Chained/Extended Glissandos Have Volume Playback Issue with NotePerformer

Dorico
1

I’m trying to implement an extended glissando passage for strings - but the playback is not cooperating.

Gliss Volume DIps
Gliss Volume DIps866×477 32.4 KB

Specifically, each time the playback hits the new note in each measure the volume noticeably dips. I tried adding accents on each of the notes - that helps the playback but it messes up the notation.

I’m adding a sample Dorico file and mp3. Any thoughts/suggestions?
Gliss Test.dorico.zip (537.5 KB)

2

To me this sounds quite realistic, as the string players will have a bow change at every note.
To get a more consistent glissando, try to add a slur accross all notes.

3

Adding slurs does not change anything. I disagree about the need to change bow at each note - since this is a continuous glissando the players can change bowing at any time they choose.

4

Yes you are right. I was more thinking on how the software interprets un-slurred notes in a string section. And software like NP gets trained to mimic real world musicians.

5

One thing that is puzzling is that the dip only happens when the gliss is extended. There is no dip on the last note in a gliss.

6

I had a very productive side discussion with Daniel. Due to technical reasons too complex to summarize here, when Dorico sees an extended chain of glissandos it re-triggers each note. However, Daniel came up with a workaround - and using Daniel’s suggestions I have devised a variation.

Use Midi Pitch Bend

  1. Disable the playback on all the glissandos and all the notes in the glissando chain except for the first note in the chain.
  2. Extend the played duration of the first note in the piano roll editor to the end of the last note in the chain
  3. Do a manual pitch bend change in the pitch bend editor.
    Depending on when you want the gliss to end, the pitch bend can stop either at the beginning or the end of the last note in the chain. If it ends at the beginning of the last note, then the pitch bend must stay at that value until the end of the last note
  4. Make sure to reset the pitch bend to 0 at the end of the last note.

Using a hidden glissando

  1. Disable the playback on all the glissandos and all the notes in the glissando chain except for the first and last notes in the chain
  2. Extend the played duration of the first note in the piano roll editor to the beginning of the last note in the chain
  3. Create a second glissando between the first and last notes in the chain
  4. Select the new glissando and set the custom scale to 1 in the Properties Panel

There are disadvantages to either method. The midi pitch bend interface goes from +100 (up an octave) to -100 (down an octave) - but as there are 12 notes in an octave this means that each half step (semi-tone) is plus or minus 8.333. But you can only specify the pitch bend in whole numbers - so unless the glissando is moving in multiples of 3 half steps the last note will be off pitch. Also - having to reset the midi pitch bend is tricky - and if you decide to change the glissando chain (either the length and/or the starting/ending note) after you’ve first set it up there are additional steps.

The hidden glissando method is also somewhat tricky to use since there are no signposts to indicate where these are. I guess you could keep these visible until you are finished with your piece - although this clutters up the score.

Editorial comment: yet another reason to implement a universal show / hide functionality

I have not done a lot of experimenting, but it seems like the hidden glissando method is somewhat easier to use - especially if you need to change the glissando chain after you’ve first set it up.

I have attached a sample score which illustrates both methods.

Gliss Test.dorico.zip (601.0 KB)

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