Hi Dan

The video link I posted is now out of date, as the plugin has been updated to version 1.2, and as such I've hidden it as some of the functionality in that video has been improved.

You'll find some info on the developer's website Here,

Fair disclosure moment!

I'm a huge fan of this plugin, and since my original post, I have become a reseller for this plugin through my website

To avoid any forum rule-breaking the link above is to Santiago Barx's website not my own.

Have fun with it mate, as it's brilliant!

Kindest regards

Paul

Hi Jeffrey

If you're looking to get the best experience possible in Sibelius with VSL..there is a superb plugin available that will make using VSL and Sibelius just lovely!

It's called the 'Graphical Midi Tools' plugin from a developer called Santiago Barx

With it, you can adjust any midi CC value you want, edit the timing of notes and a whole lot more...directly from the score in Sibelius and see your midi curves etc laid out over the score

Its fantastic!

I've done a few demos of it on my website. the videos are quite long!..but go over the functions and the VSL stuff starts at about 19:30 in the video

https://www.everythingsibelius.com/graphical-midi-tools/

I hope this helps you get the best out of VSL and Sibelius mate...as you'll be able to tweak all the controls VSL have (like humanisation, expression...anything really) directly from your score!

Kindest regards

Paul

Hi Lupine

Sorry for the late reply..I've only use seen your post!

If your looking to use Logic you may want to check out Babylone Waves as there Art-Conductor software does exactly what you want it to...load an instrument into 1 logic track and change to any articulation you want to

They've mapped almost all the VSL stuff...and it works brilliantly..in Ensemble or hosted in Logic...and you can change the articulation on notes to..if you use the score editor.

Check them out here

https://www.babylonwaves.com/logic-pro/

I hope that helps mate

Kindest 

Paul

Hi Create-compose

There is a plugin for Sibelius called 'Graphical Midi Tools' that allows you to enter midi CC curves for any CC value you like, straight into your Sibelius score, and the midi curves are laid over the score so you can see the ebb and flow of everything in a really nice way.

You can also adjust velocity of individual notes, and adjust note timing to fine tune legato passages for example.

It's wonderful...I use it all the time and is the main reason I don't use Logic Pro!

I've done a few video reviews of it on my YouTube channel..heres the link https://youtu.be/JibWXzWr2Xw

And here's the link to the developers website https://santiagobarx.com/

With a library like VSL's Solo strings......it's just magnificent!

Noteperformer is ok..but in all honesty cannot really compete with VSLs samples. If you have any VSL instruments you'll be able to install the sound set for them so they work in Sibelius perfectly...its brilliant...and if you choose to do so, I hope you enjoy it just as much as I do mate

I hope that helps

With kindest regards

Paul

Hi create-compose 

I have to say that I'm more than happy with the results achievable with Sibelius...so much so that I hardly use logic at all now for tweaking anything.

There was a time when tweaking things in Sibelius was doable...but blimey it was a pain in the neck!..adjusting Midi CC data with voices and lines..and adjusting things with the inspector was completely doable...but took ages and wasn't user friendly at all...but plugins have come along that make all of that a joy to use as its all laid out visually over your score.

so now there is a choice..stay in notation...or edit piano roll...and I know where I prefer!

Have a good one mate

Kindest

Paul

Hi IDontHaveOne

I'm on Mac too, I use a 2017 21.5 inch iMac with i7 and 32gb ram and ssd so my machines appears to be much, much less powerful than yours.

I'm able to run VEP7 perfectly with 1 instance of VEPro hosting 17-18 event input instances, so perhaps this is not an issue with your computer per se.

I notice that you're using Sibelius, and this may be where the issue lies.

How are you changing the midi CC data for your Crescendos? The reason I ask is that Spitfire currently don't have (and after repeated requests still haven't) developed sound sets for their sample libraries, and this is where perhaps your issue lies.

How have you set up your playback configuration?..as there is no sound set available, can I assume you've activated the Spitfire plugin within the playback devices dialogue box, and chosen 'General Midi' for your sound set?

