Disklavier

Carol Beigel wrote:
> 
> I have used Veloset to "quiet" DKV files and find it worked great for
> quieting the piano part, but then I can't hear the ensemble sounds.  I have
> set the TG balance to 100 so that is not the problem.  Is there a way to
> adjust the volume of the ensemble sounds separately?

+++ An application such as Cakewalk allows you to 'select' the events that you
wish to edit.  So, you would select and modify only the piano events and leave
everything else intact.

> 
> All DKVs should be able to handle velocities of less than 25.  In
> Maintenance Mode the PPP (softest) value can be adjusted for each note.  The
> idea is to set it so the note just barely sounds.  Depending upon the
> friction in the piano action, these PPP values can range from 4 to over 25.
> Since the volume is usually too loud on a DKV, you usually don't have to
> worry about setting the PPP values too low as you can always turn up the
> volume.

+++ My Mark II does indeed respond to all note velocities between 1 and 127. 
The catches are these:

1) For volume settings 0 through -4, note velocities of 93 or greater (for
Vol=0), or note velocities of 125 or greater (for Vol= -4), all play with the
same sound output.  In other words, within in those those upper velocity ranges,
there is zero dynamic range.

2) If you plot the family of volume control response curves for volume settings
0 through -5, you will find that the sound output in dB is nearly linear for the
range of note velocities from 21 upward (until limiting is reached).  The
response below note velocity 21 is harder to describe in words and depends upon
the volume setting.  But, for example, at volume setting -2, a note of velocity
13 sounds several dB louder than the same note at velocity 21! (I recommend, for
Mark II, changing velocities below 25 to 25.)

> 
> My wanting to lower the volume on the music I play on my upright Mark II is
> to be able to set the volume control to nothing lower than -4.  At -4, the
> soft pedal is engaged - moving the hammer rail closer to the strings and
> thereby putting too much slush is the touch of the piano keys.  If I forget
> to reset the volume control to greater to -4 (-3 to 0) when I want to play
> the piano, then the touch of the keys is mushy.

+++  Then you will want to keep your volume control at no lower than -4, and
edit the note velocities in the file.  An alternative is to drive the DKV with
an external sequencer.  Cakewalk, for example, permits you to adjust the
velocities (in Track View) while driving your DKV and without permanently
modifying the MIDI file.

> 
> You can set the velocity as a percentage using Giebler. I noticed in the
> advertisement for Power Tracks Pro Audio 7.0 the mixer has been enhanced
> with a new Master Vomume control that allows you to change  overall levels
> without affeecting individual tracks.  Does anyone have experince with this?

+++ For most users who aren't too particular and who just want to quiet a loud
piece, I'm sure percentage scaling works just fine.  Remember though, that say
you scale all velocities to 70%, a note originally at velocity 25 will now be
18.  Worse, if you subtract 10, 20, or 30, as has been suggested, what happens
to the original note at 25?  If you have a good performance to start with and
wish to preserve its quality but modify its velocities for compatibility with
the DKV, you will want to treat your good file a little more carefully and that
is not difficult.

Suppose, for example, your file has velocities ranging from 16 to 126 and you
wish to map them to 25 through 95.  First note that the original range is 126
minus 16, or 110.  The final range will be 95 minus 25, or 70. So, divide 70 by
110 which gives you 64%.  So first scale the velocities by 64%.  Note that 64%
of 126 is 81.  Therefore, you will now need to add 14 to all velocities and your
new range is 25 to 95 as desired.


