Smart Playback Plug-in

How to get there

Select a region with the Selection Tool . From the Plug-ins Menu, choose TGTools, then Smart Playback.

What it does

The Smart Playback plug-in adds a playback effect to selected musical elements, such as glissandi, hairpins and trills. The plug-in must be run after the items have been added to the score. When any of these items change, you must run the plug-in again. Also, when notes are changed, all playback effects, except hairpins, need to be renewed by running the plug-in again.

The Smart Playback plug-in creates playback for the following items:

Note that the Smart Playback plug-in will not create playback effects for tremolos created by adjusting beam extensions, such as the Easy Tremolos plug-in.

Note: Human Playback interprets and performs Smart Shapes and other markings during playback automatically. See Human Playback. To hear changes to the MIDI playback definition (such as those applies with this plug-in), you must first set Human Playback to None in the Playback Controls or check the Override Human Playback option at the top of the Smart Playback plug-in.

Glissandi:

• Make glissandi play back. Check this box to define SmartShape glissandi markings for playback. The plug-in adds pitch bends as continuous data. See Pitch wheel under the MIDI Tool. For the glissandi to playback correctly, the bender range is set to 12. The maximum range of each glissando is one octave.
• Number of steps per quarter note. A glissando defined for playback consists of many pitches ascending or descending rapidly via continuous data. Enter a value in this box for the number of ascending or descending pitches for each quarter note of time.

Hairpins:

• Make hairpins play back. Check this box to make SmartShape Crescendos or Decrescendos playback through MIDI volume changes. This is a parameter that is completely independent from the key velocities that are used to play back dynamic markings or accents. When the file is played, both these parameters work together to form the actual loudness of a tone. The plug-in adds gradual volume changes as Continuous Data. See Volume under the MIDI Tool.
• Volume changes per quarter note. Enter the amount of volume to change here. This feature will edit the continuous data of the region. It can be adjusted from 1 to 127 (1=softest, 127=loudest).
• Set Volume to 64 at beginning of piece. Check this option to set the continuous data for volume to 64 at the beginning of the piece. Note: this will not change continuous data for volume already applied with the MIDI Tool or plug-ins.

Trills etc.:

• Trills/tremolos/diddles. Check this box to define trills, tremolos or diddles for playback. Trills require Smart Shape trill symbols above the notes () or a articulation. Trills are written out in layer 4 then hidden. See also Document Options-Layers.
• Three slashes = unmeasured tremolo. Check this box to treat the three slash subdivision articulation as an unmeasured tremolo. The Tremolo speed value entered below determines the playback of this trill.
• Trill/unmeasured tremolo speed (per quarter note). Enter the number of repetitions of the pitch per quarter note for unmeasured tremolos or trills.
• Start trill after what percentage of duration. Enter a percentage of the note value to delay before starting the trill for unmeasured tremolos or trills. Set this value to zero to start the trill immediately.
• Trill interval: Diatonic · Semi-tone · Whole Tone. Select Diatonic to trill between the entered pitch and the pitch up a diatonic second. Select Semi-tone to trill between the entered pitch and a semitone higher. Select Whole Tone to trill between the entered pitch and a whole tone higher.
• Play. Click Play to hear the selection.
• Remove these effects from selection. Click Remove to clear the playback effects from the selection.

More:

• Override Human Playback. Check this option to apply the settings in this dialog box even if Human Playback is turned on in the Playback Controls.
• Go · Close · Defaults · More · Play. Click Go to apply the current commands and leave the dialog box available for the next commands. Click Close to dismiss the dialog box without making any changes. Click Defaults to restore this dialog box to its original settings. Click More for more information on the complete TGTools plug-in collection. Click Play to accept changes, close the Smart Playback dialog box and play the score.