Sounds are different between desktop/web and mobile
Not sure if this is a bug or deliberate, but some instruments sound very different in the mobile app compared to the desktop app (with the default sound font). The best example is perhaps the harmonica, which sounds great on my desktop but awful and even off-key in the app. (I'm using Android/CyanogenMod/Xperia Z3, if that's relevant.)
The discrepancy makes it difficult to find good instruments, since I have to save scores online and listen to them in the mobile app for every instrument I'm trying out.
If using the same sounds in the mobile app requires shipping the app with a sound font taking several hundred megabytes, I understand the decision. If not, then this might be a bug.
Comments
I suspect that is indeed the reason. Anyhow, if I were you I wouldn't base orchestration decisions on how they happen to sound on any particular soundfont, since it is going to sound different for everyone who listens anyhow (mobile app versus musescore.com versus people playing on MuseScore on their own computers versus printing out the parts and playing the pieces for real. Pick the instrument that you think actually would make the most sense in real life.
In reply to I suspect that is indeed the by Marc Sabatella
In principle I agree, but it's not always possible to pick instruments making sense. I'm currently using MuseScore for helping my choir members by providing them something to listen to while practicing their parts. Normally I use "Choir Aahs", which sound similar on all platforms, but that sound was too tenuto for one of more staccato pieces, and I needed to find other instruments. I settled on a combo including the harmonica, which unfortunately sounded completely awful on mobile.
I can confirm. The MuseScore notation software and the MuseScore.com site use the Fluid soundfont. The mobile app uses the TimGM6mb soundfont which was the default soundfont in MuseScore 1. This decision was made after making the trade-off between mobile device capabilities (performance, sound quality, mobile data connectivity). That said, we strive to bring the sound experience on par for all platforms (desktop, web, mobile) in the future.
In reply to I can confirm. The MuseScore by Thomas
Happy to hear you're aiming for a consistent sound experience. Looking forward to it, whenever that happens. :) In the meantime, I'll use TimGM6mb in MuseScore to determine what the sound is like on mobile. Do you know where I can get it?
In reply to Happy to hear you're aiming by musescore.3e7y…
Sure, you can find it at https://musescore.org/en/handbook/soundfont
In reply to Sure, you can find it at by Thomas
Much appreciated, thanks!
Great great question. Actually it happens that I found am accordion sheet for Esperanza - Marc Perrone - Scottish and I cannot simply find it on the mobile app (ios). Is the soundfont the problem?