Hello Tapspace,
I am trying to create a custom auxiliary stave using rainstick, cabasa, brake drum, etc. I have created a new layout map and also a new matching midi map. My problem is that whenever i play the staff several note sounds seem to overlap and play at the same time. I am running a windows 7 64-bit system with Finale 2011. Also I am running VDL 2.5.2 with the 2010b template. any help on this matter will be greatly appreciated.

How are you loading the sounds into the Kontakt Player or the full Kontakt? Because each of these is essentially a different instrument it might be easier to use layers or load an empty bank with the instruments and use patch changes to switch between sounds for playback. It sounds as if what you are hearing is the result of sounds within the various instruments which are assigned to the same key playing back.

I am using the kontakt player that was provided with Virtual Drumline 2.5. I believe you are correct about the same key playback part but im honestly not sure how to do the whole empty bank and patch changes thing. Basically i just want to make the equivalent of a new Rack combo so i can use many accessories on one staff. Any ideas how i can do that easier than i have been making it?

I'll post detailed instructions on Friday. In the mean time, you should read the Finale manual on working with layers and the VDL documentation on using banks.

ok thanks alot ted

Using Layers:

Using Layers is a simple means of allowing multiple instruments to use a single staff for notation and playback. Note that this works only if you are using no more than four instruments.

- Open one of the VDL Finale templates.

- If you are working with only one staff I would delete all of the other staves except one of the rack or percussion staves as they are already set for non-pitched percussion. If this is part of an ensemble score with multiple staves, you must remember to set the Staff Attributes for non-pitched percussion. The easiest way to do this is to open the staff attributes for a non-pitched percussion instrument in one of the templates and make the 2 windows (the template and the file you're working with) match.

- In the KP2 player load the instruments you wish to use. Note the MIDI channel assignments which KP2 automatically assigns.

- In the Instrument List window find the staff you are going to use. In the Staff Name column, click the blue triangle to the left of the staff name. The list will expand to show Layer 1, Layer 2, etc.

- Now in the Instrument column, click the blue triangle for Layer 1 and from the menu select New Instrument. Name this new instrument for any of the VDL instruments you are going to use. It would be best to name it for the first instrument you loaded into the KP2 player. For the Channel, it should be set to match the MIDI channel for this instrument in KP2. For Percussion MIDI Map, select the map for this instrument. Click OK. You will also need to change the Perc. MIDI Map column on the right side of the Instrument List.

- Repeat for the other instruments using this staff. Remember that each instrument will have its own MIDI channel.

- As you write for the different instruments remember to change Layers in Finale. This is done from the lower left corner of the Finale window. Click the arrow and select the layer in which you wish to write. By default you start in Layer 1 and all layers will continue to be displayed.

- You will want to create text expression to indicate when the player(s) should change instruments. Information on how to do this is in the Finale On Line help manual.


If you are using this staff as part of a larger score, say the percussion staff in one of the templates, you can not exceed 16 MIDI channels for each instance of KP2. You can load multiple instances of KP2, in which case the MIDI channel assignments would be off by 16. Meaning if you use a second KP2 for just this staff, your sounds would load into MIDI channels 1 through 4 in KP2. In Finale they would be numbers 17, 18, 19, and 20.


Remember this will only work if you are using 2 to 4 instruments from VDL because that is the maximum number of layers available.


If you need more than 4 instruments for this staff then you will need to load an empty Bank from VDL.

- To do this begin just as you would for loading instruments into KP2. Open the VST Instruments from the MIDI/Audio Menu. Once it is open, load KP2 and click on the Pencil icon.

- Click on the word 'Instruments' not the arrow for the drop down menu. You may need to navigate up to the level where you see the library folders. To use Banks you must drag the individual instruments into the player rather than double clicking. You'll understand why in a moment.

- Look for the folder that says Banks and double click to open.

- Inside the folder is an icon named Empty Bank.nkb. Click and drag the empty bank into the large KP2 window where you see the other instruments or would normally find them if the bank is the first thing you are loading.

- Once the bank is loaded, click on the 'gears' icon to open the bank. Inside you will see 128 empty slots for loading instruments.

- From this point you will navigate through the various VDL folders to find the instruments needed. Drag the instrument to an empty slot in the bank and it should load just as any other VDL instrument.

- Just as you needed to remember the MIDI channel assignments when using Layers, you will need to remember which slot or 'patch' the instruments are using in this bank. The bank itself has a MIDI channel assignment, while the instruments have patch numbers.

- When using Banks, all of your writing can be done in Layer 1. But you will need to create text expressions to facilitate not only instrument changes for the performer(s) but for playback as well. Information on using text expressions for playback is also in the manual.

- You will also need to create Staff Styles to handle the changes in the different Percussion MIDI Maps. In Finale 2011 there is already a Staff Style for switching to the suspended cymbals included with the marimba instruments. You can use this as a starting point. The only needed change to this style is the staff itself. This Staff Style uses a single centered staff line. Your instruments should be mapped across the full 5 line staff.


I've given you a great deal to work with and honestly using Layers is the easiest of these two options. Before you consider using Banks, if you have more than 4 instruments, check to see if the instruments you want to use are not already in 1 or more of the VDL Combos. Between the 2 Rack Combos, the Latin, Metal, Cymbal Rack Combos, the Concert Band Combo, and Bass Drum/Tam-Tam Combo everything might be covered. In this case load the combos instead of the individual instruments into the 4 layers. You might need to load only 1 or 2 individual instruments with the rest in the combos.


Let us know what you decide to do and if there are any other issues.