Many thanks Paul. I'll consider both of those options, and perhaps report the outcome.

Jurgen

Hi folks,

I've been using VEpro 4 this past few years without feeling the need to upgrade but am transitioning to a new environment running a laptop using 10.13. Do i need to look at a newer version of VEPro 6 or can i use the download of VEPro 4 without issues to synch with my slave PC? 

Thanks,

Jurgen 

Hello Andi!

Indeed i've spent more time again today to see if i can spot the problem and can indeed confirm that the instruments in the score has (in this case) 10 violins + 1 ensemble which are respectively connected via the manual sound sets to 11 MIDI channels (1-11) in Vienna Ensemble. 

However i note that the Program Names in my score are listed as Dimension Violins Solo 1 ... Dimension VIolin Solo 10 with Sound IDs as follows: strings.violin.ensemble.dimension, strings.violin.ensemble.dimension.1... strings.violin.ensemble.dimension.10. Now I'm wondering if at some point i custom updated the VSL sound sets and have lost some level of customisation that previously enabled me to individuate 10 different sound IDs... 

What would the normal method be then of going about controlling 10 different dimension violins? Should i go back into the SoundSet Editor and add these again or is this likely to be overkill and I'm overlooking a better way. I certainly achieved this level of complexity in the past though do note that there are some solutions proposed in the Optimizing Playback that suggest a similar although perhaps less flexible approach using the a2 a2.2 etcs commands.

Thanks,

Jurgen  

{deleted} Still working on solving original dimension strings issue!

Hi folks,

I'm resurrecting some old Dimension Strings Sibelius scores and for some reason cannot get the individual instruments to play. The top line of my score has a stave dedicated to the Players 1-8 preset and then following on from that the individual solo instruments P1 P2 P3. I did get this to work in the past obviously but for some reason cannot figure out what is preventing the seperation. Was there some trick involved? I'm using the dimension.1  etc. sound ID of course. Perhaps someone can remind what i've forgotten to do?

Thanks,

Jurgen 

Hi Andi,

Again apologies for slow response. I've now about to go into rehearsals for an opera that I have composed extensively using the fabulous VSL library. The VSL support on this forum has been first class throughout in helping resolve questions. Many thanks for this!

I understand completely the issues surrounding the Soundset for Percussion. It is indeed a vast sound palette and I do think Sibelius is still rather limited in terms of the hit to processing speed when such large soundsets are involved. 

All the best!

Jurgen 

Hi Andi,

Yet again apologies for the slow response to your post... and thanks!

So regarding the ability to access the many different percussions sounds. I have indeed closely read the percussion document you refer to (indeed it is permanently open on my computer!). There is however only limited information regarding the different sounds... for example there is no mention in the document of how to access the dome articulation on the cymbals. Only tremolo and some of the beaters. Are these unavailable? If so can these be made available.

Similarly, are you suggesting that i need to manual make this transposion for the china cymbals... afterall I cannot seem to modify this via a control message from within Sibelius. Therefore i am stuck with whichever sound I have chosen in the instrument. It would be great to have a more flexible way fo access all these sounds from within Sibelius.

Overall I find the interaciton between Sibelius and VSL Percussion library to be the most disappointing of the many libraries I use. I really seem to be able to get so much out of the other libraries just using different technique commands but in contrast there is only a relatively small window of articulations that I can seem to access in the percussion library. Perhaps this is a limitiation on the side of Sibelius though it does stike that some of the interesting articulations are dispersed accross different percussion instruments rather than being integrated. It be wonderful to see this improved somewhat...

Many thanks,

Jurgen 

Hi folks,

Two questions here:

First off, while some of the percussion instruments (specifically gongs/cymbals) are given names that describe the size of the instrument in question in inches, some are blank. What are the sizes of the the following:

Tam-Tam A

Standard Cymbal A and B

China Gong

Second Question: There are some really nice sounds available in some of the patches. However I can't seem to access a few interesting ones at presend via Sibelius:

Any ideas as to how to expand the selection of China Gongs available. The Sibelius China Gong instrument option described in the PDF is limited to a single gong on one staff line only although the patch itself offers many more different sized instruments. 

Any ideas as to how to avail of some of the hits in the cymbals from the Sibelius notation.

