Is there Any Way to Download an Older Version of Muse Strings?
I hadn't updated any of my MuseSounds since september or october, and I had LOVED the sound quality that they brought! However, I recently made the mistake of opening MuseHub again for the first time in months, and it forced me to re-download all of the MuseSounds.
After redownloading everything, I discovered that the audio quality of Muse Strings in particular had been downgraded (likely to promote their purchasable string sounds).
Is there any way to find and/or install an older version of specifically Muse Strings? I want to get a version that predates anything from this December/January.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. This change in audio quality messed with a TON of my transcriptions.
Comments
AFAIK there is no way to get earlier sounds. The strings sounds do seem to be different. But there are some ways to deal with things depending on what you think is a problem.
What would concern me more is why you had to download all the sounds. Or was it just updates. And besides, The HUB lets you know there are updates. But you don't have to update. It sounds like you have automatic updates turned on. I would suggest going into settings and turning off everything. You don't need the HUB running to use MuseScore. I only open the hub now and then to check for updates.
I also agree that Muse Strings are not as good as they used to be. I am disappointed.
In reply to I also agree that Muse… by Riley Sullivan
What is it that you guys don't like?
In reply to What is it that you guys don… by bobjp
hey bob- I have the same problem, the strings aren't as realistic, tremolo is stiff and too extreme. much of the score annotation doesn't have the same effect. everything sounds like a synth and not the astonishingly good sounds of the earlier version, can you all please give us access to the older library?
In reply to I also agree that Muse… by Riley Sullivan
I agree, same thing happened to me. I was poking around on the Hub looking for better vocal/choral sounds and someting automatically updated, now all my works (both chamber and symphonic) sound terrible.
In reply to I agree, same thing happened… by hummingbirdje
hummingbridje
I don't work for MuseScore. I'm just a user like you. I would suggest opening the HUB, go to Settings and turn off everything there. I open the HUB now and then to check for updateds. You don't need it running to be able to use MuseScore.
In reply to hummingbridje I don't work… by bobjp
thanks! sorry for the confusion! I appreciate the help!
In reply to I also agree that Muse… by Riley Sullivan
Ngl I'm fairly certain the downgrade in audio quality is a ploy to force us users to buy their newer, premium, string MuseSounds. Which is scummy af
In reply to Ngl I'm fairly certain the… by SpartanChief17
SpartanChief17
I might agree with you if I actually could hear a difference. Do you have any recordings of an old version as compared to the new? I have recordings going back to when V4 first came out. I would finish a piece Save As with a new number after the title and make an mp3. And because pieces are never really finished, I work on them and do the same thing. I have a few pieces with 30 saves.
All I'm trying to establish is what "doesn't sound as good" means.
In reply to SpartanChief17 I might agree… by bobjp
oh yes, I do the same. so I am comparing mp3s generated before I was poking around on MuseHub sessions to present sessions. String vibrato is stiff and over emphasized, synthetic sounding, the dynamics don't seem to work as well especially crescendo and decrescendo markings. The transitions between notes are much more abrupt. Some consonant intervals now sound out of tune. I think the bottom line is that the system is not forcing MSBasic and not allowing the MuseSounds string library (I may have accidentally erased it). I have a paid subscription and have emailed support@musescore at no avail. thanks for engaging on this ...
In reply to oh yes, I do the same. so I… by hummingbirdje
Your paid subscription has nothing to do with MuseScore software. I'm not sure it is possible to accidently erase Muse sounds. If you had erased it, you wouldn't be able to select it in the mixer. I suppose that Muse sounds could have been changed a bit to make them work better with the staff text process. No idea. What are abrupt transitions?
In reply to Your paid subscription has… by bobjp
I took your advice and found /instruments under ../library/containers/musehub/data/installdata
there are only three subdirectories there:
MuseStrings
MuseBrass
MuseKeys
with date stamp from when I first downloaded
-- when I try to select the sound drop-down in the mixer I see these options:
MS Basic
Muse Sounds
VST3
SoundFonts
-- selecting Muse Sounds
Muse
SpitfireAudio (I purchased this)
when I select Muse I only see Vox options:
Alto, tenor .... etc.
--- to answer your question about 'abrupt transitions'
whatever sound library I was using before had a very physically realistic sound when transitioning between notes. now it sounds like (literally) I am playing keys on a 1990s synth
In reply to Ngl I'm fairly certain the… by SpartanChief17
hey... I want to Muse Hub and turned off the auto update feature, then uninstalled Musescore and its directories on my Mac, went to GitHub and got 4.4.2, then downloaded all the MuseSounds from MuseHub. Seems like everything is back to 'normal'
In reply to hey... I want to Muse Hub… by hummingbirdje
I'll give this a try, seems like the best solution!
How do the Muse Strings sound different from the last update? The sound changed substantially at one update, but they sounded entirely fine for new projects.
In reply to How do the Muse Strings… by karolcpm
But what does that mean? What changed?
In reply to But what does that mean?… by bobjp
For me they're still pretty good, but somehow they don't have quite the same smoothness between notes, like the legato isn't quite as good. It can sometimes sound staccato, like there's a small gap between notes. I can't quite say when it started, but I think it was when Muse Hub 2.0 rolled out.
You might say that you're supposed to put slurs if you want the legato transition, but that makes no difference. Muse Sounds were not designed to react to slurs. They only have an effect if you use the classic phrasing sound flag.
In reply to For me they're still pretty… by Riley Sullivan
I don't think applying slurs will change the playback, But if you go to the Palettes under the Text group, you can import a Staff text for the Strings. The Staff text should allow you to specify between Standard, Classic phrasing, and other playing techniques for the playback.
![MuseScore Studio Strings Playing Techniques Screenshot 2025-02-03 175243.png]( "MuseScore Studio Strings Playing Techniques Screenshot 2025-02-03 175243.png")
Hope this helps.