Please somebody help.  I have Finale 2003 with VDL2 (cause I can't afford anything newer).  My problem is that when hyperscribing with my usb/midi keyboard, the notes are ending up in weird spots on the staff.  For example, on the tenors, most of the drums transcribe onto one line on the staff, using different types of note heads for each sound.  The other battery instruments are doing the same thing.  Sometimes, like a pang shot on the #4 tenor drum, will end up being an x on the ";e"; line (for treble clef) or somewhere about that area.  Most of the notes end up being right on the ";b"; line...same thing with bass and snare.  I even tried messing with the octaves on my keyboard and on VDL2 and still having the same result.  I just recently got Finale 2003, since my 2005 trial ran up, and now I can't print or save on that.  So, I downloaded the finale 2003 template from the updates page the other day.  What can I do?  I'm really running out of time to get these projects done, and I didn't expect this kind of issue since the template for finale 2005 worked just fine.

Jayme Rivel
JMRivel@hotmail.com

Do you have the manual?  Are the keys that you're inputting just simply not line up with what's on the keymaps in the manual?  Forgive me, but I'm not mentally seeing the exact problem...  be our eyes.

Yes, I have the manual, and the sounds from each keystroke line up fine with the key maps.  The problem is, when I enter, for example, drum 1, 2, 3, then 4 for example, the result on the staff on finale is:  (the following notes, in what would actually be treble clef)  b, b, b, d (some of the b's with slashes through the note heads.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but drum 1 should end up on the ";e"; note (top space) Drum two should correspond to: ";c"; (second from top).  Drum three should end up on ";a";.  And drum 4 should end up on ";f";.  That is just an example of what is happening.  Also, right to left keystrokes end up appearing as squares and triangles as note heads on the snare parts.  Bass drums are all over the place too.  I think finale doesn't understand what VDL2 is doing.  Now, just to explain what I have:  I'm using midi Yoke NT 1 (which is supposed to work for Windows XP), set as my midi out device in finale.  My midi in device is set to my usb keyboard.  In VDL2, midi yoke NT 1 is assigned to midi in.  I have 1 GB of RAM, and my sound card is set to ";directsound";, which I guess came with the computer?  Like I said before, I had no problems before when I had the trial of finale 2005 with the finale 2005 template from the updates page.  One last tidbit of information here:  When I play back the file on finale, everything sounds right.(based on what I entered on the keyboard)  Which is why I'm confused.  It just doesn't look right visually.  Nothing is in the right spot. 

You know what?  I finally, just read a reply to my question a while ago.  Does finale 2003 work with VDL2.  The answer was yes, but there are some template issues that are still being ironed out.  Everyone basically recommended me to buy an upgrade to finale 06 or Sibelius 4. 

Well, the problem with that is that, no, I'm not a registered user of finale 2003...because I'm poor.  And I dumped all the money I could afford into VDL2.  Please, Please, Please somebody help me find a fix to this problem...I've been having way too much trouble with this program.  I'm almost ready to just lock up VDL2 in the closet to collect dust for the rest of time.  And I don't want to do that, because I went out on a limb to get this ";what everyone's been telling me"; wonderful program.  Not to mention, the hardware I had to buy. 

Jayme - We are sorry to hear you've had troubles with Finale and VDL2, but please note that we can not offer Finale support as we are note the developer for that product. For support with Finale, you must first be a registered user of Finale, at which point you may contact tech support at MakeMusic (http://finalemusic.com/support.aspx).

[b]We do not condone illegal pirating of any company's software.[/b]

I am extremely unsatisfied with my purchase.  And now I'm being accused of pirating software.  I'm not asking for handouts here.  All I want is for someone to fix the finale 2003 template which Tapspace is supposed to provide in order for VDL2 to function properly.  Nothing was mentioned in the ";system requirements"; about needing to purchase finale 2004 or newer.  If that was the case, I would not have been able to purchase vdl2 at the time, since I could not afford a whole new notation program.  I purchased vdl2 after being informed by tapspace publications that VDL2 would work with any version of finale, and there was a finale 2003 template available for download.  So, I felt assured that I had the right requirements before proceeding with my investment.  Say I am a registered user of finale 2003, and whether I am or not is none of anyones business, I still would not be able to afford to upgrade to finale 2006. 

[quote author=spacefly37 link=topic=1187.msg5074#msg5074 date=1151121869]
Well, the problem with that is that, no, I'm not a registered user of finale 2003...because I'm poor. 
[/quote]

Jayme, please don't take this the wrong way, but you've already mentioned you're using an unlicensed copy of Finale 2003 so I don't think anyone was mistakenly accusing you.

Yes, there are some problems with the VDL2/Finale 2003 template as it was ported backwards from a more current version of Finale. The VDL2 templates are merely an optional component of using VDL2 with notation software. They are not required, and Tapspace does [i]not[/i] have to provide them. There's no reason VDL2 won't work with your (unlicensed or otherwise) version of Finale. I suggest you consult your Finale documentation and look for ";staff attributes"; and ";percussion mapping."; Those features in Finale allow you to control the display and playback of non-pitched percussion notes.

If an updated version of the Finale 2003 template is released at some point, I'm sure this forum will be the first place it is announced.

[quote author=spacefly37 link=topic=1187.msg5240#msg5240 date=1152073183]
I am extremely unsatisfied with my purchase. And now I'm being accused of pirating software. I'm not asking for handouts here. All I want is for someone to fix the finale 2003 template which Tapspace is supposed to provide in order for VDL2 to function properly. Nothing was mentioned in the ";system requirements"; about needing to purchase finale 2004 or newer. If that was the case, I would not have been able to purchase vdl2 at the time, since I could not afford a whole new notation program. I purchased vdl2 after being informed by tapspace publications that VDL2 would work with any version of finale, and there was a finale 2003 template available for download. So, I felt assured that I had the right requirements before proceeding with my investment. Say I am a registered user of finale 2003, and whether I am or not is none of anyones business, I still would not be able to afford to upgrade to finale 2006.
[/quote]

Jayme,

First, I would suggest that you calm down on the attitude. ��You say that you're being accused of pirating software. ��It's not a hard conclusion to come to when you post things like this:

[quote]Well, the problem with that is that, no, I'm not a registered user of finale 2003...because I'm poor. [/quote]

If you do indeed have a legal copy of Finale 2003, then register it through the Finale website and you can access their help forums.

Ted Boliske was working on correcting the Finale 2003 template, but from what I have gathered, he is running into problems with Finale and how it works with user made templates. ��This would be a Finale problem, and not a VDL:2 problem. ��Therefore, contacting Finale is the best option.

From personal experience, creating a template using Finale is not all that difficult. ��It's a bit time consuming, but not difficult. ��I haven't done it in a long time (I'm a Sibelius user now), but I do remember it being easy to do.

In theory, Tapspace doesn't HAVE to provide us with any templates at all. ��They do it because they are decent guys who want to make life as easy as possible. ��Unfortunately, with much older versions of software, Finale 2003, knowing every glitch in the system is not always possible.

Again, I will state that I'm not accusing you of having a pirated copy of Finale 2003. ��If you don't, then register it on Finale's site and access their user forums. ��If you do, then you're out of luck on this message board.

Dangit Jim!!!  You beat me to the punch.