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Topic: playback question & slurs comment (Read 3022 times) previous topic - next topic

playback question & slurs comment

Background: I use my computer keyboard exclusively for entering notes in Noteworthy, just because I've worked out a fairly speedy way to do that. I play back the scores (just using Noteworthy) to proofread, since I occasionally miss entering an accidental. What I would like is a somewhat better playback sound. Most music is vocal - solo line plus piano accompaniment. What I use now for the melody line is the "french horn." For accompaniment, I use one of the piano sounds. Can anyone suggest a more effective setting? I do want the melody line to stand out, and french horn does that pretty well without being obnoxious, but the accompaniment parts could use some help.

Just now catching up on reading a huge number of forum entries, but want to add my voice to the need for flexible slurs. Need control on whether the slurs go above or below the notes and also sloping, since the present slurs tend to look rather bizarre when NWC places them. So, I usually don't use them at all, and that's not good either. Occasionally I will put in a "general" message in text, like "pedal freely" or something, hoping the accompanist will interpret in a reasonable manner. Hmmm....

Re: playback question & slurs comment

Reply #1 –
Some people use woodwind sounds (oboe, clarinet) for vocals, which often works quite well. Problem with these (and french horn) is that if you're doing orchestral vocals (opera, etc.) you lose the vox in the "real" instruments.

I've been using combined sounds for vocals; the "main" staff is set for jazz guitar (a uniquely different sound from any of the orchestral instruments), then duplicate the staff with one of the voice pads - choir oohs, choir aahs, voice lead... this allows me to give a different "character" to different vocal parts.

Re: playback question & slurs comment

Reply #2 –
My songs are set up the same way. My favorite for the vocal/solo line is the clarinet, although I also use violin, viola, banjo, recorder, and others depending on the sound I want.
I believe MIDI offers about six "types" of piano, and I often change the regular staffs to one of these. Depending on the song, a voice that sounds good with one song will sound different with another.
Experiment.
Yamaha makes a soft synthesizer that uses the CPU rather than a sound card. I think it sounds much better than any sound card I've ever had. Fred told me about it and gave me the web site. If you want to DL it, I'll try to find the site again. It will make any of the voices sound better.
Regards,
Gordon

Re: playback question & slurs comment

Reply #3 –
My personal favorite is to use trumpet for the vocal, church organ for the treble accomp., and string ensemble or tuba for the bass clef. Try it! You'll like it! :)

Michael