I have noticed this too. To be honest, in a few cases I think it might be a bug or quirks of sample Key banks (may be phasing between boundaries).

To be sure it's not just an errant setting, check cross fades between note and velocity limits, and also check any Key Scaling.

Yep, even dullards (like me) can sense this. Though I've long doubted it's anything other than user error (me), I often see others saying this.

Not sure how to mitigate it as I'm not sure how to reduce my own contributions to the effect.

Mechanically, something like setting up a DAW/Sequencer to send equal velocity signals to two obviously differently sounding and near notes might be a way to narrow in on where it's most obvious and to then find ways to "fix" it without over correcting and/or smearing adjustments across many other notes.

Jason probably knows about this problem and how to fix it.

Take a look at amplitude scale. You don't get to adjust every key but you get inflection points (4 of them) you can nudge above or below the zero offset point. I've tried utilizing this for one note before and I find it typically would affect nearby notes as well. Even when I just wanted a single note (and not a collection) adjusted. Amplitude Scale is available after selecting one of the elements. Each elements gets its own Amplitude Scale.

Beyond resampling the piano, that's what you have in terms of volume adjustments across the keybed.

Of course you want to be sure you don't have a DAW involved possibly doubling up on notes. Lack of stereo may be problematic. And some sound reinforcement may not sound great depending on the response of your monitors (or headphones).

That's all I can think of off the cuff.

[quotePost id=117606]

Does anyone know if it's possible to alter the volume of each note?

No - that is NOT possible.

I've noticed there seems to be a softer note here and there doing a chromatic scale running up.

Sorry - but that is devoid of any meaningful data. It isn't possible for anyone to try to reproduce what you report without knowing ALL of the settings you are using.

To make sure it's not a human error I've fixed the velocity so they are running at 63.

To make sure it isn't 'human error' create a new FM-X performance and then do your chromatic thing.

Each note will be nothing but a single sine wave and so should be at the same volume.

Was that test successful?
[/quotePost]

It's in the title : PIANO

It's a known, often cited issue with both Montage and MODX, and even I can sense it.

He's already isolated volume by control input.

Try reading a bit more carefully before attempting to find opportunities to rag on writers.

In one of your other posts:

[quotePost id=117598]Not that they ever want to hear it but the advice I most often give people is this: use the right tool for the job.
[/quotePost]

Did it ever occur to you that what they never wanted to hear are your attempts to exploit holes in folks' knowledge, insight and understanding as opportunities to express your supposed superiority via blending sophisticated layers of passive aggression with condescension and derision?

If you think people are incapable of character assessment and discernment because they don't know something you know, you're wrong. Ordinary folks have extraordinary people skills and can and do figure you out long before they figure out if there's anything worthwhile mixed in with the barrages of berating negative cruft.

Yes, I know... mirror, mirror. Etc.

PIANO, in this context, clearly means sample based instrument.

That context (variance in volume and timbre) means it's almost impossible for this to be FM - a synthesis technique that almost perfectly makes this kind of individual note variance impossible, or near completely improbable. Especially when making "piano" sounds with it. So you can almost certainly eliminate one whole half of the MODX/Montage's engines.

Now, Bill, using your extensive software skills, do some triaging. In your head.

I know, you want absolutes. You're addicted to the exactitudes of software (which is only theoretical). But life is about what's most common, most of the time.

Sample based instruments, on the MODX/Montage commonly have noticeable variances at/around/through the various transitions between sample divisions of pitch and velocity. This is especially noticeable with PIANO sounds for PIANO players.

Many don't know about this inconsistency in samples based sound synthesis of pianos until they do.

I've long tinkered on a real Yamaha PIANO, a quite good one, and so am perhaps somewhat more sensitive to these variations than most others, despite being an appallingly bad player.

This was, to me, a recognisable issue despite not knowing about it. Subsequently finding out about many people noticing this and it not being something resolved is a bit of a shock. The OP is going through that. I'd imagined that this was something that a company like Yamaha would make concerted efforts to get rid of. But they don't. It's noticeable to many even in their very best sample based instruments.

Those that really can't cope with this resort to using mega sampled piano sounds from other software, wherein the sample packs are ENORMOUS and have been highly treated for consistency.

The OP is now on the journey of compromises, to find what they'll put up with regarding this "feature" of sampling based PIANO sound recreation.

@Khung

If you've got time on your hands and space on your MODX, try the Bosendorfer freebie.

It's good, and has different volume and timbre issues.

It does take a very long time to load on, and a lot of space. You'll be able to eat a full lunch and read your favourite magazine whilst you wait. And have a cup of coffee, too.

https://usa.yamaha.com/products/music_production/synthesizers/modx/sound_library.html

If your MODX is half way full of other samples, you'll have to do some offloading, and backups to gain space, and now your whole afternoon is gone.

If the Bosendorfer is not good enough, there are whole online communities of piano lovers discussing what they tend to use, which are impressive sample libraries of MANY gigabytes each - on computer, via MIDI. Some of these are very expensive, too.

This addiction hasn't beset me because I can't play anything but arps. So I waste money on synths, instead 😉

@Khung

By now you probably realise there are lots of "Pianos" on the MODX, and on closer inspection, they are "built" differently. Some are built in just one Part, some are built across several Parts with "Higher Resolution" Samples with Velocity and Note range splits.

Some workarounds:-
1) Pick a different Piano
2) Identify the offending "Quiet" keys, and exclude them with Element Note Limits, then fill the "gap" with a new, similar, if not the same, element. Then you can adjust the volume (level) for that one key, if you need to.
3) Have a mess around and adjust/move Velocity and Note Limits. Maybe nudge the Split up or down 1 semitone, or change the Velocity by a few cents. This has worked for me, although it wasn't a Piano part.

Also...
I have wondered sometimes if the Montage Performances (with a more luxurious keyboard) do not map velocity so well onto the MODX Keyboard. Bear in mind, all those Piano Performances were built on a Montage, and later provided "as is" to the MODX.

So, another thing you may have noticed especially with Pianos, it is very hard to get the High Velocity Elements to sound. A workaround for this is to change the Velocity Offset* and Velocity Depth*.

I.e.
EDIT - PART - COMMON - PART SETTINGS - GENERAL. See Velocity Offset graph in bottom right of screen.

Have a mess with that, it can make Piano velocities more "Playable".

(*This is not the same as the Utility Settings Keyboard Velocity Curve).

@Jason

Are the pitch spread adjustments of filter strength more accurate than the Amplitude Scale feature, thus making it possible to slightly push up a quieter note in this manner, more individually accurately?

Thanks for the suggestions.
Really appreciate it.