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Topic: Fermata Delay (Read 3723 times) previous topic - next topic

Fermata Delay

Hi NWC'ers,

I have searched the Offline Forum, as well as the NWC 1.55a help, and need clarification on the correct specification of the delay with a fermata.

The NWC help indicates that a Breath Mark inserted into the score should have a delay specified for only ONE vertical instance of the breath mark. The help does NOT give this same warning for the fermata...

Sooooooo, I have a score with 6 staves, and somewhere in the middle is the place for the fermata. I inserted the fermata at the same location across all 6 staves, and gave all fermatas a delay of 8 (16ths). (The piece is in 4/4 time, the fermata is above either a quarter note or a quarter note rest in every staff.)

I fully expected NWC to count 1 beat for the quarter note/quarter note rest, and two additional counts for the fermata delay. What I got was something around 6-7 beats before the song resumed.

I removed the delay from ALL but ONE of the fermatas, and then the delay was counted as I wished it to be.

So, did I stumble upon the correct implementation of the fermata delay (and should the NWC help be clarified accordingly), or is there something else I should have been doing to get it to work out? Any help or comment is appreciated! Thanks.

Sue

Re: Fermata Delay

Reply #1 –
Yes. I've discovered this too -- tempo variations like fermata and breath-marks are additive.

Another point: it isn't necessary to have a separate "conductor" track. Tempo changes or variations can be placed on any staff, and will (of course) affect all staves. Apparently NWC, on exporting to midi, combs through all staves looking for tempo changes before writing the midi Master Track.

Finally, I should point out that fermatas and breath-marks do _not_ export to midi, and only work if you're playing the NWC file itself (this is in the help system, but I overlooked that and wondered why my fermatas stopped working). So if you want your file midi transportable, you have to "fake" the fermatas etc. using brief tempo changes.