If I use a kontakt player with a library (that doesn't use a sound set) I used to use the lines feature to input midi cc data in a different voice to change dynamics. This is ok with small scores, but it would go horribly wrong with anything larger than perhaps a string quartet, and add that with key switch staves to change articulations my computer would experience the same sort of thing as yours...and would also crash...a lot...too!

I now use a plugin, called Graphical Midi Tools to change cc data directly in the score, and since I've used it, its works perfectly...so perhaps something to check out.

You don't say if this happens in a DAW, so I've assumed its all good in other software, and I don't know what version of Sibelius...so can I assume its Ultimate 2020.6?

On a side note, once its all sorted for you, i'd be really interested in hearing your mockup mate.

I hope this helps mate

Kindest regards

Paul

Hi tburg1

That sounds like a great idea, using Sibelius and Logic for your new piece at the same time, to see which works best for you. The Score Editor in Logic is good...but not in the same league as Sibelius to be honest, but it is good enough to give you quite good looking scores if your notation is not to adventurous.

But I love the way that tempo text, dynamic markings and expression text just work in the Sibelius playback system, so it reacts as you'd expect on playback, hairpins, slurs, repeats, everything...input the text and you hear a representation of what you'd like..and with VSL's samples...its just magical!. If it's not exactly what you want..use the inspector, or that plugin to tweak it.

When you use Logics score editor, a plus point is that you can assign articulations to notes directly to the score, (when you get Babylon Waves) and the articulations for your VSL Cube and EWQL Composer Cloud will all be available...and a simple mouse click away!....

From memory (its been a while since ive used it!)...right click on the note you want to alter...find 'articulations'...and you can insert the one you want whilst still looking at the score. (you have to 'insert' the correct patch into your track header...but the setup and documentation from Babylon Waves is excellent.)

As a side note...if you have Vienna Ensemble..or Vienna Ensemble Pro 7....if you host your samples there...you can still use them in your logic tracks.

I used this system for ages...but VSL and Sibelius work so well together..that I stopped using it a while ago now.

When you start using Sibelius, Ensemble works brilliantly...and Ensemble Pro is even better...you'll be able to build HUGE templates (if your computer can handle it!) using the 'event Input' so everything is set up and ready to go when inspiration strikes!

I'd like to know how you get on, so good luck with everything, and I'm easy to find if you need any help with anything

Kindest Regards

Paul

Hi tburg1

How time flies!...blimey.

If I'm honest...I use Sibelius..All the time...for everything!

I write with it, and tweak everything with it...as for me...using notation is far more enjoyable than piano roll!

I really like your point about What if Great Sound is as important as a good looking Score!

I use Sibelius....with VSL....there sound sets...and a plugin from Santiago Barx called 'Graphical Midi Tools'....that I think is amazing!

Using it, with libraries from VSL allow you to tweak ANY CC midi date you want, adjust the start of notes, and velocity all directly from the score using a little graphical interface.

For me....it's perfect...and as result I don't use Logic at all now.

If you use Sibelius Ultimate...with VSL....give it a go and see what you think.

As a side note...I think what Babylon Waves has done for Logic is brilliant...and I contacted Marc recently to see if he could work his magic on Sibelius sound sets as well...so who knows what the future holds.

You say you use the Cube and have the composer cloud from East West...then you're in a good place as the Sound set Project do sound sets for most of those instruments.

So to recap...in the time thats passed I've learned just to use Sibelius...for everything...as I'm more than happy with what can be achieved using it....but I also understand completely that it may not be for everyone....as yes..it involves a learning curve...but staying in notation...and seeing everything laid out over your score is just lovely!

I cannot recommend Sibelius Ultimate enough..and I think what VSL have achieved with the integration is magnificent..give it ago and see what you think!

I have done a few video blogs on my website www.everythingsibelius.com and most of them relate to playback configurations etc with VSL and I review and use that plugin too.

I hope this helps you out...

