FAQ : Playing

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FAQ Playing a tune

Question : What is the difference between "Digital output" and "Midi output"?

With digital output, musical notes are transformed into sounds by the software as soon as they are played. It is possible to use sounds other than the predefined set, or to apply a digital effect processor.
With Midi output, the Midi sound card or the external Midi synthesizer does this job. The resulting output is then dependent on the quality of the connected MIDI hardware (card, external synth...).

Question : Sound is sometimes broken up. Why?

There are several possible explanations :

If your computer becomes very slow, so that it is difficult to perform mouse actions, it means that calculating the digital output is overwhelming your computer's processing capabilities.

Digital output consumes a significant amount of processing time. If your computer is not very powerful and you try to output your tune with high quality and many voices, it can even freeze your system.

You can then :

Select the 'Configuration>Digital output configuration' menu option and reduce output quality and/or number of voices.
In the same window, deselect the option "Enable effect processors".
Click the digital sound effects icon in the "play" palette and remove digital post-processing effects such as Reverb, Surround, etc.

If breaks do not occur regularly, and you can hear your hard disk or another device working in the meantime, it means that the system halts digital output from time to time.

You can then :

Ensure no other program is running in background (automatic anti-virus, etc.)
Select the "Configuration>Digital output configuration" menu option and set a bigger buffer (Standard or Compatible button) to minimize the effects of these halts on digital output.

If breaks are regularly distributed across time and the program continues to run without noticeable slowness, it means that your hardware (sound card) is not compatible with the buffer options set in the digital output configuration.

You can then select the "Configuration>Digital output configuration" menu option and set a bigger buffer (Standard or Compatible button). You can also manually set the buffer size and number of voices so that your computer plays music properly.

Question : While the tune is played, there are speed variations. Why?

Maybe a change in tempo has been invisibly defined in your tune. Check it.
This can also happen if your system is overloaded. Quit other applications, switch the 'Scroll music' option off and do not move the mouse while the music is playing.

Question : When several instruments play at the same time, the sound crackles. Why?

The sound volume of your instruments, or the general volume, is probably too high. Reduce it. You can also use the Automatic Gain Control (AGC) to avoid saturation, but it can lead to a muffled sound if the general volume is too high.

Question : I am entering a tune, and I want to hear only the end. How can I do this?

You have two solutions :

1- Switch to "play selection only" mode (Tune playing floating palette) and set the selection range to the point you want your tune to start from. While your tune is playing, you can change the selection location to try other parts of your tune.

2- Set the tune start marker in the ruler (gray area giving the bar numbers).
To do this, hold the Command (Macintosh) or Ctrl (PC) key down and click on the bar number you want the tune to be played from. A menu opens, select the required option.

Question : Why do some drum instruments (for example Gong, Pandiero...) not produce any sound?

The instruments in the list cover the whole GM/GS standard. A few sounds are not available,however, and are displayed here solely for compatibility with Midi files which can use them.
But this is not specific to the software. A great number of synthesizers cannot produce all these sounds...

Question : The sound of one instrument is louder than the others. How can I adjust it?

Edit the instrument and reduce its volume. You can also do this in the "Mixer" window.

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