# StaffPad text techniques



## gh0stwrit3r

Today I was playing around in StaffPad figuring out how to work with the text techniques option (writing above the staff). I got a couple expressions working, but lots don’t seem to do anything. I’m working with the default sounds, so no extra paid libs.

These work:
- pizz.
- bartok
- arco (to return to the default setting)

I would love to have col legno, spiccato and flautando too. Does anyone know if it is possible to have these techniques with the default/standard libs?


----------



## stevebarden

gh0stwrit3r said:


> Today I was playing around in StaffPad figuring out how to work with the text techniques option (writing above the staff). I got a couple expressions working, but lots don’t seem to do anything. I’m working with the default sounds, so no extra paid libs.
> 
> These work:
> - pizz.
> - bartok
> - arco (to return to the default setting)
> 
> I would love to have col legno, spiccato and flautando too. Does anyone know if it is possible to have these techniques with the default/standard libs?


Which string libraries have you tried the Bartok articulation on? For Berlin strings it does nothing. With Spitfire Strings, it only generates a regular pizzicato articulation. For an actual Bartok snap you would have to change the note head to an "x" and not include any other articulations (such as pizz).


----------



## gh0stwrit3r

stevebarden said:


> Which string libraries have you tried the Bartok articulation on? For Berlin strings it does nothing. With Spitfire Strings, it only generates a regular pizzicato articulation. For an actual Bartok snap you would have to change the note head to an "x" and not include any other articulations (such as pizz).


I used the Bartók on the default/standard included library. It works with the text “bartok” above the staff and indeed with the note head “x” (from the StaffPad menu). But I can’t produce a col legno with the default included library. Is that possible? Or do I need to purchase a library from OT, CS or SF?


----------



## jonathanparham

gh0stwrit3r said:


> But I can’t produce a col legno with the default included library. Is that possible? Or do I need to purchase a library from OT, CS or SF?


I have Berlin Strings and Spitfire Chamber Strings and I can type CoL Legno and get that technique.


----------



## muratkayi

As the stock sounds are actual sample libraries, too (I don't know if they did their own or modified an existing library) you can only get what has been sampled. If col legno works on Spitfire Audio strings (and it does) then, provided the "col legno" text trigger is consistent throughout the app, this articulation probably hasn't been sampled with the stock library.

I think the main problem is that we do not yet have a simple reference list of how to trigger specific sounds. That would also be really important in order to have your score play back sensible stuff even if you change libraries. For example, as far as I can tell, there is no real bartok pizz in the Berlin strings, but they will play a regular pizz instead. So, internally, the text articulation trigger has been mapped to a certain sampled articulation to make sense of the score. We really need that exact info. What kind of texts does Staffpad actually parse? What kind of sample is then triggered, in fact for each library. The guesswork is kinda unworthy for an application as well designed as Staffpad.

P.S.: this also pertains to other kinds of notation symbols, e.g., doits and falls. It took me half an hour to find the library in CineBrass that *actually* offered the promised rip articulation. It was in the hornsa4, IIRC. Why do I have to drill down in the list of instruments and test this out when a simple list can show me that info? I really hope this will come with future updates.


----------



## zilonline

I cannot trigger a pizzicato by writing 'pizz.' under the staff - this is with the default strings (violin I). I'm only starting out with this, so what am I doing wrong?


----------



## stevebarden

zilonline said:


> I cannot trigger a pizzicato by writing 'pizz.' under the staff - this is with the default strings (violin I). I'm only starting out with this, so what am I doing wrong?


Write it above the staff.


----------



## zilonline

stevebarden said:


> Write it above the staff.


Thanks! Will try it out later.


----------



## gh0stwrit3r

And when you're done with pizz, write "arco" above the staff to return to "normal".


----------

