So, I have searched the forum for a while now and can't seem to find a solution to my problem.  I'm using VDL 2.5 on Sibelius 6 on a PC (Windows 7).  I just bought the program about three weeks ago so I have the latest library update and Sibelius 6 template.  I'm using the Kontakt player as a plugin (the latest version, just updated it).  I am trying to create a custom percussion map for auxillary instruments in a front ensemble.  I went to ";Edit Instruments"; under House Style, created a new instrument based off of Concert Band Combo, and began to edit staff types.  I changed noteheads and placement on the staff and began applying to proper playback sounds to each notehead.  I was trying to apply the finger cymbal (edge to edge) to notehead 29 on the bottom F space.  I set up the note on the space I wanted, then clicked ";choose sound"; and found the finger cymbal>metal>edge on edge sound.  Everything looks correct, but when I click on the notehead to ";test"; it, I never get the correct playback sound.  At the moment, it is playing back a woodblock sound.  I had the same issue when trying to create castanets and vibraslap notehead.  The castanets gave me a some version of a triangle playback while the vibraslap gave me some form of a high tom playback.  I checked to see if I accidentally used a duplicate notehead and staff placement, however I could not find one that overlapped.  The box that displays the applied sound even says ";edge on edge"; for the finger cymbal note, but the playback sound is not a finger cymbal.  I tried setting all the specifics and just clicking ok to see if maybe it would work on the actual staff, however this was unsuccessful as well.  Not really sure what I'm doing wrong or the next step to take.

When you customize an instrument mapping, all you'll be able to do is change the placement on staff and/or the notehead number. If you try to add additional sounds that are not in the VDL .nki patch Sibelius will use the closest matching sound it can find [b]within the same patch[/b]. This is how SoundWorld is currently designed to work.

Since there is no finger cymbal sound in the Concert Band Combo patch, you'll not be able to use it in the Concert Band Combo instrument that is defined in the Sibelius template file (customized or otherwise). Same goes for any other sounds not in the pertinent patch.

Your solution is to do an instrument change on the staff to whatever instrument that has the sounds you're looking for. At this point Sibelius will load the appropriate patch for you to account for the added instrument.

Let me know if I haven't explained it enough.

Late
Hugh

No, that makes sense.  So in other words, if I want to put a certain combination of instruments on the same stuff (playing at the same time, thus the instrument change would not be sufficient), I am limited to the ";combos"; that are preset (or at least the combination of instruments)?

[quote author=ross1987 link=topic=4010.msg21079#msg21079 date=1305151922]
... I am limited to the ";combos"; that are preset (or at least the combination of instruments)?
[/quote]

Yes.

The only other option would be to build your own .nki file(s), but you'll need the full version of Kontakt for that. I myself have looked into making my own .nki files, but so far have not had time to learn how to do so.

You can also ";fake it"; in Sibelius, creating two or more staves to play back the appropriate sounds (using instrument changes as necessary) and a final staff (muted) that you use to create notation looking the way you want it. I do this all of the time for simple applications, like a mallet player playing a mallet note and striking a cymbal at the same time.

Certainly building your own .nki files would be the more professional approach, but also would involve spending a chunk of money of you don't already own the full version of Kontakt. The ";fake it"; approach requires no additional expenditure of funds, but can be time consuming, especially if you create your notation staff and then want to change the playback staves at a later time.