Hoping someone can help...
I'm using Sibelius 3.
I have figured out how to use the ol' hairpin playback thing in the properties palette, and it works great (thanks for the concise explanation JC!)...but for some reason I can't get it to work with the sustained buzz roll sound for snare drums.
What I need is a 6 count decrescendo buzz roll, and for some reason it won't work on the sustained buzz roll sound.
When I tried tying two dotted half notes together I got the second half of a decresc. but not one in the first three counts.
Any ideas?

Thanks,
Carl Eppler

Hey Carl,

Hairpins in Sibelius only alter velocity values on a successive series of notes. On your sustained buzz roll, you attack it once, hold for 6 counts, then release it. While it's being held, there are no new attacks occuring to carry the cres/dim (velocity changes) you're looking for from the hairpin.

Currently, dynamic buzz rolls can be a bit tricky. There are 3 general lengths of crescendo and diminuendo buzz rolls included in each VDL2 snare instrument. Obviously, since tempos vary, this is an imperfect science. I find that with most marching charts I write, ninety percent of the time, I can achieve a close approximation of the desired dec/cres length by entering the buzz roll with one of these three dynamic lengths.

What tempo are you writing for?

JC in the place to be...

The tempo is 168. 

Thanks for the quick reply!

Take care,
Carl

[quote author=CarlEppler link=topic=1115.msg4710#msg4710 date=1147051360]
JC in the place to be...

The tempo is 168. 

Thanks for the quick reply!

Take care,
Carl
[/quote]
For a 6 count decrescendo buzz roll at 168BPM, I'd enter it using the LONG dec. buzz roll (A-natural 6 using the ";full/lite"; VDL2 instrument). It may not be quite long enough, hence the imperfect science. If you need to hear a distinct attack on the release of this roll (as if you're going into another phrase), I'd suggest you don't TIE the buzz roll into the next attack, but rather use a SLUR to ensure the previous note has a 'note-off' message sent (the tie will negate that if you don't have it tied to a note of the same pitch).

Hope all is well!

Yep, that got it close enough. 
I love Gladiator music.

Thanks,
Carl

Hey Carl!!!

RATLIFF?  Remember me?  Dave from Regiment '98?  How ya been?

Of course I remember you man!  How are things?  Who you working with these days?