Adjusting the Volume Level of Select Staves During Playback

During playback you can increase the volume of selected staves relative to other non-selected staves, so that you can focus your listening on these staves. This is a useful aid for studying orchestrations and arrangements.

You can control volume with your mouse and the volume control in the toolbar; or by typing V+ or V+; or by playing special notes on your keyboard, using the Pitch-to-Command feature.

The volume control is in the toolbar, and looks like this:

Normally, when no staves are selected, the volume control applies uniformly to all of the staves in the score.

When one or more staves are selected, and you move the volume control to the right of center, the selected staves will sound louder, while the non-selected staves will remain at their normal level.

When one or more staves are selected, and you move the volume control to the left of center, then the behavior is probably not initially what you would expect.  You might expect the volume level of the selected staves to decrease.  Instead, the volume level of the selected staves remains at the normal level, and the volume of the non-selected staves decrease.
 

When you move the volume slider to the left, why does Composer decrease the volume level of the non-selected staves instead of decreasing the volume level of the select staves?
 
Consider why it is you would usually want to change the volume level of some staves but not others.  It is probably so that you can hear one or a few staves better than all of the others. You want sound of that staff to stand out.
 
One way you can do this is to select the staff in make it louder.  But maybe it is already set at a maximum volume level.  Or maybe the overall sound level is already loud enough that you don't want it any louder.
 
You have an alternative: Select the staves for which you want their sound to stand out, but instead of increasing the volume level of those staves, instead you can decrease the volume level of the non-selected staves.  Do this by moving the volume slider to the left.  Try it out so your ears can learn how this works.  Your ears might  be grateful that the overall sound level is decreasing rather than increasing!

If you are familiar with the distinction between MIDI staff volume control events and individual MIDI note-on velocities, then you might find it useful to know how Composer's volume control is implemented. The volume control affects both individual MIDI note velocities and the overall MIDI staff volume (via controller event 7). The reason for this design is that some sound cards do not implement staff volume controller events well or at all. Composer's design, which relies on both MIDI note-on velocity adjustments and staff volume controller events, produces more reliable volume control across a wider variety of sound cards.

If you find that the overall volume level is too soft, then you might find it preferable to increase the volume level of your computer speakers, or use the Windows volume control, rather than to use Composer's control. Some of the expressiveness of volume changes in the song, as well as some instrument panning, will be lost the more you increase Composer's volume level.

To change the volume of selected staves relative to other staves:

1.	Select one or more staves as follows: Choose Show Staff Controls from the View command. Click the staff selection button  to select a staff. While holding down the SHIFT key, click the staff selection button to extend the range of staves.

(a) Drag the volume control button to the right (or left).

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(b) Type V+ (or V+).

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To reset the volume level back to normal:

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