Take care mate, have a good one

Kindest

Paul

Hi Phil.

This sometimes happens to me to...and has proved to be an easy fix really..(and hopefully it will work for you too)

Go to the bar that the diminuendo isnt responding...and simply delete all the expression text in that bar....hairpins....expression text..PPP etc...everything.

Then simply input it in again!.

I know..stupid isnt it...but i think sometimes the midi in Sibelius gets a bit cluttered (especially if you've cut and pasted bars..or input the date by pasting it from a bar with a different time sig, to a new bar in a new time sig)

I hope that helps mate..and makes sense!..as it usually works (sib Ultimate 2020.3) for me. as a side note...its got a lot better in this regard now compared to past versions.

I hope that helps mate.

Kindest Regards

Paul

I dont want to write music in a daw...then import that into a notation software and sort the score out...what id love is to be able to write music in a notation program that plays back like a daw..one piece of software that does both things really well.

Perhaps if VSL developed there software for Staffpad it would be a huge thing for me..and im sure others too..as inputting notation with a pen on an ipad..and have it play back with hardly any tweeking is a massive advance in software....Spitfire Audio and Orchestral Tools have developed there libraries for it...so perhaps VSL can add to it!

Anyway..stay safe in these crazy times.

With kindest Regards

Paul

I think it would be amazing if VSL developed there own notation program..and i for one would buy it in a heart beat!

I think what they have done with Sibelius is frankly wonderful...but looking at whats happening with software like Staffpad..i cant help think the market for a new system is ripe for the taking really.

Judging how quickly major software companies have developed versions of there software libraries to work on this ipad app.....to me anyway..has been a real eye opener...and hopefully a new era of software developers are pushing the bounderies of whats possible.

If VSL developed a notation system that just works with the sample players...lets you access every articulation that they have recorded for every instrument theve produced...just works with Mir Pro...either the VI stuff of Synchron...WOW....I'm in already!

Vienna Symphonic Scoring.

Please VSL.......PLEASE

Hoping that someday it will happen

With kindest regards

Paul

Hi Fabio

Thank you so much for taking the time to listen, it really means a lot to me.

Yes, the output is directly from Sibelius 2020.1, and currently I'm still learning to use Logic to get the best out of it the samples.

Once im happy with the result, i'll post a comparison here as most of my efforts are....frankly...rubbish!

Thanks again for you feedback, i really appreciate it mate

Kindest regards

Paul

Hi Everyone.

I must admit that I'm a bit nervous about uploading this tune, as the quality of the music that is posted here, and the knowledge of the community that lives on this forum is so good, I feel a bit daunted at uploading this!

I've been a life long music fan, having started on Clarinet as a kid, then moving onto the Classical Guitar, which I've played to a reasonable standard for about 25 years.

More recently, I've fallen in love with composition, and I'm currently having regular lessons and thought that as I only use VSL's libraries, I'd put up a link to soundcloud here.

I really hope you like it!

On Soudley Ponds

Thanks so much for listening

Kindest

Paul

Hi Marc.

This is great news, and something ive been really looking forwards to. Thanks so much for this software, its brilliant!

Do you know if you have plans to add Dimension Brass and Dimension Strings and the special editions 5-7 of the VI instruments as? as if these are added it would just be wonderful.

Kindest

Paul

Hi 

I think thats great!..i really enjoyed that mate and i thinks its amazing how good it sounds, you must have worked quite a while on that.

i loved the video...how did you do that!..really quite cool to see the notes played like that

Kindest Regards

Paul

I've had the same issue too now for a couple of months.

I've spoken at length with VSL regarding this, and have bought a new e licenser key from them just in case my old one (only about 18 months old) was faulty.

I tried everything to fix it, as it only effects VE Pro 7, neither VI Pro or the Synchron player appear to be effected with this bug.

it only started to happen once i updated my imac to Catalina.

All i do now is open logic (or Sibelius where i do almost everything) open an instance of any sample player i like (VI or Synchron) then close everything down, then start VE PRo and all is good to go.

