[dj]

Hi, Ralph, Sherry:

I've always found that success with synthesized tympani depends very largely on the playback source.

Many synths (especially PC soundcard synths) have very limited polyphony and cut off the decay of a note when a new one is triggered, even in polyphonic mode. Therefore, a tympani roll will have no residual "roll" when a second (or later) note is triggered. Sufficient polyphony, good samples and a bit of reverb go a long way.

It also helps to use two playback tracks, with each track on a different midi channel, alternating the notes so that notes don't cut each other off.

When Wendy Carlos (Switched On Bach) did the score for A Clockwork Orange, the astonishing quality of her tympani sounds for the William Tell Overture track won great praise. Years later, she admitted that she had simply rolled some real tympani into the studio and recorded them live. Is it cheating to use "real" instruments on an electronic track?

David