Long notes cutting after 10 seconds
I have a couple of songs where I want some really long notes at the end (playing live), but no matter if I use the flugelhorn or the german trumpet (my favourites :-) the tone cut after about 10 seconds (I'm using the EWI USB) although I continue to blow.
Have I done something wrong during installation or setup or is the problem that the samples used for the instruments are not looped?
Is there a workaround for this problem?
SyrinxGC
Have I done something wrong during installation or setup or is the problem that the samples used for the instruments are not looped?
Is there a workaround for this problem?
SyrinxGC
Comments
no, you did not do anything wrong.
Our aim was to create a virtual instrument which is as close to the original as possible. But in one point we allowed ourselves an exception: we did not limit the tone length to just a few seconds, but decided to keep it as long as 10 seconds! :-)
Of course, there are no loops - as there are no loops in the real thing. Every trumpet player must stop - if he plays for example a fortissimo, I doubt he can play longer than 3 - 4 sec...
10 seconds - as we did it, after a time consuming procedure of merging several samples together - is usually more than enough... Moreover, creating even longer samples would lead to an instrument of a double size, for example.
If you need even more, some "tricks" are needed, which an arranger writing for real instruments would do anyway - like, for example, repeating the note after a tiny pause, or applying a second instrument slightly overlapping the first one. Or setting a note in the score of a length which is playable... :-)
OK, a skillful musician, if playing at the lowest dynamic level, can hold the tone very long. But not so, if playing loud... And, as mentioned above, we did not want to increase the size of the instrument above a certain limit.
Best
Peter
My style of music is soft jazz/evergreens and latin, and I rarely play very loud. In a live situation you get some positive attention by holding a long note at the end of a song (like some famous opera tenors)
I can easily play a 30 second note with the EWI with CC2 at apx. 70. I accept the limitation and will find a workaround.
However - With Mr.Sax T the limit is not the same. I haven't tested how long the notes can be but it must be at east 15 sec?
Anyway - I used both the Trumpet and Mr.Sax T for the first time at a gig last night - and the response was VERY positive!
Thank you for an exellent product - even with its minor limitations
SyrinxGC
I am very happy you can successfully use our instruments live. I understand your point... But, whereas 30 sec. on EWI is not a problem, I´m afraid 30 sec. on a real trumpet is not an easy task - especially above pp... EWI has definitely less air consumption than a brass instrument.
As far as the Sax family is concerned - it uses a different approach and a completely different engine. It has, indeed, a kind of loop, so practically no length limitations here.
All the best
Peter
The wind consumption of the EWI is actually very much like that of a piccolo flute (which I've been playing for years) or, I believe, like the oboe. The problem is not that the instrument requires much air. The big problem is to get rid of it, because it's so hard to blow. :-)
I used to play the piccolo in the norwegian Kings Guards Marching Band. The only way you could survive marching 90cm per step at 120 steps per minute was to let air out of your nose while you were playing.
The solution on the EWI is to let out air outside the mouthpiece when you really need to empty your lungs.
So I will just continue practicing on making The Trumpet and Mr.Sax T sound as realistic as possible (I love the natural vibrato on the instruments!) and I will wait and hope for the "The Trombone" and "Mr.Clarinet" to turn up sometime soon...
Just to get an idea of when to expect something new - is samplemodeling.com a fulltime job for you guys?
Keep up the good work!
SyrinxGC
thank you very much for the interesting insights :-)
Just to get an idea of when to expect something new - is samplemodeling.com a fulltime job for you guys?
More than that... Each instrument requires extremely complex studies and research. However, for many reasons, this work cannot be commissioned to anybody - it can be carried out only by ourselves.
This takes time...
Best
Peter