Hello Jenna!

I use the following settings for our instruments with Finale:
Master Volume: CC7
Expresion: CC12
Velocity XFade turned on and set to CC11

Finale HP Preferences/Dynamics/Volume/Dynamic Approach for Sustaining instruments: CC#11

Some earlier Finale versions had CC7 and CC11 mixed up. I don't remember which versions had this bug exactly, but if you happen to have one of these versions, you may have to set the Dynamic Approach setting to CC#7 in Finale.

I wouldn't use Velocity XFade for Harp, Piano and percussive instruments.

Best regards,
Andi

Hello Jenna!

It will not be of much use, if I send you Human Playback Preferences with the settings I have described in my last post. If you want to, you can send your Finale project and the Vienna Ensemble (Pro) project to support@vsl.co.at. I can take a look at your files then. Please add a reference to this thread and let me know which Finale version and OS you are using.

Best regards,
Andi

Got it, I will do this shortly. I have a quick question for you re: your settings - when a whole note crescendoes (hairpin), does it change the velocity, the volume, or both? 

Blessings

Hello Jenna!

With VelXF activated, hairpins change Velocity XFade. Master volume should not be affected. Velocity can't be changed after the attack of a note.

Best,
Andi

Thank you, that explains some of this. The goal of life "human" performace of an Orchestra or Jazz Band is to change dynamics (volume) without changing the Timbre (VelXF). As you know - the fff in Barber's "Adagio for Strings" is very different sounding than the  fff in a Shostakovich symphony. A beautiful warm fff vs. a bright exhilerating  fff.

That aside, I can't get accents to work w/ XF ON. Here are my settings,, and I'll send a Finale and VEP doument shortly.

Thank you for hanging in there with me!

Jenna - UpBeat Studios

CC#Controls

3Y Axis of Matrix

7Volume

9Legato Blur

11VelXF

12Expression

14Algo Wet

15VEP Channel Faders

16MirPro Offset %

20SlotX

21Start Scaler: 

22Master Attack

23Master Release

24Master Filter

25Delay Scaler: 

26Tuning Scaler: 

27Humanize: 

28Vel XF On/Off

29RSamp On/Off: 

30Dynamic Range Scaler: 

31A/B Switch

33Legato Blur

64Damper Pedal /Sustain Pedal

65MIRx Wet

73Reverb On/Off

KS 115-126X Axis of Matrix

VelocityHP velocity articulations

Here are the setting that I've found that work best.

First, change Finale's "HP Preferences/ Dynamic/Volume tab for "Dynamic Approach..." to "Modulation (CC#1) + Velocity for Attack."

If you haven't already, download the Vienna HP Preference set and Finale Keyswitch dump library from the VI download site.

I set the VI controls to Vol = 7,  Expression = 11, Velocity Crossfade = 1, and the Y axis = 16 (I made a separate library for the latter).   With these settings hairpins, dynamic markings, articulations respond to HP.

I also changed the Matrix list control from "ksw" to "pgm."  I've found that some of the general keyswitches in Vienna's HP Preference set can trigger a short low-register bleat when beginning playback within a piece.  Also some instruments didn't seem to respond to markings.  To remedy that I've added additional instrument definitions to the preference set and unchecked some of the general ones.

One last caveat: files created on older versions of Finale (I believe prior to v. 2014) don't seem to respond correct to HP.  The solution recommended on another forum is to open a brand new music file and copy/paste the notation from the older file.

Thank you for "ClayKing" for posting! Two quick questions as I start to work w/ your suggestions...

1. The HP preferences seem to be specifically for Special Editions so I have never used them, does it work for you with "non-special" libraries? ie. Brass I, WWs I, Epic Horns, etc
2. would you be so generous as to send me a FInale file w/ your setttings and expressions? email upbeatstudios@icloud.com

I'm pumped to get this to work for me :-)

Sorry, I can't answer your first question, perhaps Andi can, but if you're playing those instruments via VI Ensemble as host they should work the same.

I'll email you regarding your second question. 

Hello Jenna!

The Special Edition Human Playback Preferences work only with the Special Edition volumes. For other libraries they will generate wrong keyswitches.

Best regards,
Andi

Just to expand on Andi's post, in Finale, filters can be applied to any instrument's Human Preference setting so that the technique is only applied under a specific criteria, i.e., library name, device, staff name, channel, etc.  In that way different sample sets from the same company that have different keyswitches can be configured so they don't conflict.   Also, since the VSL is a comprehensive list of keyswitch expressions they can be copied and/or modified within Finale to accomodate additional Vienna sample sets that have different keyswitches than the special editions.