I am running Finale 2004, and have already loaded the VD soundfonts. Finale recognizes them just fine, but the percussion map is stressing me out. There are multiple sounds on the same line (i.e. Felts, Dreads, etc. all on the center [B-line] in the snare staff.) Finale automatically uses the RH felt sound and notehead when I try to enter notes into the staff. How can I manipulate the percussion map so that I can use ALL the sounds on the snare staff (hits as opposed to shots, or felts vs. dreads)?

Tenor Guru,

Are you entering notes with a MIDI keyboard with speedy note entry? This is the recommended way of inputting notes with Virtual Drumline. The reason for this is that there are so many octaves-worth of sounds in our keymaps that in order to get Finale to recognize which pitch (sound) you intend for it to play, entering the appropriate key/octave with a MIDI keyboard is much more efficient.

The Finale template is already set up to make use of all sounds programmed in Virtual Drumline if you are entering sounds with a MIDI keyboard.

I'm not using a MIDI keyboard to input notes into Finale, nor do I own one. Is there any way to get around this problem without one?

I'm afraid that it's really the best route to enter your notes with a MIDI keyboard. Say you want a RH rimshot (G#5 in VDrumline). If you click on the G above the treble staff in a mapped Finale file, the results Finale will give you will likely be off. The best way to tell Finale, "Play a G#5 here" is to tell it by punching it in on a keyboard. We've tried to be as clear as possible in the FAQ's that the library is best intended to be used in conjunction with a MIDI keyboard, so hopefully you'll find that incorporating these elements together will improve your writing as much as it has for so many of our users.

Check out the Oxygen 8 if you're in the market for an inexpensive MIDI keyboard. It's USB powered and controlled (no need for an additional midi interface), and is very portable. We are now making these available at a competitive price ($145 USD).