Im using finale 2003 and have no problems with VD2 working.  I have a marimba roll at the beginning of the measure and a run at the end.  When I switch the midi controller to tell the marimba to do a roll, it makes the entire measure play rolled notes.  I tried to tell Finale to make the run go back to regular strokes, but it switches the roll back also.  Is there a way to tell Finale to switch in the middle of the measure?  Thanks

Before you play it back each time, manually roll the mod wheel on your keyboard up then back down and see if that fixes it.

You need to enter MIDI commands directly into that staff in Finale. Enter a modulation (mod-wheel) command for the roll (midi value=127), then when you get to the run, enter another mod command for the regular notes (value=1). You can do this with Finale's MIDI tool. Finale documentation should detail how to go about this process.

That's what i have been doing.  It's just not working.  I guess I'll just keep trying. 

In Finale, you can also attach these sorts of MIDI commands to staff text. For example, create a text expression that's attached to a certain note (where you want the command to occur). Text expressions can be edited to have playback functions by going to the ";text expression editor"; window, clicking the ";playback"; section, then applying a controller (controller type: 1 for mod-wheel) set to the value of your choosing. These can then be used in future occurances in your score. If it's something you don't want to ";see"; on the page, I think there may be a way to hide it, but you may have to check your finale documentation about that...I'm not sure.

Have you looked into this on the finale forums yet? http://forum.makemusic.com/

I'm sure you'll find many more finale experts there who can help you fine-tune your entry of controller changes. It's definitely something that works, so it sounds like you may just not be doing something quite right.

I'll look into their forums.  Sorry to keep asking finale questions on this forum.  Im just more comfortable on this one.  Thanks again!

No worries Fliggity. Since your question is pretty much specific to Finale, I just figured there's a good likelihood you'll find a more accurate answer from them. There will always be some good ";off the cuff"; tips here.

One other thing to be sure of is that you're placing the modulation controller message [i]before[/i] the note where you want to hear the new articulation. If you place the mod-wheel message directly on the same count as the affected note, there's a good chance the response won't be quick enough. Just another thought...