CHOIR: How to easily get rid of that awful choir sound and replace it with an instrument
I loath the choir noises, for I cannot even put the word sound to name it, for it is not a sound - its a mechanic horror.
I'm sticking to Musescore 3 just because it is easier to use, especially for changing from choir noise (ug) to another instrument.
And unfortunately, the graphic design is harsh and unwelcoming.
I could get used to that however, as previously stipulated, the choir noise is appalling and is extremely difficult, indeed, almost impossible to change.
Comments
In mixer you can assign different sounds.
In synthesizer you could load a better Soundfont
Other than that: the sound of voice ohhs is indeed horrible, but choir ahhs isn't that bad IMHO, from MuseScore General (default) or MuseScore General HQ (extension) sound font that is.
In reply to Other than that: the sound… by Jojo-Schmitz
Thank you for your response.
All I actually wish to do is change the choir noise to that of the grand piano. The result is far more precise.
Apart rom that I really enjoy using MuseScore.
In reply to Thank you for your response… by massel.scarlet…
Quite often flutes, violons, cellos and bassons are used for this
Piano often is not suitable, due to its attack and decay
In reply to Quite oftern flutes, violons… by Jojo-Schmitz
I use flute for higher voices, oboe for lower
In reply to Quite oftern flutes, violons… by Jojo-Schmitz
Thank you. I hadn't thought of substituting different instruments for the vocal parts. I am glad that there is a playback function to catch misplaced notes, etc.
I agree wholeheartedly: the choir sounds are disgusting!
Another possibility would be to right-click on a measure (not on a specific note or rest, but on blank space within the measure) and click Staff/Part properties... from the context menu. Then, under Part properties, click to Change instrument. If you want, you can then change the Long instrument name and Short instrument name back to "Soprano", "Tenor" or whatever. This will change the sound that MusesScore generates but still display and print with the "voice" listed as the instrument.
Personally, I usually use oboe, harmonica, and trombone for Soprano, Alto, and Tenor. I have not yet found good choices when I have to use fourth and fifth voice parts. I usually use baritone sax for the Baritone voice, and bassoon for the Bass voice, but I don't actually like these choices. :-(
Maybe the choir sounds aren't to everyone's liking. And I suppose if all you care about is getting the notes down, than you can use any sound you want. I compose for playback. So I can't use sax (argh) or piano or oboe, etc. The attacks and release aren't in the vaguest way even remotely close. Are the Muse choir sounds the best? Of course not. Basic is worse. Even Sibelius choirs sound have problems.
I pretty much write simple choir parts. When I need a big, full sound, I need voice. And I write in such a way as to use the positive aspects of the sounds. Yes, there are some.
In reply to Maybe the choir sounds aren… by bobjp
I am working with a (truly) beginners choir in a small village in South West France.
We are made up of 7 nationalities, however most of whom can't even figure out tempo but are wonderfully willing.
There is The Will but even phonetically it is difficult, so making the notes clear would be a great step up and let us concentrate on the languages.
The phonetics, (English, French, Dutch, Belgium, Japanese, Swedish, Italian) we can work on.
We need precision, hence the piano option, which WAS easily attainable until the kind folks at MuseScore complicated the new version to the point that we are stuck with an unchangeably appalling noise.
Therein are no ambiguities.
Are they ever going to address these concerns..
Or..
Dose MuseScore read these posts and are we just shouting in the void?
In reply to I am working with a (truly)… by massel.scarlet…
I understand. In MU4 the sound is easily changed in the Mixer. Yes MU4 doesn't work quite the same as MU3.
These forums are read mostly by users like you.
In reply to I understand. In MU4 the… by bobjp
And it's equally easy changing it in the Staff/Part properties... dialog as I explained. I recommend you actually READ our advice and try it. It's likely that one will work better for your particular needs than the other. Use that one.
In reply to And it's equally easy… by TheHutch
Sorry for being so stupid but I have spent two days (since your first reply) trying to find the Context Menu.
I'm on a Mac so I've right clicked on the pad (both single click and double)...I get a horizontal thin Line (background blue) on the measure, I see PARTS next to MIXER on the page, but when I get into that... no Part Properties.
SO i'm not in the right space...
I run through the menu at top... nothing called Part Properties. nada.
So I check through the menu at the top, in View, I click, hopefully in Properties... nada.
For you who know this program inside out, it's a doddle, also, probably, for you, it makes sense however, if I'm looking for a label, I don't want to spend hours hunting it down.
As Maggie Smith says in The Second Best Marigold Hotel.. "Frankly dear, I just don't have the time".
Which brings me back to my original query before being told off for NOT following your instructions because they were written for someone who knows about this stuff.
How to change the voice WITH EASE?
In reply to Sorry for being so stupid… by massel.scarlet…
In Windows, when you right-click on most things, you get a small menu of choices that apply only (perhaps more accurately, "specifically") to that thing. This is correctly referred to as the "context menu" but many people call it the "right-click menu". Presumably there is some equivalent in the Mac environment, but I don't know it as I have never used a Mac. A quick Google search for "mac context menu" finds the following two pages:
https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/32715/how-do-i-open-the-conte… ...
... says that a right-click reveals the context menu.
https://macmost.com/a-beginners-guide-to-mac-context-menus.html ...
... says that it is right-click or Ctrl+left-click.
To get the specific context menu you need, right-click (or Ctrl+left-click or whatever action you find) on a measure. Make sure you are not right-clicking on any note or rest or text; just empty space in a measure. You should get the following menu:
The one you want for my suggestion is the yellow Staff/Part properties... Make note as well of the blue **Measure properties...* as well. You will use both many times in using MuseScore Studio.
In reply to In Windows, when you right… by TheHutch
Thank you your time and patience.. will do!
In reply to And it's equally easy… by TheHutch
Thanking you for your patience in advance,
In reply to Thanking you for your… by Scarlettmassel
I think that if you want a score to have vocal part labels (like soprano, alto, tenor, bass, or men, women) then you might want to set it up with those part names. That will give you the voice sounds you don't like. Then open the Mixer. Mouse over the top of the channel you want to change and a down arrow will appear on the right. Select the arrow and scroll down to Muse sounds and over to Keyboards and the piano that you want. Or you can continue down to Soundfonts>Muse basic.
In reply to I think that if you want a… by bobjp
Thank you. Thank you. Huge help!