# NotePerformer 1.2.1 now available for download



## Wallander

*EDIT: December 17, 2013, NotePerformer 1.2.1 is out!
*
Full story:
http://www.noteperformer.com/?mode=news

What's new in NotePerformer 1.2.1:

- New solo strings.
- Multiple variations on solo strings (handled automatically). You can now have multiple solo strings playing at the same time, sounding like a small string section without phasing.
- Church organ added (great, swell and pedal). Choose from all stops or individual stops assignable from the mixer.
- Improved sound quality for all brass, woodwind and string instruments.
- A brand new reverb algorithm.
- Dramatically reduced CPU use, often as much as 50% lower.
- Improved expression for saxophones.
- New sound set/sound ID structure. For example, non vib. no longer breaks pizz./arco.
- Improved timing between different types of instruments.
- Flutter-tongue (flz) no longer sounds bad from adding slashes to the notes.
- More realistic-sounding vibrato shapes.
- Guitar pizzicato technique added.
- Volume and sound tweaks to unpitched percussion sounds
- A little less background noise by default.
- General improvements in sound and performance.
- Support for the upcoming Sibelius 7.5.

New download links are issued from:
http://www.wallanderinstruments.com/update

Enjoy! 8) 



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*NotePerformer 1.1.3 is out. I strongly recommend getting this one! It includes a lot of improvements to the sound and instruments, and also many bug fixes related to the Windows version (which could make NotePerformer difficult to install, or even crash at startup/switching Playback Configuration). *

Version 1.1.3 download links are issued from:

http://www.wallanderinstruments.com/update/

*What's fixed in NotePerformer version 1.1.3: *
Overall sound improvements.
Improved strings sound, and behavior.
Reverb & room sound improvements.
Crotales now play in the right octave.
Miscellaneous fixes and tweaks to individual instruments and notes.
Windows splash screen bug fixes.
Windows installer bug fixes.
Windows XP-specific bug fixes.

All the sound demos have been updated, here's a quick selection for everyone's enjoyment! 

*Elgar - Enigma Variations - X. Nimrod*
[flash width=450 height=110 loop=false]http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/107872876[/flash] 

*Holst - The Planets - Mars*
[flash width=450 height=110 loop=false]http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/107872226[/flash] 

*Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 2 - I. Moderato*
[flash width=450 height=110 loop=false]http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/107871270[/flash] 

*Mussorgsky - Night On Bald Mountain*
[flash width=450 height=110 loop=false]http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/107870486[/flash]


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## apessino

*Re: NotePerformer 1.1.3 now available for download*

Downloading now... :D Thank you so much!

I have been using Sib with NP for hours every day since it came out. Still totally blown away by it...


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## benjamind2013

*Re: NotePerformer 1.1.3 now available for download*

I just heard some of the new demos and was blown away by the sound improvements.

Then I watched a couple episodes of Midsomer Murders and took delight in the theramin sound that was playing in the title music.

Is there a chance you could add a theramin?

I think it's a very basic synth sound that can easily be done, even with vibrato and timbre changes depending on dynamics. Portamento would be handled by the playback engine. You could even have variations of the sound, ie. square wave or sine, triangle or sawtooth.

I think this would add something nice to the music for certain themes, in addition to the choir and church organ sounds.

Tell me what you think?


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## Wallander

*Re: NotePerformer 1.1.3 now available for download*



apessino @ Thu 26 Sep said:


> Downloading now... :D Thank you so much!
> 
> I have been using Sib with NP for hours every day since it came out. Still totally blown away by it...


Thanks! :D



> I just heard some of the new demos and was blown away by the sound improvements.
> 
> Then I watched a couple episodes of Midsomer Murders and took delight in the theramin sound that was playing in the title music.
> 
> Is there a chance you could add a theramin?
> 
> I think it's a very basic synth sound that can easily be done, even with vibrato and timbre changes depending on dynamics. Portamento would be handled by the playback engine. You could even have variations of the sound, ie. square wave or sine, triangle or sawtooth.
> 
> I think this would add something nice to the music for certain themes, in addition to the choir and church organ sounds.
> 
> Tell me what you think?


