to balance.
The only real problem I've seen is where there is a non lyric instruction that does not translate to a dynamic. This gets translated into NWC as a form of text that can't be found using the search facility (even though you can see it).
It is put into the Lyric Editor. Open that and delete everything.
Just a thought. Check the staff properties 'Group'. I've noticed that when a staff is 'Hidden' it doesn't show in preview, even if it is still visible in the editor.
On your profile page, in the signature section, select image and between the image [] insert URL pointing to an image you have previously put on a web site somewhere. (I only know this thanks to Lawrie)
Perhaps an even easier option is to install the nwc2 viewer instead of the plugin. That will open and play both versions. You can also include a link to the viewer on your web page.
When doing "Insert Dynamic" I found that returning to the command window the last selected notation (fortissimo, for example) didn't hold and neither did it default to a standard selection.
Much easier and quicker to use the mouse and select the one you want from the toolbar. (I've never used the 'insert' menu for this.)
Another way to avoid dynamics clashing with notes - particularly at the start of a bar is to 'align right' instead of the default left align. (Highlight the dynamic and use the edit properties / expression placement)
