Finale 2011 runs but won't play: strange error msgs

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Little-Acorn
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2014 9:05 pm
Finale Version: Finale v26
Operating System: Windows

Post by Little-Acorn » Fri Dec 19, 2014 10:53 pm

Finale 2011
Windows 7 system

Ran into an odd problem while arranging some tunes for brass quintet. Until now, all the arrangements have played fine, no problems with entering parts, scores etc.

Then yesterday, when I went to play one of the pieces I had entered in the last week or so (and which had played fine back then), when I hit the play button, I got an error message:

Missing requested instrument plugin: SmartMusic SoftSynth for bank #1

Clicked the OK button, and got a second error message:

Missing requested fx plugin: Garritan Ambience for final mix slot #1

Clicked the OK button there too. Then the little bar started moving across the score, as it always did when playing the piece... but no sound came out.

I hit the stop button, it stopped, and I hit the X in the upper right corner to close the piece. Nothing happened. I waited, then clicked the X again, still nothing. Finale wouldn't close the piece. At the top, it said, "Program not responding".

Close Finale, and restarted it. Loaded the same piece, same result, it wouldn't play.

Rebooted the computer, tried again, same result.

Long story short, I got out the original DVD and reloaded Finale, tried it again. same result.

Then deleted Finale from the hard disk entirely. Reloaded from the DVD. Still same result, same error messages.

BTW, this only happens on two pieces. Both are for brass quintet, I used the Wizard to automatically set them up. And for both these pieces, I then used the Wizard to add one more instrument: A solo euphonium in one, solo French horn in the other. When I first did this, they played fine. It's only in the last few days that they suddenly generate error messages and won't play.

Oddly, for all the other pieces I arranged for brass quintet over the last several weeks (pieces without an extra solo instrument), those still play fine. It's only the two pieces where I added an extra instrument, that have developed this problem.

Weird.

Anybody had this problem? What could be causing it? How might I fix it?


User avatar
Peter Thomsen
Posts: 6601
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 6:47 pm
Finale Version: Finale v27.4
Operating System: Mac

Post by Peter Thomsen » Sat Dec 20, 2014 2:25 pm

From your description it sounds like the problem is document specific (perhaps file corruption?).


1) Do you have a backup copy of the document(s) from the time when they played fine?


2) If you do not have a backup copy, create a new document (with the instruments you need).
You can e. g. use - as a template - one of the documents that already play back correctly.

Copy the music into the new document.


3) You could also try to fix the failing document.
Two places to go to:
a. Window menu > Instrument List
b. the MIDI/Audio menu
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

Little-Acorn
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2014 9:05 pm
Finale Version: Finale v26
Operating System: Windows

Post by Little-Acorn » Sun Dec 21, 2014 1:26 am

Thank you, Peter, I just tried something like that. Set up a new blank score, this time with extra instruments (I used "Brass Choir" instead of "Brass Quintet") so I won't have to add any later. Then copied the old score one part at a time, to the new one. New one runs and plays fine. Problem has gone away (in the new score), no blood no foul.

It occurs to me that Finale (or maybe Garritan) didn't like the fact that, on the solo instrument I had added to the old score, I then deleted the staff name in the individually-printed solo part, while leaving it in the score. Actually didn't quite delete the staff name, Finale won't let you do that. So I edited it, and deleted all characters so nothing gets printed.

Since Finale won't let me delete the staff name (the way it WILL let me delete the title, composer name etc.), I wonder if Finale uses that staff name for something important? And messing with it (or creating a non-name by deleting all characters) as I did, tripped Finale up?

In the new version, I was careful to leave all staff names the way the Wizard set them up. Maybe Finale forgave me for my past sins, once I did that?

SuzyB
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2016 12:32 am
Finale Version: PrintMusic 2011a
Operating System: Windows

Post by SuzyB » Sun Nov 06, 2016 12:45 am

I had the exact same issue today, except my document was for 4-part voice, and I had not added any instrument sounds. But after reading the handy info already posted for this subject, I tried simply clicking on MIDI, and then changing the previously selected "Play Finale through VST" to "Play Finale through MIDI". It worked! Which is great, because it is 7-page document, and my last-saved version did not have the key change, some note changes, and all the lyrics like the later version had had. Whew!

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