Thanks!

Juergen  

Hi Andi,

Hope you don't mind if I just query another Sibelius triggering issue I think I may be experiencing. I seem to have no problem triggering the sul tasto detache articulation in the Solo String Viola section. Method: insert technique sul tasto and then insert technique detache. However in the Solo Violin I don't seem to be getting the same response. I do think I've tested this repeatedly now to think that something else may be at play... Perhaps you wouldn't mind having a look at this for me?

Thanks!

Juergen 

Apologies for late response. Just to say thanks... I hadn't spotted that excellent facility. A real time saver!

Best,

Juergen 

Brilliant... Hadn't spotted those methods!

Thanks Andi,

I actually did a fresh install quite recently but just before the February release of the 5.4 / 2.4 software release. I will update. 

A quick question while I am writing... For some reason I find myself using Vienna Instruments non-pro version in templates and then I wish to switch around the instrument to the PRO version. However when I do this and then reboot Sibelius i seem unable to ensure that the PRO version is retained. Is there a specfic force save function I can use. Saving Playback Configuration seems inconsistent and sometimes the only way I can save is to add a new instrument into the VEP and then erase it again. Is there a better way?

Thanks!

Juergen 

Hi,

I'm experiencing something with the Woodblock instrument from the Full Percussion Library that seems both deliberate but strange. There are 5 Blocks with Block 1 mapped between C2-A#2. The Percussion manual PDF makes no mention of these serving any different purpose other than each Block obviously triggering a different pitched Woodblock. 

However Block #1's C2 (in any Beater) exhibits a strange feature. When I trigger C2 and hold the note until the sample stops sounding (i.e. the Voices display returns to 0) and send the note-off command behaviour is normal. When I lift BEFORE the Voices display returns to 0 I trigger a second Woodblock sample. This behaviour does not seem consistent with the other Block #2- #5 and causes obvious problems when triggering from Sibelius. I can imagine this behaviour might make sense if one wanted a way of triggering the Blocks very quickly but given the inconsitency I suspect that this is an anomoly. 

Any thoughts most welcome...

Thanks!

Juergen 

It should be an easy render. Vienna Instruments Pro would significanly add to the qualtiy by using the timing and tuning algrothms. Also more detailed articulations such as moving from non vib. to vib. in performative ways will help a lot. If you want realism you need to add in more dynamic markings even if these are not to appear in the finsihed score. Bottom line... imagine you are a performer and interpret the score and its existing markings.

Hi Andi,

You are correct. I was seeing the same issue just with the addition of the portamento text. I had failed to see that the passage was in vib. mode and therefore the slur was silencing the player.

Regards,

Juergen 

Hi Andi,

Further to the original post... the same behaviour may be found by combining the text portamento with a slur; i.e. slurred notes remain silent. I think the soloution for both instances is of course the same.

Best,

Juergen 

Just bumping this request for information... Any insight regarding a fast way to apply humanize settings to numerous matrix positions at the same time would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Juergen

Hi Andi,

Just noticing another behaviour which may need addressing. When the text command "legato" is entered into a Solo String Staff (for instance using the Solo Cello), and this is followed by the standard implementation of harmonics (circle above note) this triggers the natural harmonics NOT the artificial harmonics. Actually this behaviour is quite handy as now I can trigger natural harmonics, something that I could not see how to do from the manual before. 

Perhaps you could let me know if there is an "official" way to trigger the bottom right matrix position (natural harmonics) in Cello BAsic L2? At present I need to disable the legato function using ord. or similar.

Thanks,

Juergen 

Changing the Sound ID as suggested works! Thanks. 

Are there any other changes implemented in 7 which might affect a stubborn advocate of Sibelius 7?

Ear trusting in progress...

Juergen 

Good stuff. What instruments are you using?

Hi,

Might I just ask a follow up question regarding the use of these shortcuts. I am at present using the Sibelius Presets with VIPro. These presets do not appear to have any humanize functionality and I would like to add the settings that are included in the VIPRO Presets (these seem to be basically a combination of Finding Tune Slow and Normal based on the articulation in quesiton as far as I can see). However adding these to each patch is quite laborious. Is there are quick way using the shortcut described in this forum thread? Ideally there should be a way to select a range of presets and apply the humanize function to these globally. 