I want to have a Theremin in NotePerformer. But I think we'll just buy one and sample instead when the time comes, so that I can study it in more detail, and play it myself :mrgreen:.


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## muk

Fabulous update Arne, thank you very much. It's great that you still work on the sound after release. It's at a very impressive level now.
The most useful thing about NotePerformer is for me that it let's you check instrumentations aurally. You can really hear when something doesn't work, and that's just invaluable.
Apart from that, even if the timbre is slightly off from time to time, it always sounds MUSICAL. And that's a huge achievement in my books.
Sometimes I even wish I could export a midi file from Sibelius that catches the performance (timing, dynamics etc.) of NotePerformer.

By the way, after downloading the new update (1.1.3), can I delete the older installer files?


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## frankvg

*Re: NotePerformer 1.1.3 now available for download*

Still not very convinced of the sounds of the arco strings (but very pleased with the col legno battute). And the oboe I find really awful, sorry!

I was wondering how much room there is for improvement. Or is this basically what we can expect from this technology? As I recall synful was also very promising but in the end never really delivered. Alhough synful's legato is much better than Noteperformer. 

FR: some irregularities in tremolo and trills to make them more musical. 
FR: sul ponticello.


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## Wallander

*Re: NotePerformer 1.1.3 now available for download*



frankvg @ Mon 30 Sep said:


> Still not very convinced of the sounds of the arco strings (but very pleased with the col legno battute). And the oboe I find really awful, sorry!
> 
> I was wondering how much room there is for improvement. Or is this basically what we can expect from this technology? As I recall synful was also very promising but in the end never really delivered. Alhough synful's legato is much better than Noteperformer.
> 
> FR: some irregularities in tremolo and trills to make them more musical.
> FR: sul ponticello.


What you want is a sample library (and I'm saying this with all the best intent ). If you want the perfect _sounding_ oboe or arco strings, you shouldn't be using algorithmic products like NotePerformer or Synful, but sample libraries recorded on location such as Berlin WW or Albion. NotePerformer is all about usability/scoring, Synful's main feature is its phrasing engine, a fine achievement in my opinion. Neither of these products can replace the others, but they all have their own benefits.


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## frankvg

*Re: NotePerformer 1.1.3 now available for download*

You actually didn't answer my question.


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## Wallander

*Re: NotePerformer 1.1.3 now available for download*



frankvg @ Tue 01 Oct said:


> You actually didn't answer my question.


Sorry about that, I think I may have misinterpreted your question. There is no definite plan for redoing any of the existing instruments in NotePerformer. Adding new instruments is what's in the pipeline.


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## jsaras

Is is best to feed NotePerformer "Mecanico" MIDI?


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## Wallander

jsaras @ Sat 12 Oct said:


> Is is best to feed NotePerformer "Mecanico" MIDI?


You are of course free to use any setting you want, if it works for your score, but my personal recommendation is to use "Meccanico" or possibly "Senza espressivo". I would especially avoid the higher espressivo settings.

If I understand things correctly, the Espressivo algorithm in Sibelius was designed with velocity controlled instruments in mind. So it changes the dynamics abruptly from note to note, with no continuous expression. It's often very noticeable with NotePerformer, because the notes that are given extra expression are simply played much louder than the other notes. If you ever experience problems with certain notes sticking out like a sore thumb with NotePerformer, the first step should always be to try and turn off Espressivo and see if that helps.


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## benjamind2013

*Re: NotePerformer 1.1.3 now available for download*

Arne,

Do you have any possible future plans to make a version of Noteperformer for jazz playback.

The classical playback is truly amazing, and having something like this for jazz and pop music would be truly breathtaking. Because Noteperformer handles classic music so well I imagine that it would be able to handle jazz and pop playing styles with a different set of "virtual musicians".

