Well guys, my motherboard on my laptop is fried, so I had to send it off for repairs. Now I feel the need to further educate myself. The cresc/decresc plugin is awesome, but I've found some, can I say glitches?. Let's say I start a bar of 16th notes at ";f"; then hairpin down to ";p"; on the e of count 4, and back to ";f"; on count 1 of bar 2. I then highlight bar 1 and insert the plugin. Under bar 1 you can see the plugin indicated with a blue smudge mark. The problem is that the smudge carries over in to bar 2. I want it to stop on the e of count 4 in bar 1, and bar 2 is not at ";f";. I figured out a way around this by loading the instrument twice, and writing bar 2 in the second instance of the instrument, but this become very tedious when it's time to print. Anyone who has experience with this plugin please help.

Why are you using the plugin? Are you wanting a more drastic change in volume? Most people will only use that plugin on long tones on which you would like to hear more shaping than Sibelius will do. 

Something else you should look into in the ability to change to what degree the Hairpins (H) affect the volumes or velocities of the notes they cover.  You can access this by selecting the appropriate Hairpin then go to the Properties dialog under the Playback tab where you should see two dropdown boxes for the Hairpin settings.  When selected, the right one will become active and allow to choose how you would like the Hairpin to effect the notes it covers.  Try experimenting with these settings at different percentages and I think you'll find that you'll be able to avoid using the crescendo/decrescendo plugin as often - especially with all your little magic tricks you're describing :-)

Also, if you are going to use that plugin, you'll find that the volume of the instrument on which you used it might be softer or louder than before.  This is because it (by default) effects the CC7 midi controller, which is volume. To get it back to what it was before you ran the plugin, simply use either Technique Text (ctrl+T or cmd+T) or Expression Text (ctrl+E or cmd+E) and end the midi command ~C7,100.  The tilda (~) hides the command and the 100 sets the value of the volume. just go to your mixer, check your setting, and substitute your own number for that.

Hope this helps.

I came across he plugin by accident and loved it, and correct...it gave more contrast than the normal";cntrl e, ";f";, hairpin, ";p";...again I loved it. I'm currently in the proccess of playing with the Playback tab in the Properties dialog...trust me it has done wonders for my flam rudiments, so I will continue to do so. Can you give me a tad bit more on the midi volume controls(~C7,100 for example) as you mentioned? I assume this this is the counterpart to the ";blue smudge"; that I spoke of. And yes this does help...hope this helps someone else also. If I could, I'd email you a beer...Thank you sir!!!

Sure.

The C7 midi controller is what controls volume.  While it is not be reflected in the mixer - as there is no automation of it in Sibelius - you hear it in playback.  You can give it a value of 0-127, with 127 obviously being the loudest.  The reason you would need to do this is in your case is that you have hypothetically entered 90 for your highest value and 30 for your lowest value. These correspond with the midi values of 115 and 38 as the numbers 30 and 90 are precentages of 128 (or is it 127?).(approximately). The default setting on the mixer for most instruments in 100 (which is where the ~C7,100 command comes into play). However, if you check your mixer and you actually have your instrument set at 85, you would enter ~C7,85.

Hope this helps you out a little more.  If ever in doubt consult your Sibelius documentation as those guys put together a pretty helpful bunch of information.

Cool...I was asking because with the plugin you have the option to see the blue smudge or the midi values via checkbox. FYI, you can aslo manually input midi values, for further detailing, which is why it is good to experiment...Thanks again!!!

Something that's really worth understanding: [i][b]Velocity[/b][/i] vs. [i][b]Volume[/b][/i].

When I say ";volume"; I mean [i]MIDI Volume[/i] (aka Controller 7 as Bryan mentioned). Not necessarily volume in the sense of how loud or soft something sounds.

With Virtual Drumline, it's often a good idea not to worry too much about this volume setting, but rather focus on [i][b]velocity[/b][/i]. Velocity is another midi function which you can think of similar to the way you'd think of stick heights. Low velocities result in softer sounds. High velocities result in louder sounds. Velocity values can range from 0 (no sound) to 127 (loudest possible sound on that note). VDL was recorded and programmed at a variety of velocities which will give your music a more realistic sound as you write.

By default, Sibelius and Finale set higher velocities to [i]Forte[/i] markings as opposed to [i]Piano[/i] markings. Furthermore, [i]Accents[/i] will add a proportion of extra velocity to the existing dynamic, calling up a higher velocity to give the accent pattern some life.

In Sibelius, there's a [b]Live Playback Velocity[/b] function which you can read about in your Sibelius documentation. It will give you more control over your velocities (hence more control over realism). For example, you might like to hear your unaccented notes in a snare part (taps) to be softer. Setting these to a velocity around 66-70 can help distinguish them from accents.

Another lesser known feature in Sibelius in controlling velocity is [b]Play>Transform Live Playback.[/b] In this window, you'll see a ";Velocities"; tab, and a ";Crescendo/diminuendo"; area where you can set a starting/ending velocity for the selected span of notes. This can be very helpful for scaling a range of velocities over time.

Be sure to become familiar with the [b]live velocity[/b] setting within the Playback area of the ";Properties"; window. If you start using manual control of velocity (which I'd recommend), you'll use this a lot.

[i]";In Sibelius, there's a Live Playback Velocity function which you can read about in your Sibelius documentation. It will give you more control over your velocities (hence more control over realism). For example, you might like to hear your unaccented notes in a snare part (taps) to be softer. Setting these to a velocity around 66-70 can help distinguish them from accents."; [/i]

What's a standard velocity for accented notes? Also, I started playing with the degree of Hairpins. I've found that it works great on smaller passages, a few counts or so. But on the longer passages, such as two bars of roll, it's not as smooth dynamic wise. I tried moving the end dynamic marking a few counts before the end of the Hairpin, and this kind of works. Is this what is typically done?

found it...if anyone else is looking, here's the article;
https://www.tapspace.com/forums/index.php?topic=2759.0

You are commended for using the search tool.