Playback of dynamics in an imported MIDI file

• Nov 18, 2024 - 16:13

Musescore 4: I have some files derived from midi and am trying to get dynamics markings to affect playback. e.g. I want sections marked pp to play back quieter than sections marked ff.
I have found the support article "How to restore correct playback of dynamics and hairpins in an imported MIDI file". This says:
"To fix the problem in MuseScore 2, 3 or 4: .....
In the Note section of the Inspector Properties in Mu4), locate the "Velocity Type" (not available in Mu4) and "Velocity" ... Click on the "Reset to default" buttons for both values."

I realise I need "Properties" not "Inspector". But in Properties I cannot find "Velocity Type": it does indeed appear to be "not available". So what should I look for?
I have used "Playback" in Properties to Reset the Velocity of all the notes, but this just gives them all the same loudness on playback.
I have also tried cutting & pasting pieces of the score to a new file. But this changes nothing.
A workaround is to export as .mxl, load in Musescore3, reset "Velocity Type" and "Velocity" as per the article above, save as .mscz & reload into Musescore4. Surely there is an easier way.

Comments

TheHutch

• Nov 18, 2024 - 21:09

Select a note. Open the Properties tab (upper left). Click the Playback button. You have fields for Velocity and Tuning (cents).

I was under the impression that velocity has no effect in MuS 4, but I am fairly sure that is not true in all circumstances ... but I don't understand the details. Personally, I don't use velocity for anything; only the dynamic markings.

TorriGwair

• Nov 19, 2024 - 10:30

Thanks TheHutch for trying. But, like you, I also want to use the dynamic markings rather than set Velocity for every note. The trouble is, if you import into Musescore4 from a midi file, the dynamic markings have no effect (including any markings you add subequently). New files, or imports from Musescore3 or .mxl work OK.

TheHutch

• Nov 19, 2024 - 14:14

I seem to recall that you need to set the velocity of all notes to the default value. I don't recall whether that's "0" or "64" or something else. Then the dynamic markings should work. I've seen discussion of this, but I don't recall the details. Hopefully someone can point you in the right direction.

TorriGwair

• Nov 23, 2024 - 13:26

Tried that. All notes then have the default velocity (64)
Of course sometimes the velocities imported with the midi file are as wanted.
And sometimes putting in dynamics marking does work. But not always.

HildeK

• Nov 23, 2024 - 15:01

Yes, .mxl input works much better.

MIDI is not the proper interchange format where each note is encoded with pitch, duration, volume, etc. MIDI does not recognize hairpins or dynamic markers or transport them!
So each note is assigned a fixed volume. And a dynamic marker that you use afterwards has no effect.

With Musescore 3, you can set the velocity type to 'Offset' and its value to '0' for all notes, in which case the set dynamics will also work. As far as I know, this does not work in MuS 4.

bobjp

• Nov 23, 2024 - 16:51

Velocity does not work with Muse sounds. It might with Basic sounds.
Can you post a midi file that has this problem. If I change one of my files to midi, dynamics and hairpins work.

TorriGwair

• Nov 25, 2024 - 10:58

Here is a file I have just downloaded as a midi. As you can see, apart from being a bit of a mess, all notes have Velocity 127 and there are no dynamics markings.
As a test I loaded it into Musescore4 and added some dynamics markings. These had no effect. Changing all notes to default Velocity made no difference.
I have not installed any special sound fonts so assume I am using "Basic Sounds" (?)
o_magnum_mysterium-1-kyrie_(c)alvarez.mid

Jojo-Schmitz

• Nov 25, 2024 - 13:44

See How to setup Musescore 3.x for correct playback for all dynamics and hairpins, which despite ist title applies to Mu4 too

Edit: sorry, I ment How to restore correct playback of dynamics and hairpins in an imported MIDI file

HildeK

• Nov 25, 2024 - 13:38

Because the velocities in the midifile are assigned to each note individually!

It is clear that you can export dynamics and hairpins in MIDI. The notes become quieter or louder. But if you import them again, there are no more dynamics and hairpins and you can't assign any new ones to the score - that doesn't work! But the notes are of course quieter or louder, as in the original source.

HildeK

• Nov 25, 2024 - 14:03

Here are some examples:

Original.mscz is the source file, which contains an incremental velocity in the form of pp to ff and with hairpin.
Original.midi is the MIDI export. You can import it into Musescore and it will sound the same.
Import.mscz is my import where I added different dymanic and hairpin. But they don't work because the velocities are of type "user" and this is not overwritten. You must change the "User" type to the "Offset" type (and set the value to zero), but then you will have lost the original velocities. But you can now apply your own dynamics.

Attachment	Size
Original.mscz	5.15 KB
Original.mid	262 bytes
Import.mscz	3.09 KB

Jojo-Schmitz

• Nov 25, 2024 - 14:05

Only that in Mu4 there is no "User" type or "Offset" type anymore... just an offset

TorriGwair

• Nov 25, 2024 - 17:08

The real issue is that after import of a (some?) midi file into Musescore4, adding dynamics markings has no effect. Resetting the velocities just resets them all to the same value, which isn't quite what I need.
Hence the workaraound I started with: save as .mxl, load in Musescore3, reset "Velocity Type" and "Velocity" as per the article above, save as .mscz & reload into Musescore4.
I need to persuade everyone to save as .mxl in the first place.