Instrument selected in 'Instruments', has no sound or 'wrong' sound when selected in Mixer
this is mostly for clarification, but, if I understand incorrectly, a correction would be great..... I want to add Sandpaper Blocks to a score. I can find it in Stave Properties/Change Instruments as part of 'All instruments' or in 'Classroom'. The sound that comes with the choice is a cymbal. I go to Mixer to change the Sound, and I do not find 'Sandpaper Blocks'. So, I am unable to add Sandpaper Blocks. I can do a sort-of workaround by using 'Breath Noise' but it's just not the same.
If I understand the handbook correctly, this is because Sandpaper Blocks sound is not included in the default MuseScore Soundfont set. Therefore, I suppose I need to find a Sandpaper soundfont somewhere and add it, per the instructions in the manual. I'm not sure where to find such a sound file, but I know how to look. But, before I do the searching, is my analysis correct? And if so, a mild comment -- if the sound is not included, why is it listed in the Instrument list? Thanks.
Comments
Indeed, there is no sandpaper blocs in the General MIDI standard, so neither MuseScore's default nor most other GM-compatible soundfonts include such a sound. You'll need to find a non-standard third-party soundfont to provide that sound.
As for why include an instrument even though General MIDI doesn't define a sound for it - because, many people want to write for instruments that are not part of the General MIDI standard, including tons of pretty common instruments like bass clarinet, euphonnium, etc. It would be pretty bad if MuseScore simply disallowed writing for the instrument just because it wasn't part of the GM standard. So MuseScore simply substitutes the closest available GM sound for playback so you can get on with the business of composing. If you also need more realistic playback, you can do web searches to find soundfonts.