Irish Tin Whistle Newbie Question

• Jan 23, 2018 - 02:45

Is there some way to get the mixer, or other sound source, to play like an Irish D Tin Whistle?

Comments

• Jan 24, 2018 - 02:57

The Edit>Instruments shows an Irish Flute.
Set that and cleared all other insturments.

Same in the mixer.
I set it to solo for Irish Flute but I could not get any of those voices to play. Dead silence.

Same for English Flageolet with Recorder voice. Dead silence.

I am wondering if I am doing something wrong? Or is there a bug with the Irish whistle?

Or is this the luck of the Irish?

Find the end of the Rainbow only to learn they moved the gold to the other just minutes before arriving?

FYI. 3764816-Whistle_a_Happy_tune.mscz

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• Jan 24, 2018 - 03:34

I found part of the problem. I was setting up the Irish Flute as a second instrument but not adding any pitches for it. That solved the sounds of silence problem.

But there is still no voice for it in the mixer.
Still no sight of a way to play tin whistle.

I searched " midi value for Irish Tin Whistle"
This was the first hit http://www.ilyaefimov.com/products/ethnic-winds/irish-tin-whistle.html

So maybe MS needs a patch of some kind? This or a like library?

Standing by.

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• Jan 25, 2018 - 06:54

To get a real tin whistle sound, you need real tin whistle samples. You must locate a soundfont containing such.
See:
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/soundfonts-and-sfz-files

The default soundfont, FluidR3Mono_GM.sf3, used by MuseScore's synthesizer does not contain actual samples of a tin whistle. So, even though you choose 'Tin whistle' as an instrument, the general midi patch assigned is 'Whistle' which actually sounds more like a 'Human whistle'. It can be changed in the mixer, but your only choices lie in whatever else is available in the soundfont.

Regards.

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• Jan 26, 2018 - 01:36

I think I have the overview, but not the specifics. Seeking patient guidance. First a reality check.

Step 1? I need to find a sound font for a D whistle in GM Sound Font.
I am here. https://musescore.org/en/handbook/soundfonts-and-sfz-files#gm_soundfonts
I have saved GeneralUser GS (29.8 MB uncompressed)
GeneralUser GS MuseScore v1.442.sf2
This seems like the needed SF file but it will not open in windows 10
What do I do next?

Step 2? Once I have installed a sound file I need to set up an instrument for the D Tin Whistle using this procedure https://musescore.org/en/node/15803 ?
I have not gone any further with this yet because I have not cleared Step 1.

Thanks for any pointers.

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• Jan 26, 2018 - 03:54

OK... user-added soundfonts belong in MuseScore's SoundFonts directory. This directory can be viewed or changed in MuseScore's Preferences, but the default location is:

•Windows: %HOMEPATH%\Documents\MuseScore2\Soundfonts

So...Move/copy the 'GeneralUser GS MuseScore v1.442.sf2' file into the Soundfonts folder.

Then, it can be loaded into the synthesizer. See:
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/synthesizer#fluid
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/synthesizer#load-soundfont

Once added to the synthesizer, the soundfont's instruments (patches) will become available in the mixer.
See:
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/mixer#sound
There you can change the sound to 'Irish Tin Whistle', or anything else which may sound closer to what you want (e.g. try recorder, or others).
Regards.

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• Jan 29, 2018 - 05:18

Step 1. From Preferences.
C:/Users/Mike/Documents/MuseScore2/Soundfonts

Step2 GeneralUser GS MuseScore v1.442.sf2' installation
Downloaded and unzipped in this folder. File tree follows.
Musescore2/GeneralUser_GS_1.442-MuseScore/GeneralUser_GS_1.442-MuseScore.zip/GeneralUser GS 1.442 MuseScore/>
CHANGELOG.txt
Full Orchestra.mscz
GeneralUser GS MuseScore v1.442.sf2
Etc…..
Note: Musescore will not let me delete the zip file

Step 3. Add to synthesizer
View>Synthesizer : GeneralUser GS MuseScore v1.442.sf2
Done.
There are now two files in my list, from the top of the list.
GeneralUser GS MuseScore v1.442.sf2
FluidR3Mono_GM.sf3

stalled here, I think.
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/synthesizer#fluid

“To load a soundfont
1. Click on the Add button
>>>>>>>>2. Click on a soundfont in the list.<<<<<<<<<<

I do not get a list of individual sound fonts.
I am expecting to see a sound font for Irish Tin Whistle at this point.
Or does this mean the list of (my two) soundfont collections?

Do I have this wrong?

If this is all okay, how do I get to the tin whistle patch?

Thanks.

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• Jan 29, 2018 - 16:04

You wrote:
If this is all okay, how do I get to the tin whistle patch?
Answer: Open the Mixer and scroll for 'Irish Tin Whistle' in the 'Sound' drop down list.
(Be sure that the GeneralUser GS MuseScore v1.442.sf2 soundfont is shown at the top in the synthesizer so that all its patches - i.e. instruments - are listed first in the Mixer. Otherwise you will have to scroll through all the patches of the topmost soundfont(s) first.)

If you create a score from scratch for 'Tin Whistle' as the instrument, GeneralUser GS MuseScore v1.442.sf2 assigns 'Irish Tin Whistle' as the default patch:
Soundfont_Mixer.png

Regards.

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