Initial Dynamic Not Honored
Windows 10, MuseScore 3.6.2
While checking the differences between different hairpin dynamics methods, I was reminded of this problem that seems to manifest in some instruments in the default HQ font. In the inspector, all the ppp dynamics are listed as velocity 16. However the first ppp is louder than later ones.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| dynamics.mscz | 17.5 KB |
Comments
Sounds identical to me, but the hairpin is more gradual in the second, which might be fooling you into thinking the initial volume is different. The hairpins sound different because they are set different in the Inspector (linear vs ease in & out).
In reply to Sounds identical to me, but… by Marc Sabatella
Thanks, Marc. Yes, I set the hairpins differently. All the wave graphs and velocity numbers tell me that all the ppp volumes are the same. MuseScore seems to be doing what it is supposed to. So I am no doubt hearing things incorrectly. Using the computer speakers they do sound the same to me. But using headphones, they do not. Until I turned down the default volume in the synthesizer from the default -40 to -60 db. Then they all sounded the same in my headphones. Not a headphone problem. Nice Audio-Technicas. I do have mild mid and high frequency hearing loss. So there is that. Interesting that turning down the volume is better.
In reply to Thanks, Marc. Yes, I set the… by bobjp
As far as I am concerned, it's practically guaranteed that different crescendo rates would cause one to subjectively perceive a difference in the initial dynamic even if there isn't one, because you're hearing that initial dynamic longer in one version than in the other so it has longer to register. Hearing loss or no, headphones or no, it's only natural - an auditory illusion I imagine most people would hear the same way.
In reply to As far as I am concerned, it… by Marc Sabatella
I also thought of crescendo rate and later experimented with moving all the hairpin starting points two measures to the right. The first ppp still seemed louder. It probably has more to do with the ff which makes the following ppp seem softer. I played the score and hit the rewind button after the second (or any later) ppp so that the first ppp played, and the volume seemed the same. As it should. The illusion was only there on initial starting of the score. I'll probably turn down the volume just to trick myself, because ppp is not something you see all that often. It's just interesting to me that the effect wasn't as noticeable at a lower volume. But again, not a real problem, I guess.