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Topic: New Instruments (Read 2345 times) previous topic - next topic

New Instruments

HOw do I add the following instruments: Bass Clarinet, Contrabass Clarinet, Eb Soprano Clarinet, Bass Flute, Alto Flute, Alto Recorder, Tenor recorder, Bass Recorder, Viola d'Gamba, Oboe d'Amore, Violobe, etc. Where can I find more sond fonts and how do I unstall them?
Thanks,
Philip (Michael)

Re: New Instruments

Reply #1 –
You will never see, for example, Bass Clarinet, Alto Clarinet, Eb Soprano Clarinet in any sound font or MIDI voice list because to a synthesizer they are not separate instruments, simply different pitch ranges for one MIDI patch, namely clarinet.  To write parts for the different clarinets you mentioned (or for the different recorders of a consort, etc.) simply enter the notes in the appropriate pitch range of the instrument.  To print out transposed parts, (from memory, I'm on my school Mac right now) go to Staff, Transpose.  Select the correct transposition in half steps (always transpose higher from concert pitch to the printed score) BUT be sure the staff play back remains at the same pitch.  There is a chcek box in that dialog box, I believe, to keep playback at the same pitch, not to be transposed along with the printed score.
 

Re: New Instruments

Reply #2 –
Milton is almost right about not seeing "variant" instruments, except that on my Korg N5 I do have a Bass Clarinet sound, which is distinctly different from any other clarinet patch and much closer to the correct acoustic sound.  (For korg N5, N5EX, N1 etc users, it's r08 patch 72.)  I also use it for contrabass clarinet.

Philip, if your synth doesn't have these patches, you'll have to approximate them with combinations of others.  For contrabassoon, I often double the bassoon patch with the english horn sound.  I put a staff for each and make them exactly the same, except fot the instrument.  For trumpet I often double up with any of the brass patches, sometimes trombone and sometimes clarinet.  You might want to try adjusting the volume of each staff.

At a guess, for oboe d'amore, you could try doubling oboe and english horn.  I've never heard one live, so I'm not sure of the sound.  For Eb Clarinet, I'd try add clarinet and a small amount of flute/whistle/recorder/ocarina.  For the low flutes, try flute or piccolo + possibly some bassoon and maybe some very quiet horn or trombone?  It's best that you try your own combinations to hear what your particular patches sound like.

As for sound fonts in sound cards, I don't know much about this; perhaps some other forum readers could help?