velocity handling with VSL instruments

[Wolf.Hirlinger_2657]

I find it very hard to handle the velocity with VSL instruments (I own the special edition "SE"). When I want a crescendo or diminuendo (which happens very often in classical music), then the volume does not change much until the velocity value reaches the splitting point (around 56, 108). Then suddenly the sound and the volume does a remarkable “jump”. I tried to set a Beethoven sonata piece with solo violin and imperial (piano) of SE. These “jumps” make it impossible to create a natural and acceptable sound. Maybe I make a mistake or don’t understand something correctly. Before VSL I used the sounds of good ROM synthesizers, where the velocity is combined with filters and hereby I got a good response to the velocity values. In my opinion - but I am not a specialist - the sound and volume should smoothly blend (cross fade) from one sample to another with different velocity. Is this the meaning of the velocity crossfade in the Vienna instruments software? But it does not work together with the Imperial piano (3 velocity values in SE). I think I need advice or help by experienced VSL users. Thank you so much in advance
Wolf-Peter             

[DG]

You should do some experimenting with Velocity xFade. Your problem is exactly what it's designed to help with.

By its very nature a piano would not use xFade, so you should switch it off for this instrument.

DG

[Wolf.Hirlinger_2657]

thanks for your reply. As a piano player I already thought and understood, that vel.xfade does not make sense for this instrument. But only 3 velocity layers also make it impossible to create natural sounding piano pieces. One the other hand to buy the full imperial is extraordinary expensive. When I started in 2003 with Gigastudio there was the "Gigapiano" included and this one did not have such limitations like the imperial in Vienna the Special edition [:(]    and the sound was quiet good anyway.

[Paul]

Hi Wolf,

The Special Edition is mainly an orchestral library, and the included piano is quite OK when used in an orchestral context, in my eyes. Of course it cannot be compared to the Vienna Imperial, that even received a dedicated GUI and many additional features...

The step inbetween is the Bösendorfer Imperial, btw.

Best,

Paul

[Wolf.Hirlinger_2657]

Oh, thanks Paul, this makes much sense to work with the Bösendorfer Imperial as a step "inbetween".

best greetings

Wolf-Peter

[Beat Kaufmann]

Hello Wolf-Peter

A further information about dynamic with VI and the midi-velocity:

You are able to adjust the dynamic: "How strong should the volume of the sample follow the velocity-level of the midi-signal"

Here is a Link.

Further: DG recommended to collect some experiences with "X-Fade". I'm supporting this advice as well.

Please listen to the Bach's "Air" on this site (Player within the sidebar).

It is an example which used the X-Fade of the VI for creating the whole dynamics.

Best samples for using the X-Fade are those which contain 4 Layers and more (often you get it with Sustain articulations).

You get nicer sounds than with samples containing only two layers.

It is because of the smaller differences of the sound between the layers whyle changing from one to the next layer.

I wish you a lot of success

Beat Kaufmann

[Wolf.Hirlinger_2657]

Hello Beat,

I thank you very much for your links and "tips and tricks". It will help a lot. I admire your classical arrangements since a long time already, because it is quiet obvious that you try to bring a real strong  feeling (Gefühl)  into this sample music and this makes the difference. Now I see (your links) that you also have produced tutorials for the handling of the vienna player- this is a very important and necessary work which you do here.

So thanks a lot again

with my best regards

Wolf-Peter

[Beat Kaufmann]

Hi Wolf-Peter

Thanks for your kind words. [:$]

Beat