Slow String Attack ???

[DrH]

Can anyone tell me how to get a slow initial string attack sound (like the one any good violin player can do, almost "whispering" into the pitch), *without* having to use the modwheel in real time (i.e., through midi)?

Thnx!
DrH

[billp]

Can anyone tell me how to get a slow initial string attack sound (like the one any good violin player can do, almost "whispering" into the pitch), *without* having to use the modwheel in real time (i.e., through midi)?
DrH
This is a combination of velocity, which controls the initial attack portion of the curve, and CC01, which controls expression/timbre/volume.

A low velocity, with a gradual CC01 ramp-up, will do this. You don't say what sequencer you're using, but with SONAR, at least, you can easily draw a controller curve like this (http://www.broadviewnet.net/wylbur/ViolinCC01Curve.JPG) and can set the velocity to whatever value sounds good to you, but probably something low, like 20 or so.

What sequencer are you using?

[DrH]

This is a combination of velocity, which controls the initial attack portion of the curve, and CC01, which controls expression/timbre/volume.

A low velocity, with a gradual CC01 ramp-up, will do this. You don't say what sequencer you're using, but with SONAR, at least, you can easily draw a controller curve like this (http://www.broadviewnet.net/wylbur/ViolinCC01Curve.JPG) and can set the velocity to whatever value sounds good to you, but probably something low, like 20 or so.

What sequencer are you using?

I'd like to be able to achieve it in Finale (Win 2005) as automatically as possible. I've found, though, that a lower velocity tends to shorten the actual length of the note (e.g., a half note winds up playing more like a quarter note, or less). Is that normal? Am I doing something wrong?

Thnx for your help!
DrH

[billp]

I'd like to be able to achieve it in Finale
I don't have Finale, so I can't do any experiments in that context. The velocity "should" only affect the attack portion of the voice. The sustain should last until the "note off" event. I tried several combinations of this on my system (SONAR) and the attack and note duration was consistent with this. Even with a velocity of 5, I got a fully sustained whole note...

Maybe Tom Hopkins will see this post and give you more insight.

[Tom Hopkins]

DrH,

Bill is correct. Velocity only affects the attack portion of the note. Note length is determined by the position of the MIDI note "off" data but can be adjusted (within limits) by the cc21 "length" control, for those instruments that have it available. I do not have Finale here to test but velocity works properly on all the software I do have. Off hand I can't think of anything that Finale could be doing (automatically) that would make velocity affect note length. Puzzling.

Tom

[Jeff Turner]

If you're using Finale 2005, human playback will do this easily for you. Give your note a dynamic like "pppp". Put a hairpin cresc. in, and put a destination dynamic where you want the loudest volume. Make sure that "use Hairpin cresc." is checked, also make sure that optimized for GPO is checked.

The only way I could think of velocity changing the duration in Finale, is perhaps you might have used an accent which inadvertantly had a playback function of changing the note duration by 50%. This seems unlikely, but it's a possibility.

Jeff