Metronome volume changing

[blane245]

OK. So thing's get weirder. I have restarted my computer and then played this piece. There is no metronome problem! I had tried restarting notation and that didn't fix the problem. It appears that restarting my computer does. I will keep this thread open, because it will probability happen again, and maybe I can catch the culprit.

[herbert]

Listening again to the song, I hear a metronome that does not line up with the song. The sound level does not change.

Herbert

[Sherry C]

Hi guys,

Originally Posted by herbert

Listening again to the song, I hear a metronome that does not line up with the song. The sound level does not change.

Herbert

This situation can happen if you are using a different device for the metronome than for regular playback, and one device has a latency that has not been adjusted for. I typically recommend to use the same MIDI playback device for both the metronome and the staves in the file.

If you are using the same device for both, can you please let me know what device you're using?

Thanks!
Sherry

[blane245]

Don't go off on another problem. My problem is that the sound track starts soft, then gets loud about measure 3, then later gets soft again. I am not using a MIDI, but my computer sound card. The problem comes and goes on certain compositions, and never appears on others. When I say comes and goes I mean that it will go away after restarting my computer, but if I play the song a few times, it comes back.

I suspect a memory problem.

[dj]

Hi, Blane:

This is something I've not run into before with Notation Software products (and my involvement goes back before it was even called Notation Software!), so I have to think it's something specific with your computer.

Your suspicion is that it's a memory problem. Neither Composer or the MS GS synth use that much memory, so I would question whether that's likely, unless there is lots of other stuff running at the same time.

I suggest you install something like Coolsoft's VirtualMIDISynth (http://coolsoft.altervista.org/en/virtualmidisynth). It's free and you can test the problem with it. Be sure you download one of the suggested GM soundfonts to go with it. If you like it, you may even stick with it.

As with all software synths (it's actually a sample playback device, not a synthesizer), it has some latency, but apparently less than many. I'm not sure if it's ASIO4ALL compatible or not.

David

[Sherry C]

Hi guys,

David's suggestion for testing is a good one. The GS Wavetable - while convenient because it's on all Windows machines - has some "personality issues" It does some strange things, including messing up ASIO (which isn't intuitively obvious, but nonetheless true), and other quirky behavior.

Something else that can goof around with MIDI devices (and the GS Wavetable is the Windows internal MIDI device) are programs that use MIDI, such as instant messaging programs (among others) - those little beeps/bells/buzzers are typically MIDI-generated sounds, and so they call on the MIDI driver.

If anything like that is going on on your machine, they can interfere with the proper playback of files. Most newer machines and setups handle things pretty well, but since there are so many different configuration scenarios, I mention this as something to look out for. If someone is having sporadic problems, I typically recommend shutting off anything else that may call on audio or MIDI resources while you're working on files.

ttfn,
Sherry

[blane245]

Sherry and dj,
Thanx a lot for the suggestion. I am no where near an expert in dealing with MIDI or sampling (I was many years ago, circa 1970, but things have changed).
I did download CoolSoft's app and selected the Timbre of Heaven as the sound font. I can't quite figure out how to map the staff successfully. I did select CoolTrack as the metronome sound tract, but my one staff in the file does not show that device as an option. The metronome is not playing at all. I think I configured Cooltrack output right, but who knows.

Can you guys help? I have attached the current version of the file after I made the metronome track change.

I seem to be having attachment problems so it may have not been attached.

BTW, when I use Notation, there is very little else running. I use it for practice on my instrument of choice, and am not doing much else.