Whenever I work with a composer (either in person or via Zoom/recording), I usually get the same reaction:
“That sounds so different from the computer!”
I decided to do a full comparison, so you all better know what to expect from the acoustic instrument. (See video below)
Granted, I’m using the default sounds from Sibelius. If you have upgraded instrument samples (like NotePerformer), the sound quality itself will be far more similar to the acoustic harp than in my video.
However, regardless of the sound itself, the resonance of the acoustic harp is the biggest difference between it and the computer-generated samples. This because the harp is not a self-dampening instrument, so you will usually hear more strings (notes) resonating than simply the one that was just played. In some ways, it sounds more like the piano with the damper pedal always activated!
Different registers of the acoustic harp sustain for different lengths of time. The lower register of the harp is far more resonant than the high registers. Fast or scalar passages can sound wonderful in the high range, but often sound “muddy” (buzzy, unclear) in the lower register.
On the other hand, the computer-generated harp will sound crystal-clear in any register!
Have you all experienced this phenomenon when you’ve worked with a harpist in person?