Reversing a single piano note, then having it sustain ...

Howdy -

Can someone give a hand on something I’m trying to do please?

I’ve recorded a single note piano hit. What I’d like to do is:

  1. Have it play in reverse (no prob, using Audio>Process>Reverse).
  2. Then have it sustain for the duration of the single note.

It’s that latter part I’m having a problem with. Just putting the unreversed note at the end of the reversed note, what I first tried, doesn’t work because of the shape of the audio envelope: As it turns out, a struck piano note is not loudest at the first moment, but takes a bit of time to swell before it decays.

So, a reversed note followed by the unreversed note would actually have a decrescendo leading into the transition between the two notes, followed by a crescendo of the unreversed note once the transition has occurred.

What I want to hear is a swell in volume to the last portion of the reversed note, then at peak volume the unreversed note starts, and there is a decrease in volume from the start of the unreversed note.

I guess I need a piano sample that doesn’t take time to swell to max volume. How can I find that? Or is there a way of editing what I have? (When I try to edit to make it smooth, it doesn’t :frowning: ).

Thanks for any suggestions -

YOu have two audio samples, yes? A normal piano note, and
a reversed sample.
Your issue is that the amplitude of the normal note peaks “into” the sample, correct?
Well, rather then placing the normal sample following on from the reversed sample,
create an overlap, using two tracks.
With the reverse sample on trk 1, normal on trk 2, position the normal
sample so that its peak coincides with the peak of the reverse sample.
If need be, cut off the front part of the normal sample prior to the peak, or fade up
the front part.

This should do it!

Yep, try a crossfade of the 2 versions, that sounds like the best option.
You can try ‘faking’ the sustain with reverb but it won’t sound the same.

That is much better! Thank you andyoc for talking the time to help out!

[EDIT: Whoops, thanks too, Stroph!]