Second Descrescendo Hairpin volume level remains at 0, after "Velocity change" parameter is reset to 100.
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium; Product ID: 00359-OEM-8992687-00010.
HW: AMD-A4-3300M APU with Radeon HD Graphics 1.90 GHz.
Memory: 6.00 GB
System Type: 64 bit
Model: HP Pavilion G7
MuseScore Version: 2.0.3; Revision: 3c7a69d.
Test Filename:
Les_Cloches_de Neige_42i_Debug_20160416_01a.mscz
Description of Problem:
Second Descrescendo Hairpin volume level remains at 0, after being reset to 100.
Steps to Reproduce:
1. Open the test file Les_Cloches_de Neige_42i_Debug_20160416_01a.mscz .
2. Click the play button. Result: Playback will begin at the beginning of the score. When playback gets to the Descrescendo Hairpin in the 3rd measure, the “Velocity change” (apparent stave playback volume) will begin to decrease. When playback gets to the next Descrescendo Hairpin in the 4th measure, the apparent volume appears not to reset to 100, per the setting in Inspector window for the Descrescendo “Velocity change” parameter, but the volume instead continues to be muted.
Comments:
This is a long-standing problem.
Comments
The "Velocity change" field in the Inspector is not a "reset the velocity to this value before starting the hairpin". It is the amount of change to be applied over the course of the hairpin. So, the first hairpin reduces velocity by 100, the second hairpin reduces velocity by an *additional* 100, making it silent (since the range is 1-127). If you wanted the dynamic to reset to something like mf after the first hairpin, you should add an explicit dynamic. This would be necessary for a human performer as well.
Here is what is in the MuseScore 2 User Guide:
"Hairpin playback Playback of crescendos and diminuendos is only effective from one note to the next; it currently is not possible to change the dynamic over the course of a single note. By default, hairpins will affect playback only if dynamics are used before and after the hairpin.
For instance, a crescendo spanning notes between p and f dynamics will cause a dynamic change on playback. However, between any two successive dynamics only the first appropriate hairpin will have effect: a diminuendo between p and f will be ignored; of two or more crescendos between p and f, all but the first will be ignored.
A hairpin may be used without dynamic marks, by adjusting "Velocity change" in the Inspector (values in the range 0 to 127)."
At best, it is confusing. At worst, it is... still confusing, and plainly inadequate. There is nothing in the User Guide about "reducing the velocity," or how velocity affects playback volume. Are users supposed to guess, or experiment to find out? Paragraph 3 appears either to contradict paragraph 1 & 2, or seems to try to explain a way for the user to change the beginning value for each hairpin.
Regarding the above reply, " If you wanted the dynamic to reset to something like mf after the first hairpin, you should add an explicit dynamic. This would be necessary for a human performer as well." Do you mean that for all sheet music the composer has to include a beginning and ending dynamic with every hairpin? Really?
I mean, if a human musician saw your score, he would have no possible way of knowing you wanting to return to the original dynamic at the end of each diminuendo. What you wrote clearly tells the musician to get quieter and quieter and quieter and quiter - you didn't include any instruction to return to the original dynamic. No, you don't need to always include a dynmamic at the end of every hairp[in (although it's highly recommend). But without any such instruction, the correct response is to end quieter than you started. One is *not* supposed to assume a return to the original dynamic - that simply isn't what a diminuendo means.
Anyhow, regarding the documentation: "velocity change" seems pretty self-explanatory to me - it describes the *change* in the *velocity*, from the beginning to the end of the hairpin. So a "Velocity change" of 100 means whatever the velocity was at the beginning of the hairpn, it will be 100 less at the end. But if you feel an additional sentence clarifying that would help, feel free to start a discussion in the Documentation forum with your suggested wording.