Yes its a bit of a pain...but takes all of 10 seconds to sort so for me its not really an issue. I only contatced VSL as sometime it appears that my elicenser dongle has been wiped of every license...and i have a lot of VSL stuff..so that was a worry.

i hope you find a fix soon that works for you mate

Hi Paul

That makes sence really, as im just using your special editions i didnt realise that the other libraries had so many options in the mic channels!

I'll check out more Synchron stuff...as im really enjoying the special editions...the Dimension strings are wonderful.

Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and all the team at VSL

Kindest Regards

Paul

Hi Everyone.

This might be a stupid question, so i appologise now if it is!!

Is there a way to change the mixer settings of all my Synchron Player instruments within VE Prp 7 globally?

when i use VI Pro and Mirx, if i want to change the venue for every VI Pro instrument, that fuction can be synced, so what ever i do in one VI Pro instance changes every VI Pro instance in my Ensamble Pro template.

For the life of me i cannot work out how to do this in the Synchron Player. if i want to chenge the mixer setting, from Close, to Classic for example, currently i have to manually change that for each instrument.

Is there a way to do this globally? and if so....how do i do it!

Thanks so much in advance for any help you can give me

Kindest Regards

Paul

Hi Rangi

I've had this issue too, and it was a bit of a head scratcher to work out!

when i have this issue, its when ive started a new score with one instrument, then during the writting of the piece ive decided to change the instruments, so for example, i started the piece with Orchestral strings, but changed to Chamber strings as they better represented the sound i was after.

if this is the situation your in, try the following.

add a new stave in Sibelius with the violin 2 section of Dimension Strings ( this is the one you want to work properly)

double check your Ensamble setup, your playback configiration AND the Sibelius mixer to make sure that this NEW instrument is using the correct midi channel etc.

Write ANYTHING in the new instrument stave. (i just do a couple of bars with articulation changes so you can check its changing articulations as needed)

i select ONLY this stave by clicking it so it turns blue (this mutes everything else so you only hear that instrument.

i then play the score and check that everything is ok.

If it is, double click the non working violin 2 stave, so that the blue selector highlights the entire stave from start of the piece till the end

Then in the ribon, click 'home' then in the selection section, click 'System Passage'

you entire stave should now turn purple, now copy this purple selection and paste it into the new stave you created and tested earlier. (the system selection option will copy all your system text data, onto this new stave so you dont have to input it again)

now click this stave again until it turns blue, and play the score and check that the playback is working as expected.

if it is...BOOM...delete the old corrupted stave and everything is good to go.

If its not.....the bad news!....ive only ever been able to rectify this by either copying everything to a brand new score, or inputtin everything in by hand again into the new score as the copy/paste function didnt fix it...although thats only ever happened to me once! thank god!

i don't know what version your on, or what OS, but for me on Mac High Sierra and Sibelius Ultimate 2019.9 its a fix. Its not an issue with VSL as far as i can tell, rather a bug in Sibelius if you change instruments alot as your writing your piece

When you read this post you may think its a massive balls ache to do...but in reality its really rather quick and simpIe once you get your head round it! and I really hope this helps mate.

Kindest Regards

Paul

Originally Posted by: starrmark

When I place a trill sign over a note in Sibelius, the note does in fact playback with a trill, using VIPro, VEPro, Sibelius 2019, Special Edition instruments and Special Edition Plus Instruments,  However, quite often (but not always,) trills continue to play on the following notes--i.e., those notes with no trill signs as notated in Sibelius.

How do I stop the notes with no trill signs from playing back with trills after a note notated with a trill sign.  Shouldn't this be done automatically ?  

Hi Starrmark.

I've had this issue from time to time too, and its not just with VSL, as i have had it with noteperformer and some EWQL libraries i used to use.

