Difference Between Sound Set Types

Description

A sound set package includes multiple .xml files designated as sound sets, with slight differences in the file names.

Solution

We may include different sound set types in a sound set package for a variety of reasons including compatibility with different Sibelius versions, accommodating special features of a library, and offering users multiple ways of working with the sound set.

The following is an explanation of the most common variations you will see in our packages. Specific information for a given package may be available in that sound set's user manual. We do not identify sound sets with the terms below unless there are multiple sound set files in the package.

This indicates the sound set type, "Fixed" - it does not indicate that a given file contains corrections that other files in the package do not. Fixed-type sound sets require manual loading and are often provided as an alternative to an autoloading sound set. Fixed-type sound sets are also included for compatibility with specific Sibelius versions that may be unable to automatically load sounds due to the plugin version used by the library. Fixed-type sound sets are also used when hosting sounds outside of Sibelius.

While all sound sets work make use of MIDI commands, the MIDI-type sound set generally sees use where program and bank changes are the primary method of selecting and switching sounds for a library or device. All Hardware sound sets are MIDI-type and a limited selection of sample libraries have a MIDI-type sound set available. Like "Fixed", it can also be used with sounds hosted externally.

A "Lite" sound set is usually only provided as an alternative for autoloading sound sets that use large keyswitch or controller-switched patches. A lite sound set covers all of the same sounds as a 'full' sound set, but uses individual articulation patches rather than the large switch patches which reduces the resources required by only loading those articulations and techniques that are actually being used in the score.

Last Modified: April 9, 2012