What do you think? I think it would be great and you could offer it for sale as a separate product which would provide even more funding for your future developments


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## Wallander

*Re: NotePerformer 1.1.3 now available for download*



benjamind2013 @ Sun 13 Oct said:


> Arne,
> 
> Do you have any possible future plans to make a version of Noteperformer for jazz playback.
> 
> The classical playback is truly amazing, and having something like this for jazz and pop music would be truly breathtaking. Because Noteperformer handles classic music so well I imagine that it would be able to handle jazz and pop playing styles with a different set of "virtual musicians".
> 
> What do you think? I think it would be great and you could offer it for sale as a separate product which would provide even more funding for your future developments


I will of course investigate what improvements can be done to jazz/pop playback.  

But with that in mind, NotePerformer does not use canned sampled articulations/phrases. And since that is a staple of jazz/pop (falls, shakes etc.) there will still be aspects that may work sonically better with a static sample library.


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## benjamind2013

*Re: NotePerformer 1.1.3 now available for download*

Hey Arne,

That would be fantastic!

It would be great if we could do falls, doits, shakes, bends, and even sax overblows too if thats possible!

Thanks


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## Wallander

*Re: NotePerformer 1.1.3 now available for download*



benjamind2013 @ Tue 15 Oct said:


> Hey Arne,
> 
> That would be fantastic!
> 
> It would be great if we could do falls, doits, shakes, bends, and even sax overblows too if thats possible!
> 
> Thanks


Well... as mentioned... Those are the exact things that I _don't_ expect that NotePerformer would be able to do as nicely as a sample library, if at all. :| 

We'll see what the future brings, but I have to be honest here and say that overblows and stuff like that isn't even on the radar currently. Just getting a full orchestra running smoothly in a notation program, and getting articulations such as "legato" to trigger correctly is turning out to be quite a challenge!


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## frankvg

*Re: NotePerformer 1.1.3 now available for download*

Feature requests:

1) Sul ponticello
2) Col legno tratto


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## benjamind2013

*Re: NotePerformer 1.1.3 now available for download*

Hey Arne,

Will you be including Vienna Horns in the future? One thing I noticed is that the Vienna Horns are not listed in the brass instrument. I could only see the French Horns, wouldn't the Vienna Horns complement the French Horns or could replace each other for certain scores?

I look forward to hearing about any future improvements, but going by the playback of the demo soundcloud music you updated recently, it sounds amazing as it is!

I can't imagine how good it will sound when choirs and organs are added!


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## Wallander

*Re: NotePerformer 1.1.3 now available for download*



benjamind2013 @ Fri 15 Nov said:


> Hey Arne,
> 
> Will you be including Vienna Horns in the future? One thing I noticed is that the Vienna Horns are not listed in the brass instrument. I could only see the French Horns, wouldn't the Vienna Horns complement the French Horns or could replace each other for certain scores?
> 
> I look forward to hearing about any future improvements, but going by the playback of the demo soundcloud music you updated recently, it sounds amazing as it is!
> 
> I can't imagine how good it will sound when choirs and organs are added!


There are no Vienna horns in NotePerformer partly because there is no Vienna horn instrument defined in Sibelius, and also because I've never been 100% content with WIVI's Vienna horn timbre. I just didn't find it representable enough of the instrument in question to include that model in NotePerformer.

The pipe organ is coming with the next NotePerformer update! There will be a ton of improvements in sound for many instruments, and a brand new reverb. Hopefully the update will be released at the end of this month or so. 

No vocals yet, but there obviously will be in a not too far future.


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## ScoringFilm

*Re: NotePerformer 1.1.3 now available for download*

Hi Arne,

What's new in 1.2.1?

Justin


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## Wallander

*Re: NotePerformer 1.1.3 now available for download*



ScoringFilm @ Mon 16 Dec said:


> Hi Arne,
> 
> What's new in 1.2.1?
> 
> Justin


The original post has now been updated with the 1.2.1 details!


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