When will the templates be available to download from tapspace? Thanks.

Jon - as you've already noticed, there aren't staff types for every single instrument within VDL2. Maybe someday, but for the time being, this is what we have to work with. In the meantime, you can either enter these parts on ";pitched"; staff types, or create your own customized staff types within sibelius.

Creating a 5-line percussion staff from the Instruments window is pretty much the same thing as creating a new ";pitched"; staff, as it doesn't contain any mapping. this is fine, however you'll see key signatures, etc. Don't use any of the pre-named Sibelius percussion 5-line staff types as they'll ONLY playback notes that are assigned within the staff type mapping.

If you select ";extra staff above or below"; from within the Instrument window, it acts somewhat as an ossia staff where that staff will be ";linked"; to the staff it's assigned to. This can be OK if you want a vibe staff to also contain a separate staff for aux percussion stuff, but if what your mainly trying to do is simply add more/different staves to your score, simply use the ";add to score"; button from within the instruments window.

Thanks Drumcat,

First I am using Sibelius 3, midiyoke, and the Oxygen 8 midi controller. I do have the manual. You said that there is a list? I can see all the instruments, just need to know what staff type to use them. There are a lot of staff type changes for the VDL2 insturments but definately not all of them. What if I had to use maracas, shakers, rock tambourine, and wind chimes? Would I just have to add two percussion staves by choosing five line percussion? or do I have to use the multi-staff option from the instrument menu and chose one above or below? After that is done, what type of staff type change might I have to use? And do you have to have a staff type change for the Tam-Tam? I see there is one for Concert Bass and then one for BD and Tam but not just a staff type for Tam-Tam. Thanks for the help

-Jon

A few things, Jon.

#1 - Let's start with your environment. Sibelius, right? MIDI keyboard?

#2 - Do you have the manual? There's a list...

#3 - An easy way to do it is to duplicate the staff, but for vibes it doesn't matter...

You probably want to make your question a new thread... :wink:

Hey,

I have a couple of questions that I am sure someone can answer. I have downloaded the new template and have looked at it. First off, what staff type do you use for the Tam-Tam, or all the other types of gongs. There are so many obscure sounds in VDL2 and I need to know how to use them; ie. the ratchet, cabasa, some of the effects? Also, say you want to throw another auxillary part and another vibe part on the score. Would you just have to go to the instrument list and pull up a five line percussion staff and then use a staff type change to set it to the auxillary sound and then just add a vibraphone to your score?, or do you have to use the extra staff above or below feature.

-Thanks
Jon

Thank you so much! I'll try that. I really appreciate how much personal contact you give to the people that buy your product(s) and are so hands on with your company!

Here are a few tricks you might be able to try...

If you are running the DFD extension (which I assume you are), go to the OPTIONS window and check to be sure the RESERVED VOICES field is somewhere between 248 and 256, then hit APPLY.

Also, be sure you aren't routing two staves (i.e. two marimba staves) to the same midi channel (i.e. TWO staves in Sibelius going to the ONE marimba in VDL2). Especially if they are doing a lot of doubling - this can max out the instrument's polyphony pretty easily. You can always increase the allowed polyphony on any instrument by clicking on the SECOND number (it looks like a fraction like, ";0/32";), and dragging upward with your mouse.

Also, you may find it helpful to decrease the ";release"; value on long sustaining instruments such as vibes, chimes, etc. since they'll eat up polyphony for the entire time they're decaying. This knob will decrease that decay time once the note has been released.

Jim,

I saw that you answered part of this already under the posting by mrtwon. Is the playback problem due to the transposition issues in the template? That was the only part I didn't understand.

Sorry Jim not a very clear post above,

I think I have figured it out. When I have copied and doubled lines in different voices (i.e. chimes to bells, vibes to marimba), the playback on that voice drops out. If I have personally entered the notation into the template it is fine, but when I copy between staves and try to playback it does not always read correctly in the playback. Sometimes in playback it drops a figure at random times. In the previous reply I was talking about 8 voices being loaded and intermitent playback [u]is[/u] part of the problem I am having.

Im using only 2 running copies of VDL2, Sibelius, and midiyoke. I do realize that the bell transposition issue maybe a part of this problem but it wasn't just those voices that I was having a problem with.

[quote=";percatap";]Thanks Jim!

I don't know if this is a template issue or not but on playback I am not hearing all the voices that I should have. Some voices are cutting out even below 8. Is this a Sibelius issue or a template issue? Also when do you anticipate the next template update becoming available?[/quote]

I'm not sure I understand your question. Cutting out below 8 what? Are you not getting certain sounds, or are voices just dropping out intermittently? Please try to be specific if you can.

New Sibelius template should be available by the end of this weekend, so stay tuned.

Thanks Jim!

I don't know if this is a template issue or not but on playback I am not hearing all the voices that I should have. Some voices are cutting out even below 8. Is this a Sibelius issue or a template issue? Also when do you anticipate the next template update becoming available?

[quote=";percatap";]I am having trouble with transpositions on Sibelius 3.1.3 using the current template. For example if I am doubling something in the chimes and glock and need copy and drop an octave the template doesn't respond. What am I doing wrong? This also occurs on the vibe/marimba lines etc.[/quote]

Percatap - there's a few glitches in the current template that will be fixed soon. This was discussed in a previous thread so that you can fix it on your own if you want. It's actually quite simple. Check it at:
https://www.tapspace.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=577

good luck!

I am having trouble with transpositions on Sibelius 3.1.3 using the current template. For example if I am doubling something in the chimes and glock and need to copy and drop an octave the template doesn't respond. What am I doing wrong? This also occurs on the vibe/marimba lines etc.

[quote=";jonrking";]I am using the updated Sibelius template. This may be a dumb question but why are both Vibraphone 1 and Marimba 1 written without a key signature while the other Vibes and Marimbas have key signatures?

Thanks,
Jon[/quote]

Not a dumb question at all Jon. In fact, the problem is simple to fix. Those two staves were saved with the wrong staff types assigned. If you click on the first measure of that staff, then go to Create>Other>Staff Type Change>Pitched>5 lines, it should then display properly.

The next template revision will automatically default to the correct staff types.

I am using the updated Sibelius template. This may be a dumb question but why are both Vibraphone 1 and Marimba 1 written without a key signature while the other Vibes and Marimbas have key signatures?

Thanks,
Jon

[quote=";mcp";]Well, I followed their instructions to set things up, but I still couldn't get sound on playback. I'm getting sounds just fine out of the kontak player, just not from Finale. Do you use Finale?[/quote]

I've mainly been using sibelius since I got VD2. I haven't played with Finale enough to get everything up and running on it. I have an older version of Finale (2003) and the menus are a bit different that what is displayed in the VD2 manual.