Scarbee Rick: Why do overlapping notes lose volume?

lazerdriver

I have noticed if there is overlap between notes when using Scarbee Rick, depending on the which notes they are, I lose volume. So if I hit a note, then hit a second note before I release the first note, then the second note is about half volume. Also it seems to be frequency dependent. Some note combinations do it, some don't. If I play the same pattern having the same overlapping notes using something like Prism Fingered Bass 2, then there is no problem. It just seems to be a problem with Scarbee.

I can edit to fix it when the overlap or sustain of the preceding note is not desired. But if the sustain is desired, then how to resolve that?

I have attached an image of the pattern. In the image where the first note sustains a bit over the second, there is no problem. But where the second note sustains over the third one, the third note looses about half volume.

Sunborn

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/21201/scarbee-rick-why-do-overlapping-notes-lose-volume

Scarbee Rick is an electric bass emulation (of the famous Rickenbacker basses).

Electric basses are monophonic instruments, so a faithful emulation requires this mono characteristic too.

Monophonic instruments can play one note at a time.

So when overlaps, it always does it at the expense of the second note.

lazerdriver

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/123828#Comment_123828

The puzzling thing is it doesn't always do it. Some notes with overlap are fine, others are not. Why is that? Is the monophonic characteristic more sensitive to some frequencies than it is to others?

Sunborn

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/123832#Comment_123832

I don't know why "some notes with overlap are fine, others are not" because i don't use that instrument.

However the answer to "Is the monophonic characteristic more sensitive to some frequencies than it is to others", is a no. It has nothing to do with frequencies.

If i have to guess, i would say that is rather a Velocity matter. Check the instrument, if it has a velocity setting somewhere, put it on "fixed" (or "standard" etc. name can be varied...) and do some test.

silentio246

I have Scarbee Rickenbacker and just checked it. In fact it is stereophonic, because the original Rickenbacker is stereo (two pickups go to left/right). The Scarbee Rickenbacker is monophonic in regards of each string, which naturally can only play one note at a time. When you play another note on the same string, which is visualized on the UI, the old note gets muted. There is also a mono mode, activated by keyswitch. Then there is no sustain, regardless, which note is played on any string, only one note is heard. I don`t know, if that fits to your problem, but hope it helps.

lazerdriver

OK, then it sounds like monophonic is how Scarbee Rick is implemented.

But I don't agree with sunborn's statement that 'electric basses are monophonic instruments' though. Playing chords on a real bass is not all that unusual, but not something I generally do. Although hitting a note on a real bass, letting it sustain, then hitting another (effectively a two-note chord), is something I have done on occasion.

And still a bit odd that if it is a monophonic implementation, that it does it for some note combinations but not others. But it is, what it is. I like the sounds.

Thanks for the input everyone!

Sunborn

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/123937#Comment_123937

Monophonic / Polyphonic instruments have nothing to do with Mono / Stereo Audio.

They are two very different things.

A monophonic instrument has only one voice, which of course can sound either as Mono either as Stereo.

A polyphonic instrument has many voices (2 and higher), which also can sound either as Mono either as Stereo. 😉

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphony_and_monophony_in_instruments

silentio246

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/124932#Comment_124932

I know the difference and that is exactly, what I wanted to point out. Sorry, if it was confusing when I misused the word monophonic. English is not my native language.

The problem lazerdriver has is: Can Scarbee Rickenbacker play more than one note at a time? Yes, it`s an emulation of a 4 -string bass, means four notes at a time maximum, that is 4 voices, polyphonic, not monophonic.

lazerdriver says: Playing chords on a real bass is not all that unusual, but not something I generally do. Although hitting a note on a real bass, letting it sustain, then hitting another (effectively a two-note chord), is something I have done on occasion. This is possible with Scarbee Rickenbacker, because it`s polyphonic!

As I said, Scarbee Rickenbacker has a so called mono mode, which reduces the four voices to one, that only one note is heard at a time, the previous will be killed. It can be activated by keyswitch, maybe accidentally. This seems to be the problem lazerdriver has.

Sunborn

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/125094#Comment_125094

i know that you understand the difference, that's why i upvoted your comment, which was pretty accurate... i just added few notes, mostly for others that might not understand the difference :-)

i also understood lazerdriver problem, but as i wrote, i don't use this instrument so i can not test it to provide a better answer... however the most logical case is a velocity matter, though your idea of "mono mode activated by keyswitch, maybe accidentally." is also valuable... now, he need to test those ideas, at least for a start