Export to an mp3 or WAV file results in tempo change

[Sir Lunch]

Howdy...

Finale 2014, on a Mac. I have exported numerous Finale files as an mp3 or a WAV file in the past without issue, but my latest chart plays back at a much slower pace, in both of the export options...any ideas are welcome...

Thx

Sir Lunch

[Peter Thomsen]

Does the Finale document play back at the correct tempo?

If the tempo also is incorrect in the Finale document, then there is reason to suspect, that there in the document is something tempo related, that should be deleted/edited.
The culprit could be
- Tempo Tool data (= the recorded tempo changes)
- Expression Tool data (= the expression tempo changes)

As a test you could make s duplicate copy of the Finale document, and delete Tempo Tool data and Expression Tool data from the duplicate.

[Sir Lunch]

Hey....

No the .musx file plays perfectly in Finale, it's only the exported audio that's wrong...I never would have posted my query in the first place if the Finale file actually matched the exported audio, and as I mentioned, I've done this many times, this is the first such occurrence of a difference....

Also, I didn't use any items from the expressions menu that might alter the tempos, like Adagio, or how using Swing would make it swing, etc...the changes in tempo during the piece were all made with the tempo tool...I did not listen to the exported audio long enough to be able to say whether alterations in tempo were there in the spots that I had stipulated in Finale, it was enough for me to know that it started much too slow...

Thx

Sir Lunch

[Sir Lunch]

Hey Peter...

I've since done another export to an mp3 file, and the tempo is still much too slow at the start of the piece, but in case it's relevant, I did listen long enough to be able to report that the changes in tempo that I programmed into the Finale document are present, but they're equally too slow, as in, the ritard that I put in at the end of the intro before letter A is correct to the mp3 original tempo...

If the original tempo issue could be fixed, then I believe the changes in tempo that I put throughout the piece would be fine also...

Sir Lunch

[Peter Thomsen]

Since the Finale document plays back correctly, I wonder whether you are using Human Playback?

If you are using Human Playback via the window Playback Controls, then perhaps Human Playback’s interpretation is not included in the exported audio file.

As a test you could include Human Playback in the Finale document itself, by running the plug-in Apply Human Playback.
The plug-in will write the Human Playback interpretation into the document’s Tempo Tool data.

When you have run the plug-in Apply Human Playback, you can play back the Finale document with Human Playback toggled off in the Playback Controls.
You will still hear the Human Playback interpretation, since the interpretation has been written into the document’s Tempo Tool data.

[Sir Lunch]

Well, this is interesting....

When people ask me why I use Finale vs other notation programs I tell them that I find it to be quite user friendly....

Anyway, it does seem a little silly that if I use Human playback from the Playback control window (how else would I expect to hear things like decrescendos?) that I would have to stipulate it somewhere else before exporting...in any case, now the entire program shuts down every time I try to set up the plug-in...I'm doing something wrong, no doubt...

It gets to 48% overtime, then the shut down occurs....what next?

S.L.

[Peter Thomsen]

Is the problem with shut down isolated to this particular Finale document - or does the problem happen in all documents?

If it only happens in one particular document, then I suspect file corruption.
I would run Finale’s File Maintenance on the document, close the document, and open it again.
And check whether the problem has vanished after a File Maintenance.

If it happens in all documents, then I suspect that there is a problem in the plug-in.
Re-installing the plug-in might help.


And one more thing to try:
Trash the Finale Preferences file.
Trashing the Preferences may not help at all, but it could not hurt to try it.

[Sir Lunch]

It happens on all files...trouble is I bought the program as a digital download, so I'm not sure where the plug-in would be now to re-install, maybe the Finale website?...

Re: trashing the preferences file....I'm not comfortable trashing anything for the same reason...where would I get it back without a disc to re-install from....?

Anyway, thx for all your help....

Lunch

[Peter Thomsen]

…I bought the program as a digital download, so I'm not sure where the plug-in would be now to re-install, maybe the Finale website?…

Download the Finale installation again.
You can save it to your hard drive, in case you might need it again.
Launch the Installer.
You can choose to re-install everything, but you can also pick specific items, e. g. the plug-ins.

…Re: trashing the preferences file....I'm not comfortable trashing anything for the same reason...where would I get it back without a disc to re-install from…?…

Finale will automatically create a new, fresh Preferences file, when it can not find its Preferences file.
Since the new Preferences file will contain the default settings, you will have to re-do your personal Preferences settings.

By The Way:
You do not have to delete the old Preferences file.
Just move it to another location so that Finale can not find it.

[Sir Lunch]

I noticed something else....

The clock in the playback window is wrong....the piece plays correctly in Finale, and is a few seconds shy of 5 min, but the clock thinks that it is really almost 7 minutes....

Does that ring a bell for you at all?

SL

[Peter Thomsen]

You tell that the clock in the Playback Controls is wrong.

I have never heard of that before.

Perhaps it is time to contact the folks in MakeMusic’s Tech Support.