some thoughts...and doubts

[cohortes]

Hello, Although I own and use VEP 5, my main software interface is Ableton Live 8 (I load VEP 5 in it as well) as it has additional things I need not found in VEP5. Sibelius 7.1.2 speaks to this configuration via IAC drivers (far better results here, than loading all the virtual instruments directly in Sibelius). But I am not doing any midi scoring in Ableton, all the classical scoring process is done with Sibelius. Randomly when I use a trill – last time in oboe, but happened with other instruments as well – the trill patch is “stacked” for the rest of the piece, regardless to any articulation changes, the instrument is going to play trills. Finally I figured out that putting “auto” in Sibelius mixer helps (just in case, if somebody is about a loosing a day figuring out this “unknown pleasure”). Sometimes – never figured out why – when the velocity x-fade is on, the dynamics are stacked and always played on the loudest level (fff) regardless the dynamic mark written in the score, or the softest key pressure on the midi keyboard. Putting on “auto” in the Sibelius mixer (sometimes it helps for stacked things) doesn’t help at all. Any ideas? In the performance tab, whenever I activate velocity x-fade control that is mapped to CC11 (as recommended for the more realistic performance) very curios things happens all the time: e.g. flute, oboe and clarinet plays together - all configured with a very same values – let’s say a held note in pp dynamics and there is a diminuendo line assigned to them; the expression fader for flute and oboe starts from 60, and the clarinet value from 20. The result is that the clarinet is inaudible in this combination. These kinds of variations are endless with other instruments as well. With the x-fade control deactivated things are sometimes a bit better, but not much (sometimes not at all). Reprogramming all the time the things that are already have been done, for achieving an acceptable and well-balanced dynamics, eats up the most time of my compositional work. And the worst of all, every day when I listen to what was done the day before, there are always “some good news” and the piece never sounds the same (the very same piano dynamic /p/ one day is really loud, another extremely soft; articulations often stacked, etc.). May be these problems are originally “integrated in Sibelius” (I loose immediately all my hair whenever I have to open and manipulate its awful and awkward mixer – what a horror) I don’t know. I’ll give a try to VSL instruments in Cubase, or even Finale (as I heard, its behaviour is even worst) before I give up using VSL instruments definitely, in a deep hope that something more reliable will soon see the lights of the day. All in all, with a substantial experience of working with orchestras (as a performer, composer and sometimes conductor) and a more than a fifteen years of midi and audio programming and engineering, sadly I have to conclude that all this – despite the bombastic announcements and golden promises – is far from realistic and reliable. (for any case my configuration is: iMac, i5 16gb 27inch osx 10.7.4/ macbook pro, i5, 8gb, osx 10.6.8 //softs: Sibelius 7.1.2, Finale 2011, NI Komplete 7, VEP 5.0.10370, VSE1/2, Spec Keyboards, Harp and some downloaded libraries, Max/MSP 6, EWQL Gold, Ableton Live 8, Cubase 6.5, few Wave plugs - all in 64bit + a PC with Samplitude ProX)

[andi]

Hello Cohortes!

I'm sorry to read about your problems. Please let me assure you that working with Sibelius and VE (Pro) is indeed possible as explained in our tutorial video and manual without facing the problems you have described.

Here are some thoughts.

Additionally to assigning CC11 to the Velocity X-Fader, it is recommended to assign another CC than CC11 (or none) to the Expression fader in order to avoid double dynamics. If you have played your score with CC11 assigned to Expression previously, you will have to reset the Expression fader to a reasonable value (like 100) or you will have big differences in the volume of your instruments.

I also recommended using the Vienna Symphonic Library House Style for Sibelius as it has optimized dynamic values for the playback with our collections.

If one instrument starts a diminuendo with a higher dynamic value than another, it may be necessary to add a dynamic mark with the level you want to start the diminuendo with.

Please remember to always save your Sibelius Playback Configuration after you have made settings in Vienna Ensemble Pro. Sibelius doesn't save these changes with the score but only with the Playback Configuration. Maybe that's the reason why you get different results when reopening your score.

Apart from making some level adjustments, I would leave the Sibelius mixer alone. Don't play around with channel assignments, Sound IDs or Output ports and all should be well. Once you play around with these settings, problems will arise. As you have found out yourself, if you reset all outputs to (Auto), the channel assignments should work again.

Best regards,
Andi