So I'm pretty new to finale and VDL:2, but I have a simple problem that many of you should know the answer to. I have all of my stuff routed right,and all the sounds work...but how do you(for example when entering snare music in) keep the note on one line, with different sounds? I.E. writing out paradiddles with the snarelineFull(MW), the notes always seem to be all over the staff..it needs to stay on one line...

Thanks in advance!

Use the Finale/VDL2 template at: https://www.tapspace.com/updates.

This template contains numerous staff styles which have an exhaustive set of percussion maps that coordinate to the mapping within VDL2 instruments. You can select these percussion notation styles in Finale (if you're using the template), by:

[list]
[li]1. Selecting Staff Tool[/li]
[li]2. Double click staff handle which opens ";staff attributes"; window[/li]
[li]3. For ";notation style"; choose ";percussion then click the ";select"; button which opens the ";percussion map selection"; window.[/li]
[li]4. In the VDL2 template, you'll see named percussion maps that coordinate to the same VDL2 instrument namings.[/li]
[/list]

So for example, if you're using ";Snareline Full/Lite"; when you enter a G#5 into the snare staff with your input device, you'll see a regular notehead appear in the middle of the staff, rather than a G#5. Enter a G-nat5 (RH rimshot) you'll get an X notehead in the same position, etc.

Great!That's just what I needed to know...now there's one more problem I have to address..how do I go about entering notes with 'Speedy Entry'? I'm using the Virtual MIDI keyboard I found in the 'Tutorials' forum , I downloaded a yoke, yada yada..I press a key on the virtual keyboard, and it plays the corresponding sound through VDL2, but no notes are entered into the score..so basically, this is what I do..

-hold key on virtual keyboard
-press '5' on the num. pad
-nothing happens in score, but a sound plays through VDL:2

Thanks :)

You probably haven't set up your onscreen software keyboard as your INPUT device into Finale. If you have Midi Yoke properly installed, do this:

[list]
[li]In your onscreen keyboard program, set its OUTPUT to Midi Yoke 2.[/li]
[li]In Finale>MIDI>MIDI Setup, set your INPUT device to Midi Yoke 2.[/li]
[/list]

This essentially 'connects' your virtual keyboard to Finale so they can speak to each other.

Hmm...I'm fairly confident it's setup right..I hold a key on the midi keyboard, then I press 5 on the num pad and it just plays another sound through VDL

[quote author=anonymousdonut link=topic=1542.msg7254#msg7254 date=1169936440]
Hmm...I'm fairly confident it's setup right..
[/quote]

Apparently not. :)

Re-read my previous post. I'm not sure you have your midi connections right between the [i]keyboard[/i] and [i]Finale[/i]. This is different than the connections between Finale and VDL.

Perhaps you could list what you have set as the [i]output device in your software keyboard[/i], and the [i]input device in Finale[/i] so I don't have to guess?

Also, in Finale, in the speedy entry menu, do you have [b]use midi device for input[/b] checked? You should.

K..Yes I have 'use midi device for input' selected

[b][u]Midi Keyboard[/u][/b]

�� �� �� �� �� -[b]Midi settings[/b]
�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��-[i]Midi Port[/i]: Maple Midi Out: Port 2
�� �� �� �� �� -[b]Knob Settings[/b]
�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��-[i]User Controller #1[/i]: 7 Channel Volume
�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��-[i]User Controller #2[/i]: 10 Pan
�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��-[i]Knob Sensitivity[/i]: 9
�� �� �� �� �� -[b]Mouse Settings[/b]
�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��-[i]X Controller[/i]:1 Modulation Wheel
�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��-[i]Y Controller[/i]: 2 Breath Controller
�� �� �� �� �� -[b]Window Settings[/b]
�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��-[i]Delay of splash screen[/i]:1 second
�� �� �� �� �� ��*Always On top


[b][u]Finale[/u][/b]

�� �� �� �� �� �� [b]MIDI In[/b]
�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��[i]Device[/i]-Maple Midi In: Port 2
�� �� �� �� �� �� [b]MIDI Out[/b]
�� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��[i]Device[/i]-Default MIDI Output Device �� �� �� ��Match On/Off *

Thanks for the extra details. That makes things much easier to analyze.

In Finale's MIDI OUT, ";default MIDI Output Device"; pertains to whatever you have set in your [i]Sounds and Audio Devices[/i] control panel in Windows. It might give you a bit more flexibility to simply select your midi output directly in Finale.

But this leads me to the next question. You didn't mention which version of Finale you are using, so I'm not sure if you are using VDL in standalone mode, or as a VST plugin in Finale. If in standalone, it'd probably be advisable to use the following settings to connect Finale and VDL:

[list]
[li]Finale MIDI OUT = midi yoke 1[/li]

[li]VDL MIDI Input Interface  = midi yoke 1 'on' (all others 'off')[/li]
[/list]

One more question - when you're entering 5 on the numeric keypad (to use your same example), you're doing this with the actual staff and measure selected, right? So there's a frame around the measure you're entering into?

If you don't want to have to hold the key on the midi keyboard down while you're selecting rhythmic value on numeric keypad, I believe Finale allows you to put the ";caps-lock"; key on, which will automatically enter the last selected rhythmic value for each midi pitch you strike on the midi keyboard. You might want to double-check your Finale documentation for that though.

Keep in mind that this can be used only with Speedy Entry and when you have the Caps Lock on to lock it onto a specific note.  Because, when you have the Keyboard ";on top"; you are ";in a different application than Finale"; so your keystrokes are not going to be recognized.

Okay, so I have all of this under control now..but for some reason every time I finish writing music in a measure, and jump to another measure or even try and play it  back, finale freezes and crashes..any advice here?

If you enter notes very fast with the keyboard sometimes it can cause finale to crash.  I would just take your time entering...not go slow, but just do not try to go very fast.