Okay,

So I would like to say, I love Virtual Drumline, it's great!

However, I am running into problems with instrument changes in Sibelius 6

Instrument Change problem #1)
      I am writing for a front ensemble and for the Percussion rack parts I am using Concert Band Combo(A). Some of the sounds that I need to use are not included in that combo like Brake Drums, Sleigh Bells, and Wind Chimes. The Wind Chimes work.. they were the first Instrument Change I entered. However, the Brake Drum didn't work It is sounding as a Triangle. It originally worked fine and then it all the sudden changed when I changed the line back to Concert Band Combo(A).. When I open up Kontact from Sibelius to see where it's triggering from, It is triggering from the Concert Band Combo instead of the Brake drum patch. So Sibelius didn't trigger the Instrument Change at all. This has happened more than once. For Example, I am adding a Zil-Bell hit for my Xylophone player in the drum feature. I enter the Instrument change and the note and they play fine and look fine. Then after I changed that line back to Xylo after that hit they turned into splash cymbal chokes! Does anyone know why it won't trigger the instrument change? or why it changes after it already worked?

Instrument Change Problem #2)

    For writing keyboard cymbal parts, The Write Score read me says that in order to get the cymbal sounds on keyboard lines just do an instrument change. Well When I do an Instrument change on a Keyboard line my MIDI keyboard will not enter anything.. if it does enter anything it's screwed up. Its the same for the Sibelius one too. I am using a KORG nanoKEY2.. For the most part I have just had to stop using my keyboard and enter notes the manual way and change the notehead number to get the correct sound. Which has worked EXCEPT for on cymbal rolls. I can never get a cymbal roll to sound or look correct... I have reverted to just writing in notes that just don't sound and imagining my cymbal roll is there.. but it would be nice to hear them. So, If anyone can help me with my MIDI keyboard and instrument change problems on this one I am open to suggestions...

-Tyler Brendan Stewart

[u]The system I am running is as follows:[/u]
13"; MacBook, Aluminum, Late 2008
Running Mac OS X 10.8.3
Processor: 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
RAM: 4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3
Sibelius 6
VDL 2.5.5
Kontakt 4
The Write Score Virtual Drumline Template 7a.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[u]Tyler Brendan Stewart[/u]
Front Ensemble Director
Hurricane High School
Hurricane, West Virginia

This definitely sounds like something with your settings in the Sibelius score or with your template files from [url=http://www.thewritescore.com]The Write Score[/url].

Most of the support calls we receive have to do with this sort of thing, which technically, aren't problems with VDL at all. It's simply an issue of how a notation/host program is implementing it into its environment. Fortunately, Hugh from The Write Score (who's already responded here) knows this stuff inside and out and is super helpful.

Nine times out of ten, something like this is a quirk with the notation program, a glitch in your template files (or your settings), or just user error. The documentation or forums for The Write Score can often provide illumination, or if not, their support channels should be able to get you on track.

What instruments are you changing to? Please include screen shots.