What ive done to fix it is to zoom in on the note in question, click on it and drag the trill back very slightly. I know that sounds a silly fix...but it does work! (or at least it does for me on my version Ulitmate 2019-7)

I hope that helps mate..good luck

Kindest regards

Paul

Hi Mate

Thanks for the tip about updating the VI Pro version. I updated the synchron version with no problems, but for the life of me could not work out how to update the VI one!

Worked like a charm, thanks mate

Kindest regards

Paul

Hi Michael.

If your new to both notation packages, if it was my choice i'd stick with Sibelius and upgrade to Ultimate.

VSL have worked wonders in my opinion with there sound sets and there libraries, and everything works wonderfully well. So well in fact that i really dont use logic pro anymore, and do all my writing in Sibelius with VSL's libraries.

As far as i can tell, for every library VSL bring out, they also work on a sound set so it works in Sibelius (and they are currently working on a new one for the Special Editions 5, so if you've bought those they'll work as well)

I've toyed with changing to Dorico myself and have tried the demos availabe, but to me, its not as accomplished as Sibelius and as everything works with VSL i'm sticking firmly with Sibelius.

As a side note, as VSL works with Sibelius, so to do there other software, VE PRO7, VI PRO etc, so your mockups can sound exceptionally good, so you get the wonderful engraving of Sibelius, and the killer sounds of VSL...perfect really!

Sibelius ultimate has been updated a lot lately, so if your considering getting it, you may want to subscribe to it as i do, rather than purchase it...but that is of course completley up to you!

Good luck mate, 

Kindest regards

Paul

Hi.

I couldnt make my mind up as to which version to buy, so bought both!..and ive just started to play around with the VI Pro version in Logic.

WOW..i cannot belive how fantastic these sound! they are amazing!!

Are there any plans to have a Sibelius soundset for them in the near future?

Kindest Regards

Paul

Hi Mike.

I've just made a new score as per your instructions, and i cant get the dynamics to work either...that is odd!..(they don't work at all! with or without changing the vel.XF settings) and something i must admit i haven't noticed yet, as ive been working on implimenting the synchron libraies (where they seem to work fine...but i'll go back over every stave to check as some are large) with exisiting scores and as such, havent written anything new with those libraries yet.

I think i remember seeing a thread that referenced issues with the Vel XF, that Andi seemed to resolve, so perhaps the answer lies there (im sorry mate, i cant find the link but its not that old) and when i find it i'll post a link for you here and have a go at sorting out my playback config, but I must admit, that i like the VI Pro versions so much (they work so well with Mirx and if im honest, i prefere the sound of them too!) that ive only just recently started to work with the synchron versions (although i've had them almost since launch)

I'll post back here mate once i've had a chance to play about with it a bit more.

Kindest Regards

Paul

Hi Mike.

I have had quite a few issues with the new Synchronised SE libraries with Sibelius too, and have spent ages on some of them trying to get them to work as per my original VI Pro scores.

What i have found, is that sometimes, for what ever reason, things sort themselves out if you cut out the offending staves and copy them into new ones. 

I found that it was mostly strings that where causing the problem, and if i added the full version of a specific library to my playback configuration (for example, if i added the full Solo Strings and used the VE Strings sound set), then the Solo Strings work beautifully and fully as expected. However, if i then added the SE versions of Orchestral, Chamber and Appassionata to my config and for those libraries use the Special Edition Plus sound sets in my config, then i could have problems with Sibelius selecting the wrong instrument in the channel mixer. And dynamics and articulations could also get played incorrectly in this example too.

Like you, i've also had real trouble running the synchron version of my configutration in Sibelius without a load of pops and clicks and the CPU meters jumping of the scales, so its great to see that Andi and the guys have identified an issue with the Synchron Player that there working on a fix for.

I have to say that i can only imagine the work that's involved VSL's end to get there software to work with Sibelius, and i think that what they've achieved with the SE versions is superb, so i cant wait for the new sound set to come out with the Dimension strings special editions 5 so i can see if i prefer the VI Pro or Synchron versions...as i cant help feeling that my wallet is going to take a hammering!

Kindest Regards

Paul