Skip to main content
Topic: Early note termination during playback (Read 6706 times) previous topic - next topic

Early note termination during playback

Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.0,Single)
|Instrument|Name:"Flute"|Patch:73|Pos:9
|RestChord|Dur:8th|Opts:Stem=Down|Dur2:4th|Pos2:0
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0^|Opts:Stem=Down
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:0^|Opts:Stem=Down
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:0
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th,Tenuto|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0^|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:0^|Opts:Stem=Down
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:0
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End
If a musician plays first measure, it will sound like the second measure on most instruments, and more like the second than NoteWorthy's playback of the first on nearly all instruments.

IMO, NoteWorthy's playback would be improved if, before scheduling a 'note on' for a MIDI channel, it removed any pending 'note offs' for that note number in the MIDI channel. (note off = note on with velocity zero).
Registered user since 1996

 

Re: Early note termination during playback

Reply #1
Hi, Rick,

I investigated your example and if the "second" note is different, there is no problem - as you hear in this example below.

Code: (nwc) [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.0,Single)
|Instrument|Name:"Flute"|Patch:73|Trans:0|DynVel:10,30,45,60,75,92,108,127|Pos:9
|RestChord|Dur:8th|Opts:Stem=Down,ArticulationsOnStem,VertOffset=-5|Dur2:4th|Pos2:0
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-2^|Opts:Stem=Down
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-2^|Opts:Stem=Down
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:-2|Opts:Stem=Down
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End

However, I don't think one performer is able to play your first bar since an instrument is not able to "start" playing a note which is already produced by that same instrument. Your second bar seems to me an interpretation from a performer who is trying to play the "different" parts with only one instrument. The only correct option for me is using different midi-channels since multiple instruments are necessary for what was put into one score.

Considering the technology for MIDI, I also fear that stripping off the note-off in a MIDI stream will be very hard to implement.

Bart

Re: Early note termination during playback

Reply #2
I investigated your example and if the "second" note is different, there is no problem
I wouldn't expect a problem. A "note off" doesn't stop all notes. It just stops the note number specified in the "note off" MIDI message.

However, I don't think one performer is able to play your first bar since an instrument is not able to "start" playing a note which is already produced by that same instrument. Your second bar seems to me an interpretation from a performer who is trying to play the "different" parts with only one instrument.
Piano players see this often. It is not confined to reductions of ensemble music. It also appears in organ music and is a greater problem since the sustain level is higher for most organ stops than for percussive keyboard instruments. When confronted with the notation in the first measure, the keyboard musician needs to play it in a way that sounds something like the second measure. To play it the way NoteWorthy plays the first measure is wrong, not a matter of interpretation.

The only correct option for me is using different midi-channels since multiple instruments are necessary for what was put into one score.
For solo piano music, there is only one piano. Assigning it to more than one MIDI channel creates an instrument that does not exist. There are times, such as when the sostenuto pedal is in use, that a second MIDI channel might be used. But that is only because NoteWorthy does not support the sostenuto MIDI controller. IOW, it is a hack.

Considering the technology for MIDI, I also fear that stripping off the note-off in a MIDI stream will be very hard to implement.
All that is involved is a lookahead to calculate the proper moment for the "note off". The "technology for MIDI" will remain blithely unaware ...

NoteWorthy does not do its MIDI translation as a stream:
Quote from: http://www.noteworthysoftware.com/nwc2/help/MNU_ADDMIDICONTROLLER.htm
Special Note: Inserting a Multi-point Controller that contains control points that are scheduled at time offset well beyond the current beat can significantly add to the hesitation time between when you request play and actually hear the song start to play back.
Clearly NoteWorthy already looks ahead.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Early note termination during playback

Reply #3
This behavior has not changed as of NWC 2.5.2
Registered user since 1996