Many thanks,

Jurgen 

Hi Andi,

Thanks for the numerous insights.

I think I managed to find the problem with the rimshot. There are three Snare Drums in my library! I had chosen the wrong one. However they were all labeled snare drum and only by looking at the Sound ID designation within the House Settings Drum Mapping and cross referencing the required Sound ID in SSE was I able to decipher my error... So, many thanks with the pointers.

Would it be difficult to enable roll on all the tams? It seems a very common articulation and though A can provide the mapping in Sibelius at present A is a rather large version not well suited to the smaller ensemble sound. Any chance of a remap to accomodate this?

An issue I'm experiencing also: I'm not getting a response to the command portato or the tenuto articuation marking on the keypad for my woodwinds. I want to trigger the Portato Short/Rep Portato articulations which are of course all located at X axis C#1. The manual indicates both the Staff Text marking portato and the tenuto symbol will trigger these. I see the correct Sound ID in the Playback Dictionary for both triggering +portato but looking at the SSE Editor for Wind High (i.e. Flute) I do not see any entry for +portato. Therefore perhaps I have something misloaded or this articulation entry is not loaded into the Woodwind.xml Soundset.

One other question based on the Expression fader. As you mentioned my problem regarding both expression and Vel X-Fade have been solved by your suggestion to load the proper presets... (I had for some reason loaded an earlier customised version thereof). Should these be left at 100 or at 127. I want to ensure that the balance of instruments is fully controlled via the MIRx Natural Volume (which btw is an absoloutly wonderful facilty that takes almost ALL the worry about orchestrational mixing decisions). I DO find that the brass is a little weak though compared to say the solo strings... but perhaps this is correct. At any rate the fff in the trumpet should in my opinion obliterate the sound of a violin... I find it does not though.

Many thanks Andi... 

Juergen

THanks for the reply Andi.

I'm not sure what you mean about not using a percussion staff. Inserted the snare drum using the add instrument command and choosing "unpitched percussion/Snare Drum (though there are three in my library... two both called snare drum and a third called snare drum five lines)". I am using one of the single line ones. This is of course a percussion staff right?

Two additional questions... one directly related: When using Tam Series B I choose the Sibelius preset TAM Series A+B L2 for my Vienna Instruemt. I want to use Series B 85". However when I insert the command roll or trem I do not hear any results. I do notice howeve that the matrix chooses the unoccupied note C6 for the roll. This note IS used by Series A only however and not B. In the Percussion Sound Set PDF there does not appear to be any exception made about any of the Tam-tams availing of the roll command... it appear to be universally available. However perhaps this is an error and whilst the roll should be available to all, the Series B patches can't avail of this assignment.

Also... should vienna instruments be responding to BOTH velocity crossfade AND Expression for instruments like the woodwind? When I enter PPP or PP for the flute for example my volumes are almost inaudible. I think my strings do not respond to the expression CC whilst most other instruments DO (in addition to Vel X-Fade)

Thanks,

Juergen 

Hi Andi,

Quick question:

(THough first off - I finally had some time to sort things out. I think that one of the issues is that there were quite a few choice in the Soundset choices and perhaps I had chosen an instrument which whilst named say "Cymbals", was not indeed the VSL version of that soundset. Not really sure but eventually it started functioning as required.)

The question is: for snare B (the one with the Brushes), the optimizing playback percussion manual states that in order to trigger the rim shot, BOTH the word rim AND the word 1 are required. IS there an order to this? Do I need to enter these in a specfic manner? I can't seem to get these to trigger at present anyway...

Thanks!

Hi,

I'm experiencing an issue which occurs only when a passage using the Solo Strings (let's say solo violin) includes BOTH the vib. indication and a slur. I'm aware that there is no non vib. legato in the solo strings. However in a score where I do indicate vib. in a passage with a slur the matrix now moves to A6 (which in the default Sibelius Preset is of course blank. Should I just copy the legato patch to A6 or is this a genuine oversight in the programming? I don't experience similar behaviour when vib. is marked in a passage that includes legato/slur markings.

I am using Sibelius 6.2 and the latest Sound ID patch 1.0.67.

Thanks.

Juergen