Crescendo with drum sounds

[invisible1968]

Hallo! I ve got a question to the interpretation of Vienna Intruments Pro of Sibelius symbols: I m using a Vienna Ensemble 4.1 instance with all existing Drum, percussion and Cymbal Libraries I ve gotten with my old Special Edition included. first question: Is there a way to switch between the different VI-Sub-Instances without changing the Instrument? (what already works great!) what i mean: i design an intrument e.g.: i like to have a continuing scrubbing noise and find sth similar sounding effekt in the cymbal fraction. but i m actually using a small drum. so i add a new notehead to the small drum and assign the cymbal sound. the result are two different sound sets in one instrument. but VE does not change to the right channel with Cymbal. it keeps being in the drum channel. Is there a way to make VE listing to the notehead-change? or is it essential to change the whole instrument to change the channel in VE? ||||| second question (more important): Normally VI is interpretating a crescendo hair pin and raise or lower the volume. But that doesnt work with drum samples or e.g. the prepared piano. in most percussive cases that makes sense. beat and sound ends. but for rolling, on going sounds it does not work automatically. You have to force VI by the old way: adding volume/expression-Midi-data into the score. But, is there a way to convience VI to interpret hair pins as for normal tonal instruments (violin etc)? That would be great... ||||| Thanks already for reading to this point!

[andi]

Hello invisible1968!

As you have already assumed, you will need a Sibelius instrument change in order to change from one Percussion instrument to another. I think it would be possible though to create your own Sibelius custom instrument, where you define all Sound IDs for different noteheads yourself and therefore create channel changes without having an instrument change. For more details about creating custom instruments, please refer to the Sibelius Reference.

In order to get MIDI CC11 crescendi/diminuendi for Drum sound Velocity X-Fades to your score, you can use the Sibelius Cresc./Dim Playback plugin.

Best regards,
Andi

[invisible1968]

Hallo Andi! thanks for your reply!! just one question again: is there a way to say vienna instruments, loaded with a drum set, that it should read Sibelius lines and signs as for a "normal" instrument (flute, violin etc.), so that it reads crescendo/dim. automatically, just getting louder or quieter (using the startet sample) without using the plugin?

[andi]

It is possible to use hairpins without any plugin. This will not make a dynamic change within one note, but every note that gets triggered anew will be triggered with gradually more (or less) velocity. For percussion this will only work with Velocity X-Fade turned off.

For crescendi and diminuendi under one note, you can either use the plugin as described or you enter the CC11 values manually with MIDI commands, which I personally wouldn't do.

Best,
Andi

[invisible1968]

thanks Andi! sorry that i dont give up, but i like to understand completely: why crescendi and diminuendi hairpins dont work with drum samples automatically (without any Plugin or modification!) as with other instruments as brass and strings? there i put a hairpin and its getting louder. voila. why not with drums and cymbals? I know that there are special samples for Crescendo, but i want get an effect in rhythm and continously and not what is pre-given as in these samples. (one holding note getting loader, keeping loudness and getting quieter again until disappearing)

[andi]

The sound set was designed that way on purpose. Velocity X-Fade doesn't make much sense with percussive sounds - with the exception of rolls. But also some of the rolls don't blend too well with Velocity X-Fade. That's why we recorded dynamic rolls. With the Time Stretching tool of Vienna Instruments Pro one can make the length of these dynamic rolls fit better.

Best,
Andi

[invisible1968]

I dont understand why this doesnt make sense. When i m using CC11 e.g. to control Velocity manually (over the dynamic plug in of Sibelius - adding control change into the score) then it sounds very acceptable. So it completely shows that it make sense (not more or less than other x-velocity processes with tonal instruments. So, is there really no way to let VI interpretate (de)cresc.hairpins for all continous drum sounds either (like e.g. scratching) already without this REALLY ANNOYING and impossible and in my eyes useless (because VI shows that it can do it!!!) step, putting invisible junk data to the score?? or if not yet, could you please pass this urgent wish to somebody who can change this????