Can someone fill me in on how to change patches in the middle of a finale score? i.e. a puffy phrase in the bass voice when the "bass full" program is the primary one in use. I am using Finale 2003 and Soundblaster LIVE! and am having no trouble using the template/hearing sounds/anything else. I also read the passage regarding this problem in the Finale users help manual on Tap Space. I followed the directions to no avail. I need more specifics. Which of the 5 options(Program Change, Bank Change, etc.) do I select in the "Set Patches To" dialog box. When I enter the program numbers why is nothing changing?

Please help so that I can retain my sanity.

Evan - If you are accessing your sounds from your soundblaster card, you're obviously using the soundfont version of VDL. The different variations of instruments (i.e. tenor 1, tenor 2, tenor 3, etc) utilize different samples for different implements (i.e. regular mallets vs. puffies, etc).

In order to switch from one instrument to another, you'd have to do so by entering the music on a different staff, and assigning that staff to its own unique channel (which in turn accesses the appropriate instrument, such as tenor 3).

The problem is, you can't change channels in mid-playback. You can change "programs" (aka: instrument numbers), but that won't help you in this case. Each instrument (i.e. bassline 1, bassline 2) would have to be accessed with its own unique midi channel. This isn't nearly as much a pain if you are using the Giga version (with gigastudio, kompakt, or kontakt). Since the giga sounds are so much more powerful, all you'd have to do to switch from regular tenor notes (for example), to puffies, would be to enter in a "controller change" for the mod wheel (controller #1, aka CC1). When the mod wheel is up (value: 65-127), it plays puffies. When it's down (midi value: 1-64), it plays regular hits.

Usually, the instrument definition (within finale) should be set to "bank select 0, bank select 32, program change." This way, your instrument settings will tell your soundcard which "program" (aka instrument number) to find, as well as which "bank" to point to (where you've loaded the VDL soundfont).

Hope this helps!