Horrible String Sounds after 2.2.1 ?
I have this score that I worked from 2/12 to 3/12 and recently shared it with a teacher. When I went to fix some minor textual errors (after 2.2.1), I re-uploaded and found that the strings (I'm using violins, violins, violas, cellos, basses, plus a solo cello) sound incredibly tinny, airy, and detached. The notes are played disjointed and almost as if they're written staccato even though some are under slurs. I've always liked Musescore because, while the sounds are obviously synthesized, they're a lot better than other notation programs. I'm disappointed because this sort of ruins how the score is balanced and how this sounds. I don't have an older backup to revert to post here, but maybe you can see how the strings just sound so horribly synthesized and disconnected instead of smooth and nicely mixed. I didn't see anything changed with the strings in the patch notes for 2.2 or 2.2.1 and I'm wondering if this is a bug or something. I have not changed anything in this given since I noticed the problem. The strings sound fine in the program itself but sound different on the website. Thanks
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| Elegy.mscz | 93.77 KB |
Comments
Perhaps one part of the problem is the change S. Christian Collins did at https://musescore.org/es/node/270690 ("default zita reverb settings too boomy") for the 2.2 release. This change in the default Synthetiser settings "knobs", in my opinion, while good for many instruments, I think that is not good for other, like the Strings. Basically, the new settings diminishes the Reverb for any instrument in the soundfont.
This above change is applied by default to any score uploaded to musescore.com since the release of 2.2, if either a) the uploaded score didn't used a customized Synth settings or b) any customised Synth settings were not "Saved to Score" before uploading (I verified it by re-uploading one of my scores, "Boundaries (revised)", without saving to score the settings, and comparing the new musescore.com playback with the previous playback)
If you have at hand in your local MuseScore installation your old Synthetiser settings (Zita1), try to change them to your preferences, then do Save to Score these settings, and reupload again your score. My settings for the Zita1 are attached, these settings are the ones I like (personal preference)
MuseScore has never supported slur playback. SOme sounds were recorded in a way that naturally sounds slightly slurred, and this sounds good in legato passage but not as good in non-legato passages. This is especially problematic for very short notes, because the slow attack that caused the notes to sound smooth causes them to not sound at full volume when played quickly. This was unacceptable. Unfortunately, it is impossible to have on sound work equally well for fast and slow passages, legato and non-legato passages.
You are more than welcome to switch to another soundfont if you prefer, though - see the Handbook under "Soundfonts" for more info. The one that was included with previous releases - which again works well for legato passages, not as well for non-legato or fast passages - was called FluidR3.
In reply to MuseScore has never… by Marc Sabatella
It's not so much a problem of legato or non-legato; the score sounded fine before the updated. This is just my best description of this problem that the strings sounds disconnected and tinny. As for the solution posted above, I switched those settings to the specs highlighted to no avail. I also checked the link posted and tried that as well and the score sounds fine in the program, but still sounds wrong on the website.
In reply to It's not so much a problem… by MattMeduri
"Disconnected" is another word for non-legato. Re-read response to understand why it is sometimes necessary to make changes like this, and that sometimes making things better for one score might make them not as good for another. So if you like the sounds in the old soundfont better for this particular score, simply install that, then when uploading your score to the website, check the box that says "Upload score audio".
In reply to "Disconnected" is another… by Marc Sabatella
Where can I get that soundfont ?
In reply to Where can I get that… by MattMeduri
It is one of many soundfonts available for download via the Handbook section on Soundfonts that I mentioned earlier.