Topic by NikalMight

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  • NikalMight
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  • Registered: 09-11-2014
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Topic: Velocity Problem

I've noticed on one of the keys(it's the lowest A on my Indigo 2 keyboard) there seems to be a problem with the velocity. It registers a higher velocity than the surrounding keys despite playing at the same velocity.

It isn't attached to a particular note, because if I transpose up an octave or down an octave, the same key registers a higher velocity than it should. None of the other keys exhibit this problem, nor do I experience it with any other plugin, so it's clearly a Pianoteq issue and not a hardware problem.

Reply by kalessin

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Re: Velocity Problem

I'd not go as far as 'clearly' yet. Where do you do the transposing? In the controller or in Pianoteq? And what does the MIDI log of Pianoteq say? To further diagnose the problem, you can try switching Pianoteq between plugin and standalone mode, see if that makes any difference. And you should log the note-on velocity that is actually sent by the controller, preferably with different software tools, and also compare the DAW's MIDI log with Pianoteq's.

To be frank, I rather doubt that this is a Pianoteq problem. Probably a too-high velocity is sent to the software, for whatever reason. And if that's the case there's pretty much nothing Pianoteq or Modartt can do about it: it's not like Pianoteq is making up the note-on velocities, after all.

Last edited by kalessin (09-11-2014 14:07)
Pianoteq 6 Standard (Steinway D&B, Grotrian, Petrof, Steingraeber, Bechstein, Blüthner, K2, YC5, U4, Kremsegg 1&2, Karsten, Electric, Hohner)

Reply by cpcohen

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Re: Velocity Problem

NikalMight wrote:

. . .
It isn't attached to a particular note, because if I transpose up an octave or down an octave, the same key registers a higher velocity than it should. None of the other keys exhibit this problem, nor do I experience it with any other plugin, so it's clearly a Pianoteq issue and not a hardware problem.

I want to make sure I understand:

I assume that you've been watching the velocity in the Pianoteq MIDI-monitor window. 

. . . . When you play a scale evenly (by your fingers), the MIDI velocity of _that key_ is higher than the MIDI velocity of the keys around it.

. . .  And when you watch the MIDI velocity in some other VST, and you play a scale evenly, the MIDI velocity for _that key_ is the same as for the other keys.

That's really, really strange.   It suggests that Pianoteq is mis-reading the MIDI stream _just for that key_, and I don't see how that could happen.

.  ..  What keyboard are you using? 

. . . What's the MIDI connection from keyboard to computer?

. . . Have you tried generating a test MIDI file of _constant velocity_ notes, and seeing how Pianoteq interprets it?

Thanks --

.         Charles

Reply by GRB

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Re: Velocity Problem

I'm not clear if the "key" or the "note" is registering too high a velocity.   Can the MIDI data be edited with Pianoteq software?  If the velocity of a certain note is too high, then when the piece is transposed presumably by the MIDI software, that same "note" would continure to be too loud as transposition does not affect the velocity of a given note.  "Key" velocity would be the output of the key which is sent to the MIDI recording software.  It's actually pretty hard to play a given "key" with a totally consistant velocity.  My best guess is you have a bad velocity sensor (output) within the parent controller.  In other words within the keyboard itself.

Last edited by GRB (10-11-2014 00:02)
Pianoteq Pro 7.x - Kubuntu Linux 19.10 - Plasma Desktop - Hamburg Steinway

Reply by NikalMight

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Re: Velocity Problem

I have just run a few tests using other VSTs and the A key is consistently higher than the other keys although it's not as apparent as it is with Pianoteq in terms of volume. It IS my keyboard and not the software.

Reply by cpcohen

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Re: Velocity Problem

NikalMight wrote:

I have just run a few tests using other VSTs and the A key is consistently higher than the other keys although it's not as apparent as it is with Pianoteq in terms of volume. It IS my keyboard and not the software.

Then all is right with the world!<g>

A bad key is something you can fix.  Flaky software is not so easy.

.       Charles

Reply by mooks

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Re: Velocity Problem

NikalMight wrote:

I have just run a few tests using other VSTs and the A key is consistently higher than the other keys although it's not as apparent as it is with Pianoteq in terms of volume. It IS my keyboard and not the software.

I think you just proved Pianoteq has great velocity sensitivity!

I had a similar problem that got progressively worse, and it was due to a bad contact on one of the key sensors. It needed a replacement contact board.