I know this topic is raised frequently around here, but I have looked through tons of old posts and can't seem to find the information that I'm looking for.

I'm using Finale 2009 and the newest template for VDL2.5.

I want to have my keyboard players switch from their keyboards to their cymbals (or vice-versa) in the middle of the measure. When I change the staff style to the ";VDL Keyboard SusCym"; it changes all of the notes to rhythmic notation regardless if it is a cymbal part or not.

In the early days of VDL 2, I would just write the cymbal parts on the top line of the staff, change the note head, and deal with the sound being wrong. Surely there has to be a way to have it written correctly and playback correctly.

So my question is this: How can I get cymbals and keyboards happen in the same measure? Also, what is the point of the ";VDL Keyboard SusCym"; staff style if it does the exact same thing as the stock ";Rhythmic Notation"; style?

Regarding the Marimba and Vibraphone, since they have the suspended cymbal sounds as part of each instrument, I just enter the note (which of course has bunches of ledger lines above the staff) and then use the staff tool to select the rhythmic notation staff style for only the beat(s) in the measure that contain suspended cymbal. For Bells & Xylophone (which do not have sus. cymbal as part of the instrument) I usually add a metallic rack (combo) and then program layer 2 or 3 of the Bells/Xylo to play back that midi channel and then use the rhythmic notation staff style. You can also duplicate a staff style from the combo instruments and apply it, but that is higher maintenance.

David

If you want to apply a staff style to only part of a measure, make sure you have ";select partial measures"; checked in the edit menu.

Derek

I don't have a ";Select Partial Measures"; option. I remember it being there in previous versions of Finale, but I definitely don't have it in Finale 2009. I do have a ";Select Region..."; option that allows me to select part of a measure, but when I go to apply the staff style to the part of the measure I selected, it just changes the whole measure to rhythmic notation.

I generally stick with Finale 2007 as that was the most stable version for me.

Anyway I just launched Finale 2009 and tested this out. You are correct in that ";select partial measures"; has been replaced with ";select region";.

I am however still able to apply staff styles to regions by following the method you describe in Finale 2009, but is was for sure easier in Finale 2007.

Derek