Note only lasts about 7 seconds

[rickevertsz]

Hi,

I've had Stradivari 2 sitting in its box for a while now, but just started using it today. Seems good so far, except that notes will only play for about 7 seconds. Is this normal? When I release a key after 7 seconds, the note-off registers and I hear a snippet of the note.

In the little display (with a 2-quaver icon, next to the MasterKontrol button), I see the following:

Hit key: 5 is displayed briefly, followed by 4.
Continuing holding note: 4 continues to be displayed.
After about 7 secs, the note stops and the display is: 0.
Release key: 1 is displayed briefly, I hear the note again, followed by 0 being displayed.

If I sustain the note with the sustain pedal, I get the same behaviour although I don't hear anything after I release the sustain pedal (after the note has finished sounding).

This behaviour only occurs with Stradivari (e.g. Absynth will sustain indefinitely), thus, I don't suspect my equipment. It occurs whether I run it standalone or as an AU plugin.

How does it work for the rest of you? I was expecting notes to sustain indefinitely.

-Rick

[spitfire31]

Well, Absynth is a synthesizer, so there's no problem sustaining notes ad infinitum.

The Strad is an emulation of a physical instrument, using unlooped samples. I imagine, not being a violinist, that around 7 seconds is about the longest note you can squeeze out of a single stroke of the bow.

If you need to sustain a note longer, you'll have to make a stroke direction change, from up to down or down to up, whatever the case may be. You can do that using the sustain pedal (it's in the manual). The reason it's not automatic is, of course, that the sound of the stroke change should make some sense rhythmically, and so it's left to your creativity.;)

/Joey

[rickevertsz]

... You can do that using the sustain pedal (it's in the manual). The reason it's not automatic is, of course, that the sound of the stroke change should make some sense rhythmically, and so it's left to your creativity.;)

Alas, although I read the manual assiduously a couple of weeks ago when I received SSV2, apparently I didn't remember much when it came to trying out the software today :) I've had another skim...

It's still not clear to me how to get a long single note without that strong bow change attack. I can just about get it by rapidly pumping the expression pedal just before I re-trigger the note with the sustain pedal down. Maybe it just takes practice. Having said that, it's trivial to run up and down the keys without hearing the attack (by playing legato). I wonder if there's an easy way to do the same thing with a single note?

-Rick

[spitfire31]

Again, since I don't think it's possible for a real violinist to make an inaudible bow change – after all, the bow has to come to a complete stop and then go in the other direction – I wouldn't worry about the slight attack sound. That is, if your aim is to simulate a real performance.

If you need a longer, sustained tone (i.e. not fully realistic performance), I think a well-programmed string synthesizer patch would be your best bet.

/Joey

[rickevertsz]

Again, since I don't think it's possible for a real violinist to make an inaudible bow change – after all, the bow has to come to a complete stop and then go in the other direction – I wouldn't worry about the slight attack sound. That is, if your aim is to simulate a real performance.

If you need a longer, sustained tone (i.e. not fully realistic performance), I think a well-programmed string synthesizer patch would be your best bet.

I doubt I'll need it, I was just curious. I learned a bit of violin about 20 years ago; didn't get very far but I remember that there were exercises for developing a near imperceptible bow change.

Thanks for your help on this one, Joey. Now I can get back to learning how to play this intriguing software instrument and then using it in my music.

-Rick

[spitfire31]

No problem. Good luck! It's more than a software instrument,it's an addiction...

/Joey

[dermod]

Imperceptible bow changes are common currency of violin technique. They can be achieved, usually with vibrato assistance and subtle adjustments of bow pressure, by changing bow at the low point in a sound oscillation. I imagine looped notes in sound samples are achieved using the same principle. Sustained notes of considerably longer than 7 seconds occur as early as in the sonatas of JS Bach. If the strad sampling process cannot achieve this, then it is a lapse which should be corrected. Not least because the solo violins in GPO have no difficulty looping in this way.

[Eric von Bayer]

Based on what I read in the manual I suspect that it is a design choice. There is mention of using the expression pedal (dip right as you play the note) and sustain to re-bow a note softly. It is not trivial I'll admit, but in making it a simulation of an instrument it makes sense (though I wish the attack was somewhat controlled by the velocity too.)

Making loops is plenty easy in this day and age (though it still does take effort), the software does a lot of the work of finding the right point and blending a little audio to make it flow. From a purist perspective the use of loops is non-realistic, but it is expedient in many cases. I would be very surprised if this methodology (that Gary used) is an afterthought.

[Nickie Fønshauge]

Based on what I read in the manual I suspect that it is a design choice. There is mention of using the expression pedal (dip right as you play the note) and sustain to re-bow a note softly. It is not trivial I'll admit, but in making it a simulation of an instrument it makes sense (though I wish the attack was somewhat controlled by the velocity too.)
If you extend the first note - in a Piano Roll editor - to overlap the second, and thereby trigger legato, you can get a much smoother bow change.

[Bosco Adama]

If you extend the first note - in a Piano Roll editor - to overlap the second, and thereby trigger legato, you can get a much smoother bow change.

Extending the first note to overlap the second note of the same pitch stops playing both notes of the Strad for me. :confused: This would be difficult to play live.
I also wish there was more control over the attack and an smoother way to extend the duration via bow change.

[Nickie Fønshauge]

Extending the first note to overlap the second note of the same pitch stops playing both notes of the Strad for me. :confused:
I admit I never tried it with version 2, only v1.07. I realize now, that the effect was due to a performance script. Sorry about the confusion.