Ok I am new with this stuff. First of all my laptop is on steroids so I have plenty of RAM and Prcessor speed.

1. I'm not getting any sound. I have the VDL2 midi yoke NT:1 on and all outputs off. In Sebelius I opened the playback/input devices window. In the USE column next to midi yoke NT:1 I clicked YES. In the input device tab, midi yoke NT:1 is automatically highlighted. Since it didn't work with midi yoke NT:1 highligted I tried to highlight a blank space, it wouldn't let me do that, so I highlighted midi yoke NT:8 and It still does not work. Help please.

2. When I open Sibelius4 I don't find a template for VDL2. When I open the VDL2 template that I downloaded it opens Sibelius but with more instrument staves than I need. I tried changing them to fit my needs but I can't find any other VDL2 templates except the first one that pops up and all I need are the battery instruments. When I go into CREATE and try to change the amount of staves ,by clicking on an instrument 'it gives me that instrument on four staves instead of 4 different instruments on 4 staves. Help please.

3. Lastly, when I open the mixer and reset the sounds the four battery instruments turn to 10 and it won't let me change the channel number. Do I even need to change the number and how do I know if it matches the same channels in VDL2? Also I'm running XP MEDIA.....I don't know if this would make a difference

This is day four that I have been trying to get all of this to work, I get a little closer everyday but obviously not close enough. I just want to write battery parts, hear them back and record them. Thanks in advance for any suggestions given.

That's very likely settings on your soundcard for audacity.  go to start > run, sndvol32 /r

In there, you'll see the recording settings for your soundcard.  Make sure those are correct.  Audacity and all the other windows programs that do this are recording from the source set here.  Unless you have a specialized card, this will be the standard windows runners.

Fiddle with these; I think you'll find joy here.  If not, let us know.

Hey folks I'm back with yet anothe question. I'm trying to record my compositions. I downloaded Audacity, so I attempted to record things souded ok. When I tried to listen back to the recording in my Windows media player I didn't hear anything although it looks like it's playing. Next I import the track into Audacity and It won't play there either. Am I missing something?

Thanks
Craig

Oops; I thought that was only engraving.  Jim; you're the man!

In Sibelius, if you'd like to tighten up your grace notes, you can do so in the ";Note Spacing Rule"; window (in the ";house style"; menu).
[list]
[li]For ";space around grace notes";, enter: 0 (zero)[/li]
[li]For  ";extra space after last grace note";, enter: 0.1[/li]
[/list]
If you want this change to affect your score globally (assuming there's already been notes entered at the old spacing), do a ";select all";, then do a ";reset note spacing"; command, and they'll all be changed. Pretty quick!

As for flams, it might seem silly but the best way to adjust them is to move the grace note left and right in relation to the ";main"; note it is ";attached"; to.  The note will sound closer or farther based on its relative distance.

It's not a good way to deal with it; the practicality of changing engraving for playback is very limited.  Generally, it's easiest to amend thost things together, but selecting them is done manually.  You can grab and move them in a group [ctrl-click] but that's about it.

Of course, Finale has a switch to tell it.  Can't in Sibelius, AFAIK.

Sounds like it might be a soundcard issue. What are your soundcard settings in the VDL2 setup window? What kind of soundcard are you using? One that supports ASIO drivers will be your best option. ";ASIO"; would be what you select under ";interface"; when setting up your soundcard options in VDL2.

I've finally written a couple of pieces and I'm getting used to using the programs. Two questions though......sometimes when I play a piece back it plays back very jittery, the last time I played the song back it sounded great now it sounds like a drumline riding a bike on railroad ties! Secondly does anyone know how to get the flams to open up, when I play back flam passages they sound like ruffs.

Thanks for your help in advance

Hey Craig,

Send me an email with your IM info.  I'll chat you through it.

-Mat
mat@cityofrain.com

Ok, I went and got a usb MIDI controller. It's got some rattleing inside so i'm going to have to send it back but it's working for now. I believe I have all the settings correct, when I strike the keys they make sounds and the VDL2 keyboard lights up like it's supposed to. when I open the template I don't get any sound back when I try to play what's on the score. I don't get any sound when I put notes on the score either.
this is how much of a novice I am, I don't even know how I'm supposed to use the MIDI controller to input the sounds on the score. [b][b]Do I press the sound I want on the controller and then It's supposed to show up on the score?
Thanks for any advice given.

[quote author=bluethunder link=topic=932.msg3795#msg3795 date=1136225438]
Thanks Jim that helped and the distortion is gone. how do I assign a particular sound to a specific line or space in a measure.? I have been clicking on each line and space and it gives me a different sound for each but not how I would llike it. of course I would llike to write on one line for the snares and add rim shots and rolls on that same line, and I only get 4 bass drums sounds when I want to be able to use all 6 and pick if I want to use the lines or the spaces for each drums.

Thanks again for your help
[/quote]

For starters, you should be using the Sibelius VDL template created by Tapspace. Available at:
https://www.tapspace.com/updates

Using this template, you should be entering your pitches with a MIDI keyboard so Sibelius knows exactly which sound you intend for it to play back. For example (using full/lite snareline), type in a G#4 on your midi keyboard and a regular RH snare hit will sound. Type in a G-natural, and a RH rimshot will appear (with 'x' notehead as well).

If your next question is, ";Do I really need to use a MIDI keyboard with VDL2?"; please click the FAQ link at:
https://www.tapspace.com/vdl2

Is the staff type you're using the same as the sound library you've loaded?

Thanks Jim that helped and the distortion is gone. how do I assign a particular sound to a specific line or space in a measure.? I have been clicking on each line and space and it gives me a different sound for each but not how I would llike it. of course I would llike to write on one line for the snares and add rim shots and rolls on that same line, and I only get 4 bass drums sounds when I want to be able to use all 6 and pick if I want to use the lines or the spaces for each drums.

Thanks again for your help

There's a new entry on the VDL:2 troubleshooting page. Click the ";troubleshooting"; link at:
https://www.tapspace.com/support/

Let us know if any of those suggestions help.

hi drumcat, i wasn't able to send you a recording of what i have written so you can hear the distortion.....just another thing i have to learn how to do. I'm still trying to figure out how to get the bass drums in order from top to bottom and on what lines and spaces they are on and the same with the tenors. A couple of guys have VDL1 I think i'm going to have to sit down with them and take some lessons. I can only describe the sound as distorted as if you're playing music and your speakers are blown and you get a lot of cracking and the sounds aren't very clear at all.
Thanks again for all of your help and I hope to get to meet you at a game some time.

FYI: Blue Thunder tryouts are in April

Craig

Cool.  If I can get the tickets, I'll stop by and actually bug you!  I'd like to meet you guys and your staff -- if I didn't know better I'd think it was a UNT-style group, but who knows...

Anyhow, about your sound quality...  there are a few things that can cause problems.  If it's describable here, give it a shot.  If you need to record it and send it, I'd be glad to listen.  Let me know.

-Mat Chavez
mat@cityofrain.com