Vocal Note Conversion

[Oddbrother]

For other instruments, it's easy to determine how they have been converted for play in Rock Band Blitz from their base games.

But one thing still strikes me as odd. Considering vocals has an entirely different standard of play, how are those converted?

Are harmonies part of this as well?

[GNFfhqwhgads]

Harmonies aren't there at all, just like every other Pro variation.

Vocals are probably converted based on higher/lower or something. A guitar plays a certain note that shows in Rock Band as a button, hitting the same note with your voice would be a pitch line. Different inputs, yes, but since it's all music, it's not impossible or anything.

[BohemianMatt]

I can only imagine that lower notes will be on the left of the track and higher notes will be on the right, like the other instruments.

[Magnet]

But one thing still strikes me as odd. Considering vocals has an entirely different standard of play, how are those converted?

Programming the vocal notes isn't actually all that different from the other instruments. If you think of a guitar track with a lot of sustains, that's basically what a typical vocal chart looks like in the midi file. It's just a matter of converting that data to use in Blitz.

The only potential issue that I foresee is the fact that vocal tubes are generally authored to omit beginning/ending consonant sounds. So that could make the timing of tubes feel a bit weird in places where long consonant sounds are used. But if the player understands that the tube length/timing really reflects the vowel sounds, then the note placement should make sense.

[LuigiHann]

One thing that jumped out at me from this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg7DV1ji30Y#t=20s The four basically-identical "bang" lines are charted as alternating notes. Could just be how they handle talkies.

Edit: actually, watch through this trailer again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X85ycsb7Nhk I see no instances where vocals doesn't follow a consistent left right left right pattern. I believe it's based entirely on rhythm, at least at the point when they were making these videos. The algorithm may still be in progress.

[Oddbrother]

Programming the vocal notes isn't actually all that different from the other instruments. If you think of a guitar track with a lot of sustains, that's basically what a typical vocal chart looks like in the midi file. It's just a matter of converting that data to use in Blitz.

The only potential issue that I foresee is the fact that vocal tubes are generally authored to omit beginning/ending consonant sounds. So that could make the timing of tubes feel a bit weird in places where long consonant sounds are used. But if the player understands that the tube length/timing really reflects the vowel sounds, then the note placement should make sense.

So if we look at it from a MIDI point of view, then I suppose a pitch bend is like a HO/PO, much like how the mobile titles were... Makes sense.

One thing that jumped out at me from this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg7DV1ji30Y#t=20s The four basically-identical "bang" lines are charted as alternating notes. Could just be how they handle talkies.

Edit: actually, watch through this trailer again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X85ycsb7Nhk I see no instances where vocals doesn't follow a consistent left right left right pattern. I believe it's based entirely on rhythm, at least at the point when they were making these videos. The algorithm may still be in progress.

A good, clean chart! From the looks of it, it seems to narrow down between how constant the pitch changes, and when in beat they appear. So not only may it be under the way as Magnet mentioned, but I'm also under the impression it involves both a vocal and a beat track.