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Topic: What is Override default note velocity? (Read 2710 times) previous topic - next topic

What is Override default note velocity?

Hi,

I wonder if you could fill me in on what exactly is "Override default note velocity"?

Does it actually change the rapidity of a note's decay?

Thanks kindly, Clive

Re: What is Override default note velocity?

Reply #1
You should check out the help file. To quote:

MIDI velocity controls how hard a note is struck (or blown for wind instruments).

From experience, I've noticed no difference in decay. I think what it does is change the characteristics of the attack envelope only.

Re: What is Override default note velocity?

Reply #2
Note velocity is, as has been said, how hard the note is struck. (On my keyboard there are two wires. You break contact with the first wire when you touch the key, and the time it takes for the key to contact the second wire determines the velocity.)

Noteworthy controls dynamics with key velocity instead of volume changes. The option in question lets you change this behavior if you want the notes to be struck harder or softer than the default for a given dynamic.

Not all synths support note velocity, so you might have to use volume control to achieve the same result. Think of it this way. You have a piano that's miked and piped through an amp. How hard you strike the keys determines the strength of the signal going into amp, and the volume level on the amp determines the overall volume of the sound produced.

You can have softly-struck notes at a high volume that actually sound louder than quickly-struck notes at a low volume. The main difference is tone color.

I'm pretty sure that good synths do change the shape of the envelope in response to velocity changes. Higher velocity = sharper attack, but don't hold me to that.