Disklavier

Ed,

Before you edit controller 7 (volume) data, consider this:

MOST midi sound modules and samplers (software as well as hardware) are
designed to receive midi velocity on a scale of 0-127. If I were to use my
traditional pro midi controllers triggering a pro sampler (such as
gigastudio), it would not be unusual for the range of VELOCITY to be from
the single digits to 127 for fff performances. However, more often, to make
the velocities scale in a more "natural" (read: pleasing for most pop music)
way, many midi controllers scale velocity, to a modified logarithmic curve.
This may work well with digital samplers and sound modules, which are
programmed to look for high range of velocity for the "fff" samples.

NOW, the problem at hand is that our acoustic pianos play "too loud" when
playing back some pre-recorded midi files...

I did some tests -- saved a "normal" performance played on my DC5A and
analyzed the midi velocities... When I brought it over to my professional
midi rig (playing back from LogicPro or ProTools into a GigaStudio) - the
velocities were SIGNIFICANTLY lower. As in, playing ff, maximum 90-100. mf
playing was more like 60-75. These velocities playback rather "wimpy"  on
the samplers or sound modules.

SO - the fix, if you have sequencing software, is to play with the
velocities of midi files...

This is also a prime example of how poorly the sampled pianos are out
there... I am one of the founders of the soundware company, Sampleheads
http://www.sampleheads.com - and we chose to never attempt a piano, based on
my knowledge of the complexities in pulling it off. I simply don't want to
deal with it.

One final thought: if you are buying "disklavier specific" library, then you
shouldn't have this problem (if done well). You will more likely than not
have this problem with outside midi files made for standard midi modules.

One of these moments, I'll figure out the exact scaling ratio and maybe will
make an executable script in max that will convert a "standard" midi file
into velocity scaling more appropriate for DKV. But not this month.

jr



On 5/21/04 7:07 AM, "Ed Hutton" <e.hutton@...> wrote:

> 
>  Have any of you experienced a problem where a MK III disklavier
> was playing at too loud a volume on the minimum setting? If so what
> did you do about it? Is this a rare issue?
>