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Topic: Muting a range of notes (Read 4108 times) previous topic - next topic

Muting a range of notes

Is it possible to mute a range of notes in a staff? I know I can mute the whole staff but it is sometimes useful to be able to stop the sound of some notes while still maintaining them in the score.

I've tried to change to sound patch 0 in General MIDI but this has no effect: the last patch specified in the staff continues to sound. It would be very useful if we could do as in programming code: a line can be commented out instead of being erased and it produces no effect when the program runs or compiles but remains written for future reference.

When working with large orchestral scores in NWC it is easy to reach the maximum polyphony of the sound card. My AWE64 is 64 voices polyphonic, although its true limits are more akin to 32 than to 64. Since a patch can use more than one voice, when playing back orchestral tutti, some instruments do not sound. Which? Only the sound card knows. But I prefer to control that myself and then it would be great if I could void or comment out a range of notes in some staves without erasing the notes themselves which I need there when printing (or when trying other arrangements).

TIA for any hint about this.

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Re: Muting a range of notes

Reply #1 –
Try setting the volume/velocity to zero for the range of the muted part.
Perhaps use ppp and override the default - setting it to zero.
Bring the volume up again with another dynamic when you want it to be heard.

Incidentally - I use an SB16 and I find that the polyphony improves if you shift the attack times of the unison notes a few ticks apart.
Unfortunately you cant do this with NWC.

Re: Muting a range of notes

Reply #2 –
And...

You might thicken the tutti a little if you enter a Multi Point Controller for Pitch with values of -10 to +10 on the voices around the lead.
This could avoid the in tune flanging effect.

Re: Muting a range of notes

Reply #3 –
Thank you for your hints, Barry.

I'll try setting volume and velocity to zero and the Pitch Wheel effect for tutti, although usually I need not to thicken but to clean (to make more crystal-like) my tutti, at least with my card.

Can you elaborate a little more on the tune flanging effect? I'm not sure I understand what it is.