Hello,

So I've just discovered the cresc./dim plugin in Sibelius 7.5 to apply to sustained rolls using anything longer than quarter notes. I've had success applying this plugin to a long dim. buzz roll, but now I'm not having any success applying it to the picture attached, where the hairpins are more frequent with the buzz rolls. The rolls just sound flat. I know that you can type out 16th notes and add a tremolo on each note, but it sounds too mechanical- I'm being picky because I am sending this piece off for publication and want it to sound great. Any help is greatly appreciated. I am using the VDL "Concert snare drum" and a Write Score template. Thank you!

Have you experimented with increasing the range of change (high to low) so that the contrast can be heard? With shorter rolls, I wonder if that's more necessary. I've found that plugin tends to require a fair amount of trial and error to achieve the desired results.

Also, you might want to try forcing each of those rolls to attack using a common/consistent velocity ('live velocity' in Sibelius lingo) so that the velocity isn't having an unwanted affect on your cresc/dim plugin data (which is, technically, expression control, or CC #11).

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the response. yeah I have tried extremes in the range section, but still doesn't work for me. I have tried to even take it to Logic, and had no luck with the midi draw section. Is there any other work around that you know of?

Is there any chance you're using a VDL library version prior to 2.5.5? Earlier versions of the library didn't have this expression control on sustaining instruments like concert snare rolls, marimba rolls, etc.

You might also double-check this by testing controller 11 (expression) on a hardware MIDI controller, seeing to it that you hear the sustained roll raise and lower dynamically on your concert snare. If CC11 isn't working that way, it certainly wouldn't work within Sibelius either.

yeah I double checked the email I sent to you guys at Tapspace upon purchasing the software and I am using 2.5.5. The reason why I checked my email is because I remember when purchasing the software, the box says "2.5" but it was actually "2.5.5," is this correct? I did a search of my computer and the manual says "2.5" though.

With the plugin, I am able to have it work for longer rolls, like whole note rolls, but for the shorter ones (quarter notes, and half notes) I am having trouble.

The reason why I am obsessing over this is because I am preparing 3 solos for publication consideration at Tapspace. Just curious, if I had several half note/quarter note buzz rolls that sounded a tad mechanical (for example, for the half note buzz rolls, I changed them to two sets of 16th notes and added tremols on them to achieve dynamics), is that much of an issue? Every note has been adjusted in terms of velocity and RH and LH noteheads though with success to bring the piece to a high level of realism. It's just the buzz rolls I'm freaking out about!

If it's not working when you draw Expression automation into Logic, then it makes me wonder about whether you're doing something slightly wrong. Are you setting it to CC11 (expression) rather than CC7 (volume)? It's tough to say what may be going wrong without actually seeing it. Sounds like you're giving it a lot of attention, so I'm not sure what else to suggest. It might be helpful to do a screen video capture and share that on the Facebook VDL Users Group (as well as here) to see if anyone else has suggestions.

Here is the attached picture. I also posted this on the FB page.

Here's the background info:

I have success with this plugin with whole note buzz rolls, but for some reason I have no luck with half note buzz rolls. I'm using the "Concert Snare Drum" VDL instrument with the write score template on Sibelius 7.5. For the high and low percentages in the plugin, I've tried many combinations. Currently it's at a low of 34 and a high of 88. I've tried connecting the half note to quarter note with a tie, slur and nothing, and every time the buzz roll plays back with a slight accent on beat 1 and then stays softer until the quarter note. Thanks in advance for the help.

In the photo, since the roll starts at "Piano" did you manually adjust that note's velocity to something higher? I'd set its velocity to around 100-115 to ensure the end of the roll has the headroom needed to simulate the crescendo.

The slight accent will probably be alleviated if you grab the first (lowest) invisible CC11 message, and move it slightly prior to the note's attack. That'll ensure the expression controller lowers before the attack of the note begins.