Greetings disklavier,Hi Spencer,
I have a program that displays histograms of velocity in midi files
and allows you to change them by mapping from the original values to
new ones that are chosen by adjusting slider controls. It is like an
equalizer for velocity. It is a very flexible program for adjusting
MIDI files to play on the Disklavier. It has been available for a
while and many people have downloaded it but I have gotten little
feedback. If anyone is using and finds it useful or if there are bugs
or problems using it, I would like to know. It is available from the
the following page on my web site:
http://www.spencerserolls.com/Files4Download.html
I've been using your program for quite a while now and I love it.
I've used it to modify files for different performance settings. It seems to me quite� understandable that files that have been recorded in concert venues (the e-competition for example) may be too loud for a living room...� Pianists are no different from singers, and the expressive volume they will provide probably depends on their instrument, and on room size. (as for church organ playing, the amount of legato one is allowed depends on the church reverberation time)� I may be wrong however, as� Mei-Ting Sun's recorded 120 velocity might� imply (see John Q. former mail). Are those velocities the ones recorded in the concert hall ? Or are they the ones he performed on John Q. own piano, in a living or music room ?
Your program is a marvelous tool : one can have two versions of the same piece : one for musical performance (better than any HI FI system as far as piano soli are concerned!), and one for easy listening (with people chatting in the dining room, or dancing and whispering :-)� , or reading some good book.)
I've used it� also to edit files for the theatre play that my DKV is used in.� I can change the volume in no time, thus helping the actors who have to be heard "in front" of the piano, without killing the ppp notes.� Of course it will compress some of the dynamics, but in resonant halls, it really is helpful. And using the "volume"� setting� of the dkv, as most of the hotel and bartenders do, just kills the music.
So thanks again for your program. I understand it is shareware, and I guess I should really ask my company to pay my debt ! I will. I promise.
Now for something else about midi "velocity and volume" questions. Comparing a dkv to a synthesiser, velocity-wise, seems a bit odd to me. A synthesizer will play as loud as its PA system (amplifier) will allow. Midi velocities in this case are just a matter of dynamics (ratio between the fff and ppp notes) and the dynamics of the sample it uses, if it is a sampler-based machine. But a dkv has its own "fixed" volume capacity, depending on its model (ie soundboard size), regulation, voicing,� location, surroundings, etc. In the case of a synthesizer, the Veloset program should be used for musical reasons only, and not to change the volume of a track. One can use it as a quite sophisticated midi compressor-expander device, however.
And it's very simple to use. Dkv owners should have a (better) look at it : it will solve lots of problems, especially if they're searching the Internet for midi files !� In fact, it's just like the expression knee-levers and pedals most of the piano players had : you can put your own interpretation of a tune. Go for it !
Thanks again.
Jean Debefve