Windows: Sibelius/Finale with Kompakt, Kontakt, or Reason
L
Legacy Forum Post
started a topic
about 20 years ago
This process is to help Windows PC users who are writing their music in a program like Sibelius or Finale, and wishing to access the Virtual Drumline sounds from a separate software program such as Kompakt or Reason. Why might you wish to do this? First of all, sorftware samplers are very powerful, and offers more sampling flexibility than a SoundBlaster card. Also, if you are a laptop user, you'll need to access sounds from a program as there aren't any soundfont compatible soundcards for laptops that we know of.
In order to do this, you must create a link between your notation program and your soundfont player program. Luckily, this is very easy to do using a free utility called Maple MIDI Tools by Marble Sound. Here's how you do it:
2.) In Maple's "Midi Settings" window, click the button that says, "accept input from sequencer or scoring program" then click "OK." Keep Maple running in the background.
3.) Open up your sampler program (Kontakt or Reason) and load each of your desired Virtual Drumline Samples and assign them to apporpriate (and unique) channels (ie: channel 1 = snares, channel 2 = tenors, etc.). Note, if you are using Kontakt or Kompakt, you should use the VDrumline GIGASTUDIO format. In Reason, use the soundfont format.
4.) In this same program, setup your MIDI settings so that "MarbleSound Midi Port 1" is the "Input." It's advised that you save this configuration for future use. Keep this program running in the background as well while you are working in your notation program.
5.) Now open your notation program (Sibelius or Finale) and set up your MIDI settings there so that the staves you wish to access the Virtual Drumline sounds are set to send MIDI output to "MarbleSound Midi Port 1." Note: in Sibelius, prior to doing this, you may need to click the "reset sounds" button in the "mixer" window.
6.) Open the window where you set the MIDI channel/program settings for each staff. In Sibelius, this is the "mixer" window. In Finale, it's the "Instrument List" window. In this window, you'll want to ensure that each staff coordinates to the same channel that it was set to in your sampler program (i.e. snares= channel 1, tenors = channel 2, etc.).
Note for Finale users: If you are hearing random general midi sounds when you try to input notes into Finale (rather than the loaded soundfonts), be sure to check and make sure the "Internal Speaker Playback" option from Finale is NOT selected (this may only pertain to mac users depending on which version of finale you're using).
mcreed, send me an email at bill_castillo@prodigy.net and tell me what system you're using and what specific problems you're having and I'll get you up and running.
Legacy Forum Post
In order to do this, you must create a link between your notation program and your soundfont player program. Luckily, this is very easy to do using a free utility called Maple MIDI Tools by Marble Sound. Here's how you do it:
1.) Go to http://www.marblesound.com/ and download the free "Maple Midi Tools". Install it.
2.) In Maple's "Midi Settings" window, click the button that says, "accept input from sequencer or scoring program" then click "OK." Keep Maple running in the background.
3.) Open up your sampler program (Kontakt or Reason) and load each of your desired Virtual Drumline Samples and assign them to apporpriate (and unique) channels (ie: channel 1 = snares, channel 2 = tenors, etc.). Note, if you are using Kontakt or Kompakt, you should use the VDrumline GIGASTUDIO format. In Reason, use the soundfont format.
4.) In this same program, setup your MIDI settings so that "MarbleSound Midi Port 1" is the "Input." It's advised that you save this configuration for future use. Keep this program running in the background as well while you are working in your notation program.
5.) Now open your notation program (Sibelius or Finale) and set up your MIDI settings there so that the staves you wish to access the Virtual Drumline sounds are set to send MIDI output to "MarbleSound Midi Port 1." Note: in Sibelius, prior to doing this, you may need to click the "reset sounds" button in the "mixer" window.
6.) Open the window where you set the MIDI channel/program settings for each staff. In Sibelius, this is the "mixer" window. In Finale, it's the "Instrument List" window. In this window, you'll want to ensure that each staff coordinates to the same channel that it was set to in your sampler program (i.e. snares= channel 1, tenors = channel 2, etc.).
Note for Finale users: If you are hearing random general midi sounds when you try to input notes into Finale (rather than the loaded soundfonts), be sure to check and make sure the "Internal Speaker Playback" option from Finale is NOT selected (this may only pertain to mac users depending on which version of finale you're using).