Violas on strike

[Jay Emmes]

As of today GIfF's violas (section KS) are on strike.
I'm setting a piece in which the viola section is divided into two staves. The first 70 measures everything is perfectly as it should be, but from then on the violas refuse to play a single note. Well, actually they do play one single note, albeit plucked, where they should be bowing four full measures. Playback through the softsynth is fine.

• • I have added 'arco' to just about every note, but to no effect.
  • I cleared all MIDI data, but to no avail either.
  • Setting HP to none makes one stave play bowed and the second stave plucked, but at least all notes are there.
  • Changing the HP prefs set to 'default' makes the entire string section play pizzicato where none should.

Apparently the problem is linked to GIfF and HP. Wasn't there a setting in previous versions that would eliminate HP entirely? I can't find it in 25.3. What can I do to restore playback as it should be? Any suggestion other than "start all over again" is welcome.

[Jay Emmes]

I went ahead and started a fresh new document and copied the notes into the new document. At first that seemed to have overcome the problem, but not for very long. Finale started playing single string instruments where sections should be playing, pizzicato where arco was asked, etc.. So I changed the data for the expressions of pizz. and arco (dump values) and that seemed to work … at first, but not for very long either. Finale now disregards the expressions and plays "ad libitum".

Anyone with any idea on what is going on and how to solve this?

[zuill]

We're probably going to need to see the file. There must be something in there causing the problem. Maybe another set of eyes will be able to find it.

Zuill

[Jay Emmes]

As an example the attached two measure reduction of the culprit document. Note how the first pizz. on the solo cello stave is ignored, but the second one is observed.

[zuill]

If you change the assignment to have playback to start at Position in Measure, and nudge it slightly to the left, the first pizz plays.

You shouldn't need the dump method for these. Just create text and HP should recognize that.

Zuill

[Jay Emmes]

Certainly, I shouldn't need to enter the data dump, but I had to because Finale was ignoring the expressions. The MakeMusic Help Center (https://makemusic.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/ ... ack+issues) advises to alter the expressions in case Human Playback is having problems processing markings to send key switch data, which they apparently acknowledge as a not so very infrequent problem.

I can't reproduce your trick to have correct playback. Not in the least because I can't find where to tell Finale to start playback at Position in Measure. Still, this wouldn't help when running through the score with the aid of playback or with exporting audio.

[zuill]

I know about data dump as I have used it myself. Since I only have the GIfF sounds, I can't test your file with the sounds you might be using. With GIfF, the non data dump expressions work. However, yours work as well. To set the playback the way I suggested, when in the expression tool, right click on the handle and the settings are near the bottom of the window.

In the attached file, I did what I had suggested.

Zuill

[Jay Emmes]

That works! Thank you very much! It is a bit of a nuisance, of course, having to go through so many steps to get what should have automatically be played by assigning the expression, but at least in the end all is well. You're a life saver, as so often before.

N.B. I'm 'stuck' with the GIfF as well, for that matter, but quite satisfied with them.

[Jay Emmes]

Update for what it's worth and for anyone interested:
MakeMusic help desk has taken a look at the document and concluded that the violas stopped playing back because of a slur. Indeed, when removing the slur, Finale will play the viola lines, although one stave bowed and the other still plucked, where all should be bowed. The latter could not even be repaired by entering the data dump for bowing.
I'm stunned that a slur (of all things) can cause such playback problems. MakeMusic does not have an idea either.

All should be restored with exporting and importing XML, but I'll keep that as a last resort, because it involves a ton of work to get the score look halfway decent again; for now everything is manageable and workable, thanks to Zuill. Good to know, though, that there's still one ace up one's sleeve.