Single note dynamics - change of velocity?

• Sep 5, 2021 - 02:27

The use known to me of the Single Note Dynamics functionality is for a dynamic mark to initially have the effect its "dynamic value" would dictate but then for the volume of the notes(s) to change over a certain period of time (usually, but not always, within the lifetime of the first note affected by the mark).

This is executed by initially sending a CCx message (by "CCx" I mean some"volume-type" CC; MuseScore uses CC2 by default) with its value corresponding to the "velocity value" of the dynamic mark, following which further CCx messages are sent with successively greater or lesser values (in increments of one unit, in fact) until the CCx value has changed by the amount set in Inspector for "Velocity change", after which no further CCx messages are sent for this maneuver.

That is, if we set "Velocity change" to -10, there will be 11 CCx messages sent, the last with a value of 10 units lower than for the first.

But the value of such a CCx message is not a "velocity" value, and is not spoken of such in MIDI literature. At the synthesizer, it interacts with the individual notes' velocity values to determine the "loudness" at which each note is rendered, typically using a multiplicative algorithm..

Thus I think it is not appropriate for the Inspector setting that dictates the amount by which the CCx value changes over the course of a Single Note Dynamics maneuver to be labeled "Velocity change". I must admit I do not have an alternative I am fully happy to recommend. Perhaps "Expression change" would be good.

Best regards,

Doug


Comments

Note that this term originated from long before SND and in which times that change did indeed always relate to the velocity change, and not some CC modification value. Just like the user velocity setting of a note does/did. Or the velocity setting of a dynamic.

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