Tutorials
- Sibelius 5.1 and VDL 2.5
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We
have been working hard on supplying the new Virtual
Drumline template for Sibelius 5 users. Sibelius has
made some major changes in how it now deals with playback
of virtual instruments like VDL. This new system (called "SoundWorld")
is pretty slick, so we hope you'll find it was worth
the wait. Special thanks go out to Hugh Smith for spearheading
the template project.
Below
are steps to take in configuring Sibelius 5.1 to make
best use of the new template and sound set. Also included
are some informal tutorial videos created by Jim Casella
to help walk you through the process on-screen, as
well as a few videos using VDL with some new features
in Sibelius 5 worth noting.
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NOTE: These
steps are merely a basic overview. For more information,
refer to the README file that
comes with the VDL/Sibelius 5.1 Template.
Also,these
tutorials are directed toward users of the full
Virtual Drumline product. If you are using
Sibelius "Essentials" (the free library that
comes with Sibelius 5 and contains a few basic
VDL patches) the Tapspace VDL sound set and template
for Sibelius are not supported. |
Step
1 -Upgrade to Sibelius 5.1
Obviously, you'll already need to be a registered user of Sibelius
5 to do this. It's important to use Sibelius 5.1 due to several
modifications that were made in the software which will help
it interface smoothly with VDL.
Watch the Screencast
(2.1MB - 1 minute).
Step
2 -
Download the VDL/Sibelius 5.1 template and install the
customized Tapspace VDL 2.5 Sound Set
When you installed Sibelius 5.1, you'll see there's already
a sound set present called "Virtual Drumline 2.5." There
are, however, a few important modifications we've had to
make to ensure smooth operation with the VDL/Sibelius template,
so for best results, you must install the updated Tapspace
sound set as well. This file is named Tapspace Virtual
Drum Line 2.5.xml, and is included with the VDL/Sibelius
5.1 Template. Once you've installed this, it'll appear in Sibelius as "Tapspace
Virtual Drumline 2.5." This naming is important to note to
ensure you're selecting the correct one within Sibelius.
Watch the screencast (8.8MB
- 2 minutes).
Step
3 - Set up your Playback Configuration
With Sibelius 5's new ability to host VST or AU plugins, the
Playback Devices window has been significantly redesigned.
To ensure proper playback with KontaktPlayer2 and your sounds
from VDL 2.5, your playback configuration should be properly
setup. The concept of playback configurations is worth getting
to know well to ensure you're working properly.
In
Sibelius, each
active instance of KontaktPlayer2 will allow 16 instruments
to be loaded into it. Sibelius will load instruments from
the library corresponding to the sound set you've assigned
it. So if you only need a few percussion instruments,
one activated KP2 (with Tapspace VDL 2.5 sound set assigned)
will be sufficient. If you'll need more than 16 VDL instruments,
activate a second instance of KP2 (and again, assign the
Tapspace VDL 2.5 sound set). More than 32 instruments - activate
a third instance, and so on. If you need brass or woodwind
sounds within the same score, activate a separate instance
of KP2 and assign the Essentials sound set to it.
Watch the Screencast
(10.7MB - 7:08).
Step
3a -
Configure Preferences (optional)
Sibelius
has some preferences that may be helpful in streamlining
your process. Watch
the screencast (9.3MB - 5:50) for a few suggestions.
Step
4 -
Open the Template, create instruments and start writing!
Once you open the template, it's simply a matter of
creating your instruments (Create>Instruments) and assigning
them to the VDL instruments that have been pre-configured in
the template. Now with Sibelius 5, adding instruments to your
score not only creates their staves, but loads your patches for
you as well! Watch this
screencast (16.3MB - 8:30) to see how quick and easy
this is.
A
FEW EXTRA POINTS OF INTEREST
The
Playback Dictionary
For a quick demonstration of how certain features of VDL
instruments are now controlled via the playback dictionary
within Sibelius (such as MW changes and Keyswitches), watch
this screencast (15.5MB - 7:42). For a full listing
of Dictionary text, please refer to the README file included
with the template.
Instrument
Changes
Also new to Sibelius 5 are Instrument Changes. If
you are familiar with the old Staff Type Changes from Sibelius
4, Instrument
Changes now do the same thing, but also contain
playback information so that Sibelius will automatically
load your selected patch without you ever having to open
KontaktPlayer.
Watch this screencast
(12.4MB - 5:35) for
a demonstration.
Noteheads
Using correct notehead numbers will ensure Sibelius plays your
sounds correctly. Entering notes via MIDI keyboard will generally
assign noteheads correctly without needing to edit them. However,
there are a few cases where changing noteheads may be necessary
to achieve your desired sounds. These techniques can also be
useful for people wishing to work without a MIDI keyboard at
all. Watch this screencast
(28MB - 10:45) for a demonstration.
The
video files on this page require that you are using the current
version of QuickTime on
your computer.