> 
> Carol Beigel
> 
> >From: "Thomas N. Wheeler" <tnwheeler@...>
> >Reply-To: disklavier@yahoogroups.com
> >To: disklavier@yahoogroups.com
> >Subject: Re: [disklavier] Re: Ideal Range for Velocity
> >Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2001 18:38:44 -0400
> >
> >Joan,
> >
> >A quick and effective means of controlling velocities on the disklavier
> >is to adjust the velocities using Veloset in the dkv utils software
> >package that is available within the files of the disklavier e-Groups
> >site.  Via a pair of sliders Veloset allows for adjustment of velocities
> >and is a quite effective means of setting the dynamic range within a
> >piece of music.
> >
> >Tom
> >
> >P.S. If you are unable to locate or download the dkv utilities for any
> >reason, send me a private e-mail and I'll send the zipped package to
> >you.  The zipped file contains instructions for using these valuable
> >utilities and is only 26 kB in size.
> >
> >joannagalt@... wrote:
> >
> >>Thank you for the extensive explanation. I will try your
> >>suggestions this weekend.
> >>
> >>Joan
> >>
> >>--- In disklavier@y..., "Robert E. Welcyng" <rwelcyng@a...> wrote:
> >>
> >>>The short story is . . . keep the note velocities within the range
> >>
> >>of 25 to 95.
> >>
> >>>To decide what velocity changes to make for any given file, it is
> >>
> >>helpful to
> >>
> >>>first produce and study a histogram of the original note velocity
> >>
> >>distribution.
> >>
> >>>The histogram will enable you to determine whether the highest and
> >>
> >>lowest
> >>
> >>>velocity values are outliers or part of the pattern.
> >>>
> >>>You may use a combination of note velocity alterations: scaling by
> >>
> >>a percentage,
> >>
> >>>offsetting by adding or subtracting a constant value, or setting
> >>
> >>all values
> >>
> >>>below 25 to 25 (or above 95 to 95).  It takes some judgment--there
> >>
> >>is no single
> >>
> >>>right answer.  Your approach may depend upon whether you wish to
> >>
> >>preserve
> >>
> >>>maximum dynamic range or you are trying to tame a file too loud for
> >>
> >>your piano
> >>
> >>>room.
> >>>
> >>>With the Mark II set to volume '0', all velocity values from 93 to
> >>
> >>127 will play
> >>
> >>>with the same loudness--that is, limiting occurs.
> >>>
> >>>At volume '-3', all velocity values from 96 to 127 will play with
> >>
> >>the same
> >>
> >>>loudness and at the same level as they do within the limiting range
> >>
> >>of volume
> >>
> >>>'0'.
> >>>
> >>>At volume '-6', the Mark II DKV will respond proportionally to all
> >>
> >>note
> >>
> >>>velocities in the range of 25 to 127, but at less than the maximum
> >>
> >>sound output
> >>
> >>>produced at volume '0' or '-3'.
> >>>
> >>>The Mark II does strange things with note velocities below 25,
> >>
> >>depending on the
> >>
> >>>DKV volume setting.  For consistent responses at all DKV volume
> >>
> >>settings, it's
> >>
> >>>best to avoid note velocities below 25.
> >>>
> >>>Joan Galt wrote:
> >>>
> >>>>What is the ideal range to set the velocity of midi
> >>>>files for the disklavier?
> >>>>
> >>>--
> >>>Robert Welcyng
> >>>Anchorage, Alaska
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>To Post a message to the group, send it to:   disklavier@...
> >>
> >>To Post a private message to Todd Muncy, the group's founder and
> >>moderator, send it to:
> >>disklavier-owner@...
> >>
> >>To reach our group's web site go to:
> >>http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier
> >>
> >>Todd's family web site was completely rewritten in June 2001 and contains
> >>some fun disklavier content and links to midi sites among other things,
> >>The url is:
> >>http://MuncyFamily.com
> >>
> >>THINKING OF LEAVING THE GROUP?
> >>If you are thinking of unsubcribing because you are getting too much mail,
> >>go the the web site and change your email delivery option instead.  That
> >>will fix the problem, while maintaining your access to the group.  If you
> >>insist on leaving us completely send a blank email to:
> >>disklavier-unsubscribe@...
> >>
> >>Know someone who wants to join?  Have them send a blank email to:
> >>disklavier-subscribe@... or give them this link:
> >>http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier/join
> >>
> >>
> >>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> 
> _________________________________________________________________
> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
> 
> To Post a message to the group, send it to:   disklavier@...
> 
> To Post a private message to Todd Muncy, the group's founder and moderator, send it to:
> disklavier-owner@...
> 
> To reach our group's web site go to:
> http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier
> 
> Todd's family web site was completely rewritten in June 2001 and contains some fun disklavier content and links to midi sites among other things, The url is:
> http://MuncyFamily.com
> 
> THINKING OF LEAVING THE GROUP?
> If you are thinking of unsubcribing because you are getting too much mail, go the the web site and change your email delivery option instead.  That will fix the problem, while maintaining your access to the group.  If you insist on leaving us completely send a blank email to:
> disklavier-unsubscribe@...
> 
> Know someone who wants to join?  Have them send a blank email to:
> disklavier-subscribe@... or give them this link:
> http://Yahoogroups.com/group/disklavier/join
> 
> 
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

-- 
Robert Welcyng
Anchorage, Alaska