Advanced Tips Request

[rrayner]

Hi David -- thank you very much for your suggestions. Sherry has been trying to help me with Note Velocity and Loudness, but I'm finding it rather difficult to manage. She has suggested OEM soundfonts, but as my target platform is my Clavinova, that's not going to help me.

I've made changes, dropping the Note Velocity, and it does seem to soften the attack a little, but it also drops the volume level, so I've increased the volume where I've dropped the velocity. I did this to the entire trombone part and to selected places for the piano, i.e., measures 22-25 and measures 46-50. I've attached the file with changes if you want to see if I've done what you suggested.

I won't be trying the damper pedal suggestion at this time, as my primary and almost exclusive input device is my PC. However, I will look into the GraphOverNotes application of it. I can play simple exercises and chords, but keyboard is not my instrument, so input on the Clavinova is not a good option for me.

A true portamento would be nice for measure 71. I'll dig into the Controller references you made. I think that the Clavinova will handle it, as a number of their samples have the sound of a true portamento. I just need to figure out how to code it.

Along that line, I will be doing a number of swing band pieces and I haven't yet figured out how to do drops (downward gliss w/no target) or doits (pronounced doyits -- an upward moving equivalent of a drop). I have read Notation references to note bends, which I will want to incorporate in some of my pieces, but I haven't dug deeply enough into what's required.

All of your input is appreciated. If you have time, please take a listen to my revisions to see if I've done what you suggested.

One side note, I didn't realize until after I attached the initial copy that I had the Tenors "singing" one octave above where they should have been. I've adjusted that, but then I had to adjust the Ahs velocity and volume as the lower register didn't come out as clearly as before.

Ralph

[dj]

Hi, Ralph:

I'm sending your White Christmas back at you, with a few of examples of the things I mentioned.

I manually added some rather arbitrary pedal events into the piano (as well as dropping the velocity on the left hand at the first piano entrance -- just seemed a little obtrusive to my ears. Your mileage may vary.)

Don't be afraid of recording the Clavinova's pedal(s) to add expression. If it's already hooked up to playback, it's likely hooked up to record and it's just a matter of recording the pedal presses into a new track with the same midi channel as the piano. Likely the easiest way to ease into real time recording. Some high end synths respond to variable pedal depth, but most are just all on or all off.

I also treated the baritone solo as if it were an instrumental trombone solo and added some bends and vibrato. This was done manually. Basically, I just wanted to demonstrate how a little creative controller data can bring a part to life. Again, your mileage may vary: the swoops may be too much for your ear.

I removed the 8va bassa marks from the tenor and used Composer's Transpose Instrument Key (under the Staff menu) function to set the tenor line's transposition. Although it doesn't have an automatic setting for tenor voice, Composer does have many, if not most, transposing instruments in a selectable database.

And, finally, I played with the stereo spread (under the Staff/Setup menu) and set the sounds up as they may be on a stage. Just that kind of change can really fill the soundscape.

Lovely arrangement, by the way. They just don't write 'em like that, anymore.

David

[rrayner]

Thanks for the compliment, David. It is much appreciated. And thank you for the updates. The first piano measure is 22 and I see that the velocity in your version is set at 71 in both the left hand and the right hand, the same level that I uploaded with the previous reply, so I'm confused about that point. I know I'm in your version, as I can hear the trombone differences.

My Clavinova is not yet directly connected to my PC, so the only way I can record is to the USB drive, to be imported on my PC, so I don't think that approach is doable, yet.

I am keenly interested in digging into the controller aspects of Notation and will do that as time permits. Adding/modifying vibrato will be a very nice choice. And I do want to learn how to approach a tone from below, not necessarily like bending a guitar note. I will try to figure out how you manipulated the trombone. Thanks.

The score you included still has the 8va bassa notation in it, so I'm not certain what you meant there. I do see that you have the tenors sounding one octave below where they're written. That's a little less messy for the notation. I did the same and removed the 8va bassa notations.

Also, I will dig into the stereo spread concept. I haven't detected the change yet, but I will listen more closely.

Thanks again for opening new doors. I'm really enjoying resurrecting my writing skills. I'm relearning a lot by revisiting old scores, all the while trying to figure out how to make Notation Composer hum.

Ralph

[rrayner]

OooOoo, David! I LOVE the stereo affect! I exported your file as midi to my thumb drive and took it to my Clavinova. I hadn't noticed the stereo split when I played it on my PC's sound card. Do you do that with the Pan feature of Notation Composer? I hadn't given that feature a single glance yet and had no idea it referred to channel separation. I hope that's what you used, because I need to do almost all of my work in Notation.

Ralph

[rrayner]

Originally Posted by rrayner

The first piano measure is 22 and I see that the velocity in your version is set at 71 in both the left hand and the right hand, the same level that I uploaded with the previous reply, so I'm confused about that point.

Ah, I see that measure 36 is where you dropped the velocity of the left hand. Yes, I see (hear) your point. Thank you. Ralph

[dj]

Interesting that you're seeing the 8va bassa marks. I just checked the file and don't see them at all.

And, you're right: I missed the piano entrance at bar 22 entirely.

Yes, Pan sets the stereo spread. You can set it numerically, either in the staff setup controls at the left of the staff, through the Staff/Setup menu item or graphically through GraphOverNotes/L<->R icon.

The latter is especially useful for "wandering minstrels".

David

[rrayner]

Hi David -- I think I've tweaked this score enough for now. It's hard to stop tweaking -- there always something, searching for perfection, but it's time to move on.

I'm going to post the final (for now) version on the Notation Share Forum. I owe you a lot for your suggestions. I've incorporated most of the changes you suggested. I didn't use the "swoops" at this time, but I've been wondering how to do this and hadn't found it yet, so I'll be using swoops in other scores in the future. Also, I narrowed the trombone vibrato a bit, now that you've given me insight into how to do it. And, as I mentioned earlier, the Pan stuff is great!

Thanks again for everything.

Ralph

[dj]

The swoops are a bit of pitch bend, in the GraphicsOverNotes toolbar. Pitch bend is the note with a wobbly line icon. A little is a lot.

David