Some dynamics in MS 4.5.2 are nonfunctional

• Apr 29, 2025 - 08:55

The second line of this score doesn't respond to dynamics. Can anyone tell why that is?

https://musescore.com/user/35880724/scores/24974236


Comments

In reply to by cadiz1

@Cadiz1 wrote > This score or excerpt comes from some user on MuseScore.com. Export it in MusicXM format, and the dynamics will return as expected

Actually the provenance of the score is:

   • A piece I originally learned by ear
   • Recorded it in real-time into a sequencer (approx. 30 years ago)
   • Exported to MIDI
   • Imported to the Encore notation app
   • Exported to from Encore to XML
   • Imported the XML to MuseScore Studio 4.5.2

Upon noticing the dynamics issue I created the short score (embedded in the original post.) I added the initial line to make sure that dynamics were working. Then I pasted a phrase from the MS4.5.2 score produced by MusicXML import—then I added dynamics to that phrase and again found they do not work at all.

In reply to by scorster

In such cases, you have to ask yourself: am I able to reproduce the problem ("Some dynamics" that wouldn't work in 4.5.2?) from scratch? The answer is no: if I manually write the same line with 4.5.2, all's well. See the file: MS4-5-2_scorster(2).mscz
I don't know when something went wrong, but given the file's eventful history, it's hardly surprising :)
MusicXML export is often useful in case of doubt. It acts as a kind of file reset.

In reply to by cadiz1

@cadiz1 > In such cases, you have to ask yourself: am I able to reproduce the problem ("Some dynamics" that wouldn't work in 4.5.2?) from scratch? The answer is no

Correct. And that's precisely why I started with a fresh score and entered the notes on line 1, which work with dynamics as expected.

> ...if I manually write the same line with 4.5.2, all's well.

Understood. Of course, manually rewriting the score is the last thing I want to do. I'd rather invest time in removing the stumbling stone so others don't stub their toe.

> MusicXML export is often useful in case of doubt. It acts as a kind of file reset.

Unfortunately exporting to MusicXML and importing back to 5.2 doesn't cure the dynamic issue.

In reply to by bobjp

Seems like I recall something about notes with velocity applied (e.g., in MIDI format) would sometimes not recognize MuS's written dynamics. I don't recall the details and probably never really understood them, but that seems a possibility to consider?

In reply to by Jojo-Schmitz

@Jojo-Schmitz

Thanks for this link, but the steps don't solve the reported dynamic problem in MS4.5.2.

Currently in MS5.4.5.2 Properties>Note only contains Head, Stem and Beam tabs

Velocity is now hidden (I guess because it is SO poorly supported in MS4) in General>Playback. And pressing Reset does change all values to 64, it does not fix the initially reported velocity issue. Seems that the How-to needs updating.

Indeed the score embedded in the original posed opened with velocities of User type at varying values. (Offset type is no longer a thing in MS4). I set all values to 64 to see if that alienated the dynamic anomal, but that made no difference.

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