Portamento glissandos cause squeaking at end

• Jan 17, 2021 - 19:27
Reported version
3.6
Type
Functional
Frequency
Many
Severity
S3 - Major
Reproducibility
Always
Status
active
Regression
No
Workaround
No
Project

Steps to reproduce bug:

  1. Enter two notes, the first being higher than the second (issue does not appear when the other way around), and the second being further than an octave away. Note length doesn't necessarily matter, but it is easiest to hear using quarter notes. For example: two quarter notes, the first being C5, and the second being B3.

  2. Click on the first note, go to the "Arpeggios & Glissandi" palette, and click the "Straight glissando" to add a glissando between the two notes.

  3. Click the glissando. On the Inspector panel, under Glissando -> Style, change the Play style to Portamento.

  4. Click on the first note again, and click play at the top.

Expected behavior:

The first note should perfectly glissando into the second with no squeaking.

Actual behavior:

You will hear that towards the end of the glissando, the midi seems to wrap around to the top and make a squeaking noise. The further apart these notes are, the more prominent it is.

Version number:

Version 3.6.0, revision 28aa7ba, nightly build. Also appears in version 3.6.0.487915773 revision 1977cb3.

Operating system:

Windows 10 Pro 20H2.


Comments

Status active needs info

I'm not hearing anything amiss in the example I tried, but if you are able to provide an example, we can investigate further.

Here is a score with a simple example. It's harder to hear on the upper register (though still there) so I put the example in a lower register.

Attachment Size
Test.mscz 3.76 KB

In reply to by Slavin

The way I "attached" my previous audio example was by putting a hyperlink to an MP3 I had already uploaded to a Discord server. You don't have to upload it to Discord specifically, but as long as there's public access to the file, you should be fine.

Status needs info active

Yep, I hear it now. Maybe it was there in my original example, but it's definitely much more obvious in yours - low notes show it more than high.

I find the same. Additionally, playback of portamento is not smooth (like pitch bends) - as it would be on a violin/cello. It's audibly a series of small steps - when sliding between two notes at fast speed this would not be audible, but for a medium or slow portamento gliss it's not really usable. Having read that portamento had been improved in 3.6 I'd been very much looking forward to a solution to something that's been commented on over years!

In reply to by Mraco_o

I can confirm the "squeaking". My notes were only a third apart. However, to me it sounds like the end note of the portamento is sounding twice because the "squeak" seems to make the same sound as the end note, though the duration is shorter.

In reply to by Lucada

I agree. The portamento is not the smoothest, especially on a bowed instrument. Also, I wish the portamento was a little faster (or you could make it faster). IMO, the glide between the notes should be almost instantaneous, similar to a grace note. Instead of "wheeeeeee", it should be "whe". There is a clunky workaround. Shorten the first note's duration and lengthen the end note so the measure timing is the same. And Yes, I did the ease-in/ease-out but it still isn't fast enough for me. This is probably personal taste.

This just happened to me on bass guitar part, if you push the 'ease in' to 100 and leave 'ease out' at 0, the squeak only occurred closest to the end. The squeak is still there, but you might just miss it if the tempo is fast enough and the length of the note is short enough.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Hello, thank you for the update!
I just tried the MuseScore 4.0 alpha from this thread: https://musescore.org/en/node/334200

(I had no idea that a MuseScore 4.0 was even being worked on, this was a pleasant surprise!)
I downloaded the Linux AppImage and tried a portamento glissandi, but unfortunately, it seemed to still give that quick slide/pop sound at the very end of the glissandi. Are you referring to a future alpha version of 4.0 that will fix this, or did I maybe do something incorrectly?

Well, I'm using the currently nightly build which is a little more recent, but it should be working in the alpha. Must work for some scores but not others. Best to report this separately - in a new issue, preferably on GitHub as suggested in that announcement - and attach the specific score with the problem.

In reply to by Sergio Acevedo

I can report that on the Windows 10 version of Musescore 4, there is still the squeaking with portamento. I am using the Alpha 2 version. Also, I don't know if this is related, but appogiaturas/grace notes appear to play in a different instrument (maybe piano). I included a score that has a lot of portamentos and appogiaturas/grace notes.
Oddly, there is also a piano sounding metronome sound that keeps playing even when the metronome is turned off. I think I figured it out, though. In the mixer panel, there is, oddly, a metronome sound that I can't get rid of or mute. If I turn the volume all the way down it doesn't play or if I switch the "sound" to a VST plugin it doesn't play, but If I keep it at MS Basic, it plays.
Lastly, when I downloaded and installed the program, it came up allowing me to download new sounds. I hit the "download" button, but nothing happened. I can't find in the menus where I can download sounds.
Thanks

Attachment Size
Ashokan Farewell Gtr.mscz 35.42 KB

Indeed, I hear the blip it in this score, although it's much more subtle than in 3.6.2. Could just be a matter of the re-articulation of the pitch. Anyhow, I'm leaving this open, not sure it will be seen by the folks working on such things, though. For best results, open a new issue on GitHub as mentioned.

I am not hearing any unusual metronome effects.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Thank you for responding. I agree the squeaking is more subtle. You have to really listen for it now. I will open a new issue on Github. You say, you don't hear an unusual metronome effect. Do you have a metronome "instrument" in your mixer? For some reason, there is a metronome "instrument" in my mixer that I cannot delete or mute (mute button is grayed out). If I turn the volume (gain) all the way down, it goes away, but that is a workaround, not a fix. Another workaround is to change the VST of the instrument.
Also, did you hear the unusual treatment of the appogiaturas/gracenotes? They sound weird, like the sound is from a different instrument (not violin).

Attachment Size
Musescore Mixer pic.png 161.46 KB

In reply to by odelphi231

Yes, it's normal for the mixer to show up in the mixer, it's how you control its volume. The mute button is grayed out because it is toggled from the playback toolbar instead. If you are saying it's turned out in your playback toolbar but you're still hearing it, sounds like a separate unrelated issue, but not one anyone else has reported, so we'd need more information to understand. In any case, again, not related to this, so best to ask about this on the forum if you continue to have trouble after making sure you've turned off the metronome in your playback toolbar.

Since metronomes aren’t related to this issue, best to open a new issue. As for the video, just upload to YouTube or the like then add a link here.

But first be sure to get a more recent build Al- the alpha 2 is months old now. The nightlies are best, but the beta will do. Also keep in mind 4.0 issues are to be reported on GitHub, not here. But first let’s make sure it’s not just a misunderstanding.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Thank you Marc. I did report the issue in Github and it allows an upload of a video. You can see/hear the video on Github in the issues section. I will get a more recent build (Alpha-2 is the most recent Alpha build, but there are the nightlies) and see if it still does it. By the way, what is the proper protocol for downloading a nightly. Should I overwrite my Alpha-2 build, or put the nightly in its own directory - trying to save HD space, if possible.