Topic: Configure a pattern to sustain notes

in composing with piano studio, i've always loved the sustain sound while playing fast, improvisationally.

right now i'm working on building some pattern based song segments, and the issue i'm seeing, is that when doing this, the volume decay isn't at the same rate of the struck key sustain function. what we're getting is hold when you draw the notes longer. it gets too muddy in my pattern where i have a lot of notes, in an allegro style.

I want the volume to decay as in strike - sustain. there's no ability to set that in the pattern.. i think per pattern it could be a setting, essentially. or, just a button you push while the note is selected, enabling sustain on that note.

this app has absolutely zero competition, i spent some time searching to see if anything has been made to offer piano playing/sequencing, and the closest i found was the apple garage band which can only be run on the ipad. i don't take ipad out of the house. piano studio seems it will always be the best, and honestly this functionality i'm describing is probably the only complaint i've ever been able to find with it.

Last edited by mr_obtuse (2011-08-12 13:04:43)

Re: Configure a pattern to sustain notes

Hiya mr_obtuse,

Maybe I'm starting to understand. Tell me if this is getting it right.

Currently the HOLD vs. SUSTAIN option under Menu/Settings/Volume&Sustain, well if you set it to SUSTAIN it does not affect the play of any phrases.

Are you saying you would like to be able to have the Global SUSTAIN setting also affect the phrase notes?

Re: Configure a pattern to sustain notes

Sure, a setting for the phrase to actually choose whether the phrase should hold playing, or basically respect your sustain tilt state and sustain the notes instead of holding playing (while the notes only play un-sustained). I could see some users wanting to retain the tilt control for sustain mid phrase, understanding that with the phrase configured that way they have to be holding the phrase key to keep it playing. Or even allow another setting so the phrase would always hold, firing the whole thing while the performer is still free to play other notes and freely control sustain in a way that does make the phrase's notes sustain.

For my purposes, I'd love simply to be able to toggle for individual notes prgrammed into the sequence to be sustained the same way that we can choose individual volume. Speaking of volume, the  velocity/decay envelope is really what we are talking about with the personality of the sustain function for hammer on string instrument.

Re: Configure a pattern to sustain notes

In the demo video, moonlight sonata sounds slightly off because the phrase notes aren't playing sustained, just to give you a concrete example.

  • fargo
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Re: Configure a pattern to sustain notes

Thanks again.

As I mentioned in your other post we've added this to our feature/bug tracking system and will review it during the next update to PianoStudio.

Best,
-Jerry