Hello Andi,

I seem to have some improvement with a new configuration and the standard soundset, but it has not solved all the problems. I have a bar where despite typing nat., non stacc, legato, or the MIDI note-off message, and espite slurs on the next group of notes, several instrument lines will not quit staccato. They are also strangely low in volume compared to the other lines despite having the same dynamic markings. That would normally make me suspect a MIDI channel conflict but I have checked them and they are okay. I can't send any email at present as I am not at home, so I can't send a copy of the score - but I will on Friday.

Your reference to the naming of the double bass ensemble I'm afraid raises another question, though this one you will know.

I created a playback configuration using one instance of Ensemble for a string orchestra score in which there is much divisi. To get the divisi lines to sound different to each other I loaded the following matrices:

Solo violin / Orch strings / Chamber strings / Orch strings / Chamber strings / Orch Viola / Chamber Viola / Solo cello / Chamber cellos / Orch cellos / Orch basses

This is meant to play solo violin, violin I (div.), violin II (div.) viola (div.) solo cello, cello (div.) and double bass. 11 staves of music. 11 MIDI channels. What do you think of this procedure - sensible? I like the contrast of the orchestral strings to the chamber and having the chamber as the lower div. line when it is based on fewer players is good. The chamber cellos also have slightly more penetration when used in the cellos upper range (or so it struck me) - that's why I changed the orch cellos to the lower of the two cello lines.

In each case I loaded standard / extended samples not Plus. Originally I was using the Plus soundset to playback this config. That was when I hit the failed switching problem we have been discussing. If I use the standard soundset the chamber strings do not appear on the list in Sibelius and the orchestral strings are named 'ensemble' - but actually they are the Orchestral strings, not the chamber ones, right ? This is a confusing change of name? So if I use the standard soundset I can't use the chamber strings - I thought they were standard extended, not Plus. Does this mean the standard soundset doesn't cover the extended instruments?

Thanks for your help,

Rikky

Hi muziv!

I don't know what you mean with no results. Do you see Vienna Ensemble in the list of virtual instruments? When you activate Vienna Ensemble, is it possible to choose VE Special Edition as your sound set?

If not, please copy the sound set(s) to the following folder (as stated in the readme file),
Windows XP: Documents and Settings\your username\Application Data\Sibelius Software\Sibelius 5\Sounds
Windows Vista: Users\your username\AppData\Roaming\Sibelius Software\Sibelius 5\Sounds
Mac OS X: Users/your username/Library/Application Support/Sibelius Software/Sibelius 5/Sounds

You may have to create the "Sounds" folder if it’s not there. (Don't copy it straight to the Sibelius 5 folder as you have written).

Best,
Andi

Hi Rikky!

The Special Edition sound set covers the standard and extended instruments (including the chamber strings).
For Sibelius it isn't important if the string ensemble is in fact an orchestral or a chamber string sound. In both cases the program violin (or viola, cello, doublebass) ensemble will be the one to choose. Just be careful that you load the right matrices in Vienna Ensemble and get the channels right.

Be careful with the Solo Strings. In order to to get the Sound IDs right, Sibelius needs to have the Solo Violin (Solo Viola, ...) staff. Violin 1 or Violin I is for String ensembles and will lead to Sound ID confusion with Solo Strings and therefore wrong or not happening articulation changes.

Best,

Andi

Hi muziv!

Sorry, you are still having troubles. You definitely have got something wrong. This is not the way it is supposed to work. Articulations should change automatically. Unfortunately you didn't answer my questions, so it is a bit hard for me to help you. Did you manage to load the VE Special Edition sound set or not? Have you set the programs and channels on the Manaul Sound Sets tab?

I recommend working through the Sibelius 5.2 and Vienna Ensemble setup guide once again.

Best,
Andi

Did you set a program and MIDI channel in Manual Sound Sets for every staff in your score? If not, Sibelius will send some instruments on channels of other instruments.

