Hey guys, I just upgraded to Finale 2010 and purchased the template for VDL on here. Everything seems to be working fine but when I enter notes for the snareline (for example) they go in random places on the staff. I had this same problem with finale 2008 and it was a really easy fix. I did try to do a search on here but had no luck so please forgive me if this has been answered before.

Chad,

You've discovered one of the changes in Finale 2010, percussion mapping.

If you're using a default template, meaning you have not made any changes to the instruments then this should not be a problem. On the other hand, if you have switched from say the manual snare to say the auto rl then make sure that the layout is changed in the Staff Attributes and in the Instrument List.

I'm away from my computer so I may have missed a step. It would also help to review the Read Me file. Let us know if this helps and if you have any other problems.

Ted

Ted everything seems to be matched up just the way it needs to be. I am getting sound but the notes are just not in the correct places on the staff.

Ok I got that worked out but now no matter what note I hit for snare, the little text experssion is saying the wrong thing. Like instead of RH Hits or something like that it just says Snare Drum Rod LH no matter what I change the keyboard to.

Chad,

Are you using Simple or Speedy entry to enter notes in the score? To be honest, I have not yet had a lot of time to start working with the templates. After spending almost 6 months getting them ready, I needed some time away. Fortunately a new computer has taking the brunt of my attention. I'll find some time to play around and hopefully one of the other Finale guys can chime in with help. In the mean time keep us up to date on your progress.


Ted

I am just using simple note entry with my korg nano key. The notes sound like they are supposed to on each battery instrument but the new expression text is not reading correctly.

Hi Ted. I must congratulate you for your efforts on the new mapping templates for Finale 2010a. Outstanding in its depth. However, I also notice that there are several sounds in the snareline manual map that have no name and are still lidentified only as ";custom x"; whatever value x might be at the time. Perhaps this is part of caustin's problem. I realize that I can change the names around to read what they should. I would have thought that Finale would have provided you with the tools that you needed to create original names so that you would not have had to alter ";Custom 1"; and ";Custom 2"; every time, and it would not still read ";custom"; at the end of every custom name. (Hey MakeMusic! That really has to go!). I have not checked all the maps, that is just the first.

Ooops!!! I take that back about the snareline map being wrong. Not sure what I did wrong, but I double checked and all was good. An awesome bit of work, Ted. What I said about the ";Custom"; being added to the name still stands though. Still sucks.

caustin, it sounds to me like you have the incorrect percussion map for the instrument (similar to me, above). If you aren't using Finale 2010a, upgrade to it, and then download Ted's awesome template (right up front on the Tapspace home page). Make sure that you have chosen the correct percussion map for the instrument (like I clearly had not above), and hopefully all your problems will go away.

Warren Barnett

Windows XP
Finale 2010a
VDL 2.51
Speedy Entry with the computer keyboard (although I do have a MIDI keyboard but haven't played with it enough)

Warren,

Thanks for the input regarding the templates. The issue with note name types having 'custom' in the name is a result of needing to create new note name types. This is in fact a better situation than originally presented by Finale which was that all new note names were 'custom #'. Eventually the ability to edit and create new names was added but the original designation is still there.

These note name types are a combination of existing Finale supplied names and edited custom names. My hope is to eventually use only VDL specific names. This currently means everything would be a custom name.


Ted

So is it supposed to be reading the correct name when I enter a note?

Warren - you're right, that Custom issue is annoying, but I can live with it.  I started renaming the notes for all battery instruments and Rack Combos in the midimap (for use in the 2009 template, beofre the 2010 came out) and I feel Ted's pain on that. 

Ted - Super job with the templates.  I hope you are getting a good residual on sales.

Chad - I have been following the thread and I'm not sure I have enough info about your set-up to accurately identify what you are encountering, but having played around with the new percussion mapping quite alot now, if you are using the new 2010 template and have the correct layout entered  for the instrument (and the right midi input/output set-up) then the problem has to be with the midi map assignment since that's what drives the ";shadow text"; on note input.  If you try using Simple Entry do you get the same result? 

I can move the up and down arrows and get the correct text to display. It just does not work when I enter notes through the midi keyboard.

Chad,

Those note names work best when there is only one note assigned to a particular line or space in the staff. Because the VDL layout has multiple sounds and note name types assigned to specific staff placements this feature is probably less beneficial. I use a midi keyboard but still rely upon the keymaps found in the VDL documents.


Ted

Chad,

If you go to MIDI/Audio Menu -> Device Setup -> Percussion Input Maps, is ";Match Input Map to Output Map"; selected for all banks?

Also, you have downloaded and installed the Finale 2010a update?  If you are unsure, you can find out by going to Help Menu -> About Finale -> Version.

Yeah I have the latest update and all the other stuff matches up. I am not sure but I guess Ted may have hit the nail on the head. Maybe its not supposed to work?

Chad,

I was finally able to get some time to look at the issue.

You mentioned using simple entry, this is the tool which is an eighth note only versus the speedy entry which looks the same but the note has 'lines' on the left side and the note is leaning in that direction. With simple entry the measure you are working in does not have a box or frame around it. In speedy entry you can navigate through the different note name types by using the up/down arrows. In simple entry you use the mouse to navigate though the layout, but entering a note from a midi keyboard won't tell you which note you just entered. That is the purpose of the key maps, to indicate which midi key or note to press. This is not much different from hit a midi key and expecting the program to know or infer that you want a quarter note or a sixteenth note. The layouts translate midi note to staff placement and notehead shape nothing more.


Ted