Velocity Randomizer (a tool to help achieve midi Humanization)

• Sep 17, 2020 - 13:59

Ideal Parameters:

  1. Max Velocity - An input number that indicate the maximum velocity value in which the plugin can randomize to.

  2. Min Velocity - An input number that indicate the minimum velocity value in which the plugin can randomize to.

  3. Notation Selection - User are required to select a set of notes, or a range of notes -- whether in sheet view or piano roll view -- before opening the dialog box.

  4. Absolute Velocity or Relative Velocity selection - indicate which velocity value (absolute or relative) the plugin will affect.

-----------------------------------------(Additional Parameters)------------------------------------------

  1. "Sequential Notes" check box - When checked, this will tell the plugin to perform the velocity randomization in the sequence in which the selected set of notes or range of notes are written on the music sheet. When unchecked, this will tell the plugin to create is own sequence base on the selected set of notes or range of notes.

  2. Max Interval - An input number that indicates, base on a sequence of notes (see #5), the maximum absolute velocity or relative velocity value (see #4) interval from the previous note.

  3. Min Interval - An input number that indicates, base on a sequence of notes (see #5), the minimum absolute velocity or relative velocity value (see #4) interval from the previous note.

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Remarks:

  • The intention is to suggest a simple plugin that can be easily coded and works with current dynamic features and notations. I'm not a programmer, so I may be wrong to think that what I'm asking won't be labor intensive.

  • I'm not suggesting a plugin that automatically interpret and "humanize" a piece, but a plugin that works as a "broad stroke" in term of dynamic variation and concepts. The user can always go in and adjust individual note's velocity values, or add dynamic markings to help match how they interpret a phrase of a musical piece.

  • I do understand that DAWs have this type of plugin, but there are some thoughts I have regarding with this notion:

  • Musescore has a very intuitive sheet view that help user to interpret and control musical concept, so it would be helpful to have initial dynamic data control before finalizing within a DAW.

  • I'm a Window 10 user who personally like to work with the Musescores 3 General Sound Fonts and mixing the audio file of individual instruments within a DAW. Having this plugin will help simplify the workflow of inputting dynamic information leading to WAV files that have musical dynamic control. These WAV files will in terms have musical accenting sounds that will be amplified / refined through a mixing FX plugin within a DAW.

  • hear is a recent project I've upload on Youtube. I wouldn't say that I "mixed" this audio because I just simply compressed (probably too much) an export file of all the instrument for upload purpose. Here I tried the tedious job to "handpick" velocity value for individual notes. The idea is to showcase the type of "initial" sound I'm trying to achieve effortlessly with the help of this plugin.

( https://youtu.be/FqkOxXp2IhY )

Sincerely,

S. Daz

Comments

• Sep 17, 2020 - 15:49

I think it would be helpful to hear:

  1. Export from MuseScore before any velocity work.
  2. Export from MuseScore after velocity work.
  3. Export from DAW before any FX work.

Personally I'm not always in favor of randomizing most anything. Does your video sound good because of all the velocity work, or because it's produced by a DAW?

Reply

• Sep 18, 2020 - 01:33

Hi,

I attached files that fulfill request #1 and #2 -- the velocity control isn't perfect, but I hope it conveys the possibility that the plugin can bring to a user's composition. As for #3, there wouldn't be any difference since there are no plugin added to the DAW; it would be just a copy of the original audio file. A DAW's plugin enhanced what already exist within an audio recording. This is the reason why a live drum recording sounds punchier when compressed; the compression plugin enhance the various dynamic tonality of the recorded audio.

"Personally I'm not always in favor of randomizing most anything."

That's understandable because just like a compression within a DAW, it can be overly or incorrectly used, and, as a result, will lead to a bad sounding musical piece. But if a user learn how to listen, be selective, and control the "randomization" within their project, it can enhance musicality of their composition. The purpose of this plugin (or any plugins) is to be a tool, not a "miracle worker".

Attachment Size
Example.zip 3.42 MB

Reply

• Sep 19, 2020 - 00:58

Thanks for going to this trouble. Interesting. While the two files are different, it's hard to decide that one is any more "musical" that the other. I guess what bothers me is the word "random." When a performer plays a piece of music there is little, if anything "random" about it. There is a reason for every thing they do. They will play notes and phrases softer and louder, more or less intense, faster and slower, for a reason.
By all means lets work on velocity. But it has to be in conjunction with everything else that make music. Just not random.
Just my 2 cents.

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• Oct 24, 2022 - 13:21

I’d like this feature as described, but I’d find an “intuitive velocity” setting that allows typically stressed notes to be given a little more to be a higher priority and more typically useful (plus likely to get you closer to a good result quicker!)

What I mean is something attached to the bar’s beaming scheme so that extra weight is given to the first beat of the bar, and a little less extra weight given to every note that lines up with the beginning of a beam (even if there aren’t any quavers or shorter in the bar). That lets you control a lot in an intuitive way, and even the base defaults will be an improvement.

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