Sibelius 3
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Before using this guide to using the Garritan Personal Orchestra with Sibelius 3, please read the full manual which came with your copy of GPO. The manual includes a lot of important information about using GPO on its own and about the individual instrument samples which is not included in this guide. Please also make sure you have the latest version of the Kontakt player and GPO Studio from www.garritan.com.
Contents |
[edit] Initial Settings
Always run GPO Studio before you run Sibelius. Both GPO and Sibelius are very resource-hungry applications, and so unless you have an awful lot of RAM you�re likely to get problems with popping and crackling in GPO. If this is the case, in Personal Orchestra Studio, go to Settings > Preferences and change the buffer size to 512. Secondly, open the Ambience window, and turn down the Quality/CPU setting as shown on the right. You may need to turn this right down to 0%.
The first time you use Sibelius with GPO, go to Play > Devices. On a Mac, click on GPO Studio: 1 (it won�t play a scale unless you have samples loaded). In Windows, change all GPO Studio outputs to �Yes� under the Use column and all other devices to �No�.
You don�t need to change the Sound Set for GPO Studio devices, because you will manually set up your studio each time you need it in Sibelius. Unless you have a very fast computer with a lot of spare RAM you won�t be able to use GPO as a live recording-playback device in Sibelius, but if you are able to do this, you might want to experiment with different latency settings here (especially if you�re using another MIDI device for the click track). If this doesn�t sound like you, don�t worry!
[edit] Making it work
Let�s discover the basics of how Sibelius and GPO can work together. The first thing to remember is that if you�ve been a Sibelius user for some time, you�re used to choosing an instrument in Sibelius and having it play back automatically. Because GPO is running as a separate application, there is one extra step: you need to tell it which instruments Sibelius is asking for. Once you�ve learned this, the rest is simple.
[edit] Start with Sibelius
In Sibelius, open a new score for flute alone. Input the flute melody to the right. Make sure you add all of the dynamics, phrasing and articulation.
You�ll have noticed the absence of playback as you put these notes into Sibelius. That�s because we haven�t told GPO Studio what instrument Sibelius is expecting yet! Let�s do that.
[edit] Always note the mixer settings
First, open Sibelius� Mixer (click the little arrow button if you can�t see all of it). Note that the flute (by default) is set to play on MIDI channel 1. Also note that by default Sibelius is using GPO Studio: 1 for playback. If this isn�t the case, go back to Play > Devices, follow the instructions on page one of this guide, and then Reset Sounds in the Mixer.
From looking at the mixer we know that Sibelius is going to send the MIDI playback of the flute to GPO Studio 1, on MIDI channel 1. Now go to GPO Studio to set up the flute to play back.
[edit] In GPO
In GPO Studio, click on Player 1. This corresponds to GPO Studio: 1 in Sibelius. You�ll notice 8 �slots�, little black boxes just below the Kontakt and Garritan Personal Orchestra badges. We can load one sample (sound) into each slot. This might sound a little limiting, since 8 different instruments is hardly an orchestra - but remember that there are 8 GPO Studio �players�, and with each playing 8 instruments, you can have 64 samples playing at once (if you have the RAM to support it!).
[edit] Load your first sample
We need GPO to play back a flute for our flute line, so let�s load a flute. Click on the big LOAD button (see right), and go to Dry > 1. Woodwinds > 1. Flutes > Flute Solo V. V stands for Vibrato - you could load Flute Solo NV if you�d prefer a flute without vibrato.
[edit] Is that it?
By default, the flute has loaded into the first slot. Slot 1 corresponds to MIDI Channel 1. Remember that our flute was going to play back on MIDI channel 1, on GPO Studio 1, so we should have everything set up to work perfectly now.
[edit] Don't I need to know more about the Kontakt Player?
Yes, you do, and there�s plenty of great general information in the GPO manual, but little else specific to Sibelius. Just be sure that you use the Dry samples not the Wet Audition samples, and make sure you read the part in the GPO manual about how to use solo and ensemble players to avoid phasing.
