Anomalous behavior in relation to program changes in Finale

[stevesong]

I have no doubt that there is something simple that I'm missing but I am having problems using program changes in Finale to switch between matrices in VI Pro. Finale offers a number of options for program changes. Using Finale's MIDI Tool The options are:

1. Pogram Change with bank select 0 and bank select 32 greyed out and Program Change is the only variable

2.Bank Select 0, Bank Select 32, Program Change in which values for each can be changed.

3.Bank Select 0, Program Change in which the values for Bank Select 0 and Program Change can be varied

4. Bank Select 32, Program Change in which the values for Bank Select 32 and Program Change can be varied.

5. Program Change, Program Change in which values for two Program Changes are variable.

I have used only the first option where Program Change is the only variable. (VI Pro seems to assign numbers like 1,2, 3 etc. different from the Vienna Instruments player where the values began at 101.) At first it seems to work but then something happens and the file does not play back correctly dynamics are in correct notes are missing. Even when I erase all continuous data from the score, the same anomalies keep occuring. Now I haven't tried using keyswitches to change matrices because I find them cumbersome. But once the anomalies occur the only way I have found to eliminate them is to create a brand new instrumental template and just keep adding new channels where I want to access new matrices. Perhaps someone knows what I am doing wrong. I would be most appreciative of insight and help. Thanks.

[andi]

Hello Stephen!

Which Finale version are you using?
Program changes should work with your own expressions. After creating the Expression with the Expression tool, go to the Expression Designer/Playback site, choose "Type: Patch", select Program Change and set the Program Change number.

I hope this helps.

Best regards,
Andi

[stevesong]

Thanks Andi. I'll try what you suggest later today - - using duplicates of files that currently play without anomalous behavior. I'm currently using Finale 2010. Are there advantages to Finale 2011 (which I have but have not installed) or Finale 2012? Again thanks for your help.

[andi]

As far as I remember, there are not many differences between Finale 2010b and Finale 2012 - at least as far as playback with the Vienna Instruments is concerned.

Best,
Andi

[stevesong]

Hi Andi,

I've tried setting program changes with the Expression Tool as you suggested rather than with the MIDI Tool and so far nothing anomalous has happened. I will continue testing to make sure that nothing does go wrong. On the Make Music Froum where I'd posted about this, another fellow, Michael Matthews reported that he had experienced the same problem I described, but he didn't say whether he was using the Expression Tool or the MIDI Tool to indicate patch changes. Thanks very much for your help.

[Bill]

 Using the expression tool you can also send keyswitches, using the palyback type called "Dump".  I can never remember what values to enter, but if you ask on the MM forum, someone will know.

[stevesong]

Unhappily, continued testing has resulted in the same kind of file corruption that occurred when program changes were put in using the MIDI Tool. Essentially the dynamics are incorrect in a random way. This has not happened when there is only one Matrix per instance of VI Pro. The solution then - - until someone comes up with a reliable way of working with program changes in Finale and VI Pro- - is to create more instances of VI Pro each with one matrix and assigned to its own MIDI channel. Unfortunately this will consume more computer resources. 

[Bill]

 See my post above.  You can use keyswitches instead of programs change to select Matrices.  Finale only gives you 8 VSTi ports, so you really can't waste channels with more instances of VI.