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Topic: Unwanted percussion sounds (Read 5177 times) previous topic - next topic

Unwanted percussion sounds

Hi!
I am in the process of orchestrating my opera now.
For that purpose, I have a visible and a hidden staff for each instrument. However, I insert a new staff, give it the String Ensemble 1 (or anything else) sound, and it sounds like a whole load of percussion intruments playing together.
I once fixed the problem by ignoring a new staff, then inserting another, but that doesn't help now. How can I solve it?

Re: Unwanted percussion sounds

Reply #1 –
Your problem is that NWC assigns MIDI channels in ascending order as you add staves, and you've reached channel 10, which is reserved for percussion. You can fix this by changing the MIDI channel in the Staff Properties dialog.

Re: Unwanted percussion sounds

Reply #2 –
Thanks, Grant. But what channel should I assign?

Re: Unwanted percussion sounds

Reply #3 –
Anything but 10...you may also want to avoid using one used by another staff.

Re: Unwanted percussion sounds

Reply #4 –
> Thanks, Grant. But what channel should I assign?

Whatever channel is available. You've got your choice of 1-16, with 10 reserved for percussion. You can get an report of which channels are in use by clicking Tools -> Score Review.

Re: Unwanted percussion sounds

Reply #5 –
...and if you run out of channels, use the second midi port that you probably have.

Re: Unwanted percussion sounds

Reply #6 –
You can assign all similar instruments to the same channel. For example, Trumpet 1, Trumpet 2, Trumpet 3 may all be assigned the same channel. French Horn I & II assigned the same channel. All trombones assigned the same channel, etc. EVEN THOUGH they are on different staves, the instruments with similar sounds can be assigned the same MIDI channel.

Re: Unwanted percussion sounds

Reply #7 –
...however, this will cause the loss of more precise control on divisi parts (each trumpet etc.) *Everything* you apply on the channel (velocity, pedal, volume, expression, pan, pitch-bend, chorus, reverb...) will be applied to *all* parts using that channel.

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Re: Unwanted percussion sounds

Reply #8 –
Ertugrul wrote: "*Everything* you apply on the channel (velocity, pedal, volume, expression, pan, pitch-bend, chorus, reverb...) will be applied to *all* parts using that channel."

This is not entirely true. Velocity is applied on a note-by-note basis. Since NWC's default implementation of dynamics uses note velocity, dynamics are immune to the effect Ertugrul notes.

I think it's important to understand that any solution to the running-out-of-tracks problem involves a tradeoff. Ertugrul correctly points out a problem with the multiple-staves-per-channel solution, but his own suggestion in reply 5 also has a serious drawback, which is that you may compromise the portability of your file. Not every computer has a second MIDI port, and even on those that do, many applications (e.g., the Microsoft media player) will exploit only one at a time. Any staves assigned to channels on the second MIDI port will be lost on systems with only one available port.

Of course, if you're planning to play your music only on your own computer, or to record your computer's MIDI output as a .wav, .mp3 or similar file and distribute the result, then the portability issue doesn't arise.
 

Re: Unwanted percussion sounds

Reply #9 –
You're obviously right. However, Winamp and some other popular players support multiple midi ports. But that's not the point;

If you're after real portability, ie the sound quality preserved, MIDI technology is not the solution at all. You'll need to record it as wav and convert as desired. (Grant also points this in a different aspect.)

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