For now, go into Sibelius and press play. You should hear the excerpt played back using our lovely GPO flute sample.
[edit] Making the playback better - dynamics
When you play back the flute excerpt in Sibelius you might notice that Sibelius� automatic playback of dynamics is not as effective as with your usual MIDI equipment. This is because GPO uses the Note Velocity commands that Sibelius sends when it reads dynamics to give effective attack and accentuation, separate to the actual volume of the dynamics. If you�ve used GPO for live playback, you�ll remember that the Mod wheel on your MIDI keyboard is used to control the dynamics precisely. To input a louder dynamic at the start of the flute part, type ~C1,80. Hide this text so that it doesn�t show up on your printed score. You can
change the dynamic/volume of any part in any score by typing ~C1, and then any number between 0 (silent) and 127 (very loud).
[edit] A plug-in to help
Victor Etxebarria has cleverly adapted a plug-in to automatically add these MIDI commands to your score wherever you�ve used crescendo and diminuendo lines, so that they will playback correctly. Download it from the Sibelius page at www.garritan.com, and save it into the Plug-Ins folder within your Sibelius 3 folder. Then run the plug-in on our flute excerpt, and you should hear a difference in the playback. You might also like to manually add some more ~C1,x commands next to each dynamic to experiment.
[edit] Making the playback better - phrasing
Sibelius� own phrasing (slurring) settings in Play > Performance will only have a slight effect on your GPO playback. GPO itself uses sustain pedal commands to make a phrase played smoothly and evenly. You can add hidden pedal markings to correspond with phrases manually in Sibelius, or you can use another of Victor�s plug-ins to automatically add the correct markings. Download his Legato Slur plug-in from the GPO-Sibelius page (http://www.garritan.com/GPO-SibeliusPage.html) and save it into your Plug-Ins folder. Try adding legato passages using the plug in and manually in Sibelius.
[edit] Making the playback sound better - Flexitime Input
If you�re lucky enough to have a nice quick processor and lots of RAM in your computer, you should be able to use Sibelius� Flexi-time real-time recording with your GPO sounds. Before you do this, make sure that you have Sibelius set to record all MIDI messages, because you can then use record GPO�s mod wheel and sustain pedal controls live with your performance. To do this, go to Notes > Flexi-time Options, click on the Notation tab, and make sure all options under MIDI Messages are ticked.As you perform, use the Mod wheel and sustain pedal just as described in the GPO manual to give real performance nuances, and Sibelius will
record these and play them back.
[edit] Can�t hear your click track?
When you go to . exi-time record your part, you may . nd you can�t hear the click. That�s because by default the click track plays on Channel 10, and not only do we not have a sample loaded in slot 10, but there isn�t even a slot 10! To solve this problem, either set the MIDI click to playback through a different MIDI device, or load a snare drum into slot 2, set the click track in Sibelius� Mixer to channel 2, and choosing the Click button, set the playback sounds as shown on the right.
[edit] Making the playback sound better - Live Playback
Sibelius 3�s Live Playback feature is also useful for giving you more realistic sounding playback if you are recording parts in via Flexi-time. Make sure that you have Live Playback turned on to hear the actual performance accentuations (note velocities) and performance timings exactly as you played them, even if the score displayed has been edited or Adjust Rhythms was turned on. You can also apply Live Playback timings and velocities to notes manually through the Properties Window or via Play > Transform Live Playback, and you can adjust velocities of individual notes that you may have accidentally played too hard or too softly simply by dragging the sliders above each note when View > Live Playback Velocities is turned on.
