First Thoughts and Ideas
Just started using the beta and I have to say this, I seriously love you guys right now. First thing I do is see if I could do some rolls on a marimba and when I heard actual rolls, my inner fanboy came out, and I was literally jumping around, happy as can be.
But there are some features that I would like to see on top of that, for example, crescendos or decrescendos that are put in without needing to edit every, single, note. And if this is in there (and I'm just not noticing but I don't think that's the case?) I did try this with rolls and well, I have no way to crescendo rolls, which is a really good lead into many, many climaxes. And a decrescendo with rolls is a really nice fade out.
There are some other things, like markings, that are really different from percussion, for example the pedal (which I'll go ahead and thank you for that too). In most percussion parts, instead of an actual pedal marking, it's usually replaced with a legato (I think that's what it's called, um, the line over the notes, makes them slur, can't remember the name, almost never use the term) marking. It makes things just a bit cleaner for vibraphone parts.
Another thing that I would love to see, and this is extra, just one of those, 'if you can,' things, mallet hardness, probably a really picky thing to be asking, but if it is possible, I would love to have the option of having a soft mallet marimba mallets, middle mallet marimba mallets, and hard mallet marimba mallets, along with all other keyboards (it makes worlds of a difference). All of these sound extremely differently, and I challenge you to go out and see what these sound like because playing a piece meant for soft mallet marimbas with hard mallets, will ruin the piece almost every single time, and I understand if you can't, I just think it would be really cool if you guys could.
Anyways, that's all for now, going to keep playing around with this and I want to send you e-mails when I can about features that could be added, I know a little about programming, but nothing about sound engineering, but I would be willing to learn so that I can help if at all possible. Again I love what you guys are doing, and I hope to see what other features you come up with.
Comments
I take it you downloaded the Beta 1 and not a more recent nightly build? Crescendos and diminuendos are already working in the nightly builds (and hence will be in Beta 2 and the final release). But I don't think it is likely to work with rolls; they don't work with single notes either for wind or string instruments (which are perefectly capable of changing volume during a single note). It would be technically possible to get it working for rolls, though, in a way thatwould be easier than for single notes (which is basically just not supported at all given the way MuseScore works with MIDI).
As for different marimba sounds, that's a function of the soundfont you have installed. The soundfont that comes with MsueScore is called FluidR3, and it's pretty good, but if you find one you like better - like one that provides different varieties of marimba - you are more than wlecome to install and use it via View / Synthesizer. There are tons of soundfonts available online. Most, though, are designed to be "Genera; MIDI' compatible, though, meaning they only define the specific set of instruments defined by that standard. And that includes only a single marimba. So you'd be looking for a very special purpose soundfont.
Amnyhow, do keep in mind, as always, that the primary purpose of MuseScore is notation, not playback. It's to be expected that not everything you can notate will play back; that just isn't the priority. But we do try to get things working as we can.