Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Still more suggestions and a few questions (Read 21621 times) previous topic - next topic

Still more suggestions and a few questions

Hi,

I would like to see real crescendo/diminuendo and accelerando options in NWC, that would not be just words there, but actually did something. For example accelerando: you would give it the start tempo, the end tempo and then put in on how long distance you would like the tempo to change.

Also, is it possible to change the panning of a staff in the middle of the song, or is the panning value "glued" to the staff? (I would like the sound to move from right to left and vice versa)

PS. Sorry for my bad English.

Re: Still more suggestions and a few questions

Reply #1 –
Your first two wishes are already up and running!

Try

Insert...
Dynamic Variance

and

Insert...
Tempo Variance

They work pretty much as you say. You specify a start tempo (or dynamic) and a finish tempo (or dynamic) and insert a tempo (or dynamic) variance between these two. NWC then smoothly varies the tempo (or dynamic) starting at the postion of the variance marker and ending with the following tempo (or dynamic) marker.

For example: you insert a mezzo piano in bar 3, you insert a crescendo at the start of bar 5 and a forte in bar 10. NWC plays the staff at mp in bars 3 and 4. In bar 5 it starts to crank up the volume until it reaches forte in bar 10. Similar things happen with tempo variances.

Note that diminuendo is implemented as decrescendo.

The help screens accessed from the dialogue boxes give you the "official" guidance on their use.

I haven't felt the need to pan so - no comment.

I hope this helps.

Re: Still more suggestions and a few questions

Reply #2 –
regarding pan: Use the Multi-point Controller setting for "Stereo Pan" to change the left to right imaging anywhere in the staff. Your sound card must support this in order for it to be effective.

Re: Still more suggestions and a few questions

Reply #3 –
Steven says in his reply "Note that diminuendo is implemented as decrescendo"

Ah !

How fortunate for me that he has replied in this way.

It sounds like he can answer a question I've had for a long time.

What is the difference between diminuendo and decrescendo ?

The Oxford Dictionary of music gives :

Diminuendo : Gradually getting quieter
Decrescendo : Gradually getting softer
Crescendo : Gradual increase in loudness (opposite of diminuendo)

The Collins Encyclopaedia of music gives :

Diminuendo : Getting softer
Decrescendo : Getting softer (opposite of crescendo)
Crescendo : Getting louder (opposite of crescendo or diminuendo)

The Oxford companion to music says that hairpins were originally invented
by Francesco Geminiani and refered to crescendo and diminuendo but makes
no mention of decrescendo.

It's all very well for us all to ask NoteWorthy to include additional
functionality into NWC but it might be just as well to agree terminology.

Is there anyone out there who (at least for the purpose asking for
additional functionality) would not be content to allow decrescendo and diminuendo
to be synonymous ?

And just what is the difference anyway?

Richard

Re: Still more suggestions and a few questions

Reply #4 –
And between A# and Bb??

Re: Still more suggestions and a few questions

Reply #5 –
Well, since you ask.. I don't know that there is any difference except that decrescendos tend to be much rarer than diminuendos. Perhaps its only composers using NWC who use decrescendos. :-)

As for A# and Bb...It all depends (he says mysteriously).

Stephen

Re: Still more suggestions and a few questions

Reply #6 –
And it's a lot easier to abbreviate dim. More understandable, yes? That's why you don't see desc. very often. Too labor-intensive.

Re: Still more suggestions and a few questions

Reply #7 –
You all are having just too much FUN!
How about the dynamics I see all the time in original Big Band charts by Billy May, Les Elgart, Les Brown, Glen Miller, etc.; such as " get soft here, bold, all out, loud, not too much, etc., etc. Do these mean anything to any one; certinally not for NWC except as text notation.

Don Ruckman ruckdr@jps.net

Re: Still more suggestions and a few questions

Reply #10 –
I've never been able to get the tempo variance to work.
I presume you mean have a tempo setting, a ritard or a
rallentando, then another tempo setting. Doesn't work
for me. ANd do you treat rit. and rall. differently?

(I'd also like to see rit. followed by "a tempo" work, if we
want additional wish list items.)

I have found that the dynamic variance works for cresc.
and decresc. but not for dim.

- seb

Re: Still more suggestions and a few questions

Reply #11 –
Just tried ritard. and rall. with version 1.50b, and both worked exactly as described in the help file.

Re: Still more suggestions and a few questions

Reply #12 –
I was looking through some of the questions stated the above and saw the one regarding the difference between diminuendo and a decrescendo. Indeed there is a difference, however the difference is rather small.

Basic definitions: (by Peter Coraggio)

Decrescendo:
Decreasing, subsiding, contracting, ebbing intensity. Implies a previous crescendo.

Diminuendo:
Diminishing, reducing, becoming less intense. Gradually becoming quieter.

Composers write DECRESCENDO when they want the intensity of the music to subside, and DIMINUENDO when they want it to diminish.

So in a nutshell, "decrescendo" is usually used after a crescendo leading to a climax, whilst "diminuendo" is just used to indicate that the passage needs to be soften down gradually.

If you were to look at the two terms again, they're relatively similar. It doesn't really matter that much as long as the effect is not erroneously interpreted as what the composer suggests.

Hope the above will help to answer the question posted.

Musically yours,

Benjamin Yeo