Also be careful to select the right instruments in Sibelius. For example choosing a clarinet from the Sibelius instruments and then renaming it to Bassoon would lead to wrong Sound IDs. By the way. You can check (and change) the Sound IDs of the instruments in the Sibelius mixer (3rd line of each channel).

Do articulation changes work now or is that also still unresolved?

Andi

Andi,

Do you mind if I comment on Musiv's problem setting up instruments?

It's just that something which happened to me when I was first trying out the VSL / Ensemble might be worth checking. It may be helpful to all beginners.

I got into terrible confusion loading samples into Ensemble because I forgot to click on Instrument each time before loading. This was because when you click on Instrument 1 and then matrix select, on the left hand side of the interface one sees a vertical set of slots, the first marked 'C0'. I clicked on a matrix from the right hand list and it loaded correctly on the left top slot. But I forgot to click on Instrument 2 - I just clicked on the next matrix - for a different instrument sample and saw that appear in the next slot down. Of course I had just loaded two different instruments into Instrument 1! Actually I wasn't consistent in this, so I did load other samples correctly - but through not understanding the process I did keep making mistakes which messed up playback. To the beginner it is easy to assume that the lefthand slots is a single instance, when in fact there is a different row of slots for each Instrument in the far left list. I hope this is clear to anyone who is just beginning. Perhaps this isn't the problem for musiv - but I thought I should mention it.

The video goes quite fast, so it is easy to miss the click on the left hand instruments.

Another thing which might confuse beginners is that loading a sample does not automatically change 'Instrument 1' on the far left to the name of the instrument loaded - you have to type it in yourself. Then it will appear at the top of each channel in the mixer.

Rikky

I strongly recommend updating to Sibelius 5.2.5. Some playback issues have been solved in this version and it is free for Sibelius 5 users. It will also be easier to use.

In Sibelius 5.1 it is important that you number instruments which are used more than once in a score (for example Violins 2 should get the Sound ID with the ".2" added).

Andi

When you open Sibelius 5.1 scores with Sibelius 5.2.5 or Sibelius 5.2, please reassign the sound set and programs on the Manual Sound Sets page. Some program names and Sound IDs have changed.

Btw: I hope you update to the "good version" Sibelius 5.2.5 and not just Sibelius 5.2.

Andi

If you want to you can send me your score and Playback Configuration (xml file and folder with the same name) and I will take a look at it.

Andi (a.olszewski@vsl.co.at)

Hi,

A little while ago I did have the same problems with the chamber strings.

Sam, from Sibelius, came up with the following solution.

I quote:

...

"If you use the built in Vienna Ensemble sound set in Sibelius 5.2.5 then you won’t have use the .n players extra sound IDs in the score. This is what I had to do to get the score playing correctly:

Go to Play, Playback Devices and click the Manual Sound Set tab

Choose the Vienna Ensemble device and change the sound set to ‘VSL Ensemble Special Edition’

Go through the Sound Settings for each of the string sounds i.e.

--

Channel: 1

Change Violin chamber ensemble to Violin ensemble

Click Apply

--

Repeat this for each of the strings and you’ll find the sound IDs they are using don’t have a number of players on the end.

I don’t think you need to change anything for the other Vienna Ensemble devices as you say everything is OK with them.

Save the Playback Configuration and click Close.

Once in the score open the mixer

Ctrl+Click on the on of the Devices and choose Auto.

Ctrl+Click on the sound and also choose Auto.

This will mean Sibelius resets the sounds used for each of the staves."

Yesterday I had the same problem with an old score.

Applying the above did do the trick again.

I'm sure this will help.

Michel

 Hey so i figured out my problem. The sibelius default score type for string quartet uses Violin I and Violin II  instead of Solo Violin,Solo Violin. I copied the lines into 2 Solo Violin parts and it works great.

Still am wondering about keyswitching midi data... as per last post.

Hi lonkaiser!

When you export a MIDI file with Sibelius, you can can choose a sound set on which this MIDI file will be based. This way keyswitches and control changes will also be included in the MIDI file.

Best wishes,
Andi