[edit] Saving all that work
Getting your scores to sound just right can be just as much work as getting them to look just right, so you don�t want to have to do it more than once. Save your Sibelius . le just as you usually would, and save the GPO Studio . le with a similar name so that you can easily remember both. A good idea is to save both . les in the same folder. When it�s time to work on the project again, open the GPO . le and the Sibelius file and everything should work just a it was when you left it. Be careful not to reset sounds if you�ve been working with another device since. Using GPO with Sibelius 3
[edit] Scores with many instruments
Open the Beethoven String Quartet Sibelius file that is available with this PDF. This file has not been extensively set-up for GPO playback so is ready for you to experiment with.
[edit] Our Garritan String Quartet
If you look in the mixer of the Sibelius file, you�ll see that the quartet are on MIDI tracks 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the order they appear. Go into GPO studio and create a new <empty> file. Load the 4 instruments into the correct four slots of Player 1. Experiment with different kinds of violin samples. Would you prefer a Stradivarius on violin 1 or violin 2? Which cello sounds the best? You can change the sample loaded into each slot as many times as you like by clicking on that slot and then clicking the load button. Easier than sacking a bad string player!
[edit] Ready-to-go
While you�ll usually want to very carefully select your samples to make sure you have the exact balance you want, there are a number of presets available in GPO Studio that will save you time setting up. Save your current quartet settings, and start a New <empty> file. Click on Load but this time go to Multis > 17 String Quartet. All samples will be loaded and ready to go with your Sibelius file - all you need to do is check that the MIDI channels and slots match numbers correctly (and change the channels in the Mixer if they don�t), and away you go!
[edit] Experiment with the String Quartet
Recap the steps we used earlier to make our flute score sound better with GPO, to try to get the best results from the Beethoven String quartet. What MIDI velocity commands sound best for each dynamic? Does the phrasing (sustain pedal) command have a different effect with strings?
[edit] Pizzicato plug-in
Neil Sands has written a clever little plug-in which will go through your score looking for pizz and arco markings and will add the correct notes to effect keyswitches so that these instructions play back correctly. Insert some pizz commands into your Beethoven score, download Neil�s plug-in fromthe GPO-Sibelius Page (http://www.garritan.com/GPO-SibeliusPage.html), install it in your Plug-ins folder and run it on the score. You�ll notice that the keyswitches are placed in voice 4 (they�ll appear as some out-of range notes as seen on the right). You can hide them by simply highlighting your whole score, then going to Edit > Filter > Voice 4 and choosing Hide.
[edit] Saving as audio and burning onto CD
GPO Studio will allow you to record an audio file of your Sibelius score as it is played back in GPO. In GPO Studio, simply choose Record > Record to File. Give the file a location and a name, then click Record. Jump into Sibelius and press play, and when the score has finished go back to GPO Studio and stop the recording. You can edit the resulting file in your favourite audio editor, or in a freeware editor like Audacity. You can burn this file onto a CD ready to impress your friends using your favoured burning software, or one of the many free great burning programs available on the internet like Apple�s iTunes.
[edit] FAQ
- What does the Kontakt player in Sibelius have to do with GPO?
- Absolutely nothing! It just happens that Sibelius 3 ships with a Kontakt plug-in, and that the GPO samples are played with a Kontakt plug-in. The two are not connected. For the record, the advantage with Sibelius built-in Kontakt player is that it is fully automated in Sibelius. The advantage with GPO is that it has a much wider range of quality samples (and de. nitely worth the extra work!).
- Sibelius is playing back but I can�t hear any sound
- First check that you�ve correctly organised each instrument in Sibelius� mixer to play back into the correct player and the correct MIDI channel. Try clicking on a few keys on the Kontakt keyboard once you have a sample loaded, and if you can�t hear anything, check that your speakers are connected to your computer and that the computer isn�t muted.
- The Save As Audio feature in Sibelius isn�t working
- You need to use the Record feature in GPO Studio instead.
- I don�t have all of the features in my GPO Studio that are listed here
- Download the updates fromthe GPO Download Page at http://www.garritan.com/downloads.html
James Humberstone
Special thanks to Amanda Falkenberg, Neil Sands, and Steve Martin of their help in reviewing and editing this tutorial
