EastWest Play and Finale 25 (Beginner Question)

Discuss playback problems, including VST, Garritan, MIDI, etc.

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hthaw
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 4:54 am
Finale Version: 25
Operating System: Mac

Post by hthaw » Wed Aug 16, 2017 11:21 pm

Hi -
I've decided to try out the EastWest sample libraries in Finale, perhaps naively underestimating the extended notational procedures necessary to fully excite the plethora of options now availed me.

Essentially, this is the situation:
I'd like to use the "keyswitching" features - they require low notes (around C1) to be struck to trigger them. This works pretty well (except for clogging my score) - but if I want to skip and play back at a later part of the score, the key-state has switched back to default. Is there a way around this issue?

Moreover, is there a "beginner's"-type tutorial that helps understand the options for extended mapping/dynamic control over the sample library? When using Finale in conjunction with a plugin, it's hard to know where to be looking for the answers..

Thanks.


hthaw
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 4:54 am
Finale Version: 25
Operating System: Mac

Post by hthaw » Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:28 am

Alright, so, it looks like there is a way of combining the Expression Tool and the Human Playback options, to at least "clean-up" the Keyswitching.

So, I'd like to ask my question again, in a slightly rephrased way:

If I create an expression - let's say it's the text "key one".
Then, I create a technique, in Human Playback, where the text "key one" should trigger a Keyswitch..

In theory, that should all work?

Yet it doesn't. It seems that a "keyswitch" in the Finale HP language might be different than it is actually executed in EWQL.

Presumably, I'm not the only person who has ever tried to do this - but I can't seem to find any solutions.

Help!

Bill Reed
Posts: 181
Joined: Sun Dec 25, 2016 7:24 pm
Finale Version: 25.2
Operating System: Windows

Post by Bill Reed » Fri Aug 18, 2017 1:58 pm

You want to create Human Playback preferences for EWQLSO. That's where all the keyswitches are setup.
Finale 25, Overture, Sibelius, Notion, Cubase, StaffPad
Win10 x64, 32GB RAM, Focusrite Scarlett 18i20
Kontakt, VSL VI Pro, VE Pro, EWQL Orch, Choirs and Pianos
August Foster 190

hthaw
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 4:54 am
Finale Version: 25
Operating System: Mac

Post by hthaw » Fri Aug 18, 2017 4:03 pm

I have created a new folder in Human Playback, under Instrumental Techniques, and called it "EWQL."
Using the "Custom Text", I'm theoretically able to assign a playback action to a text-based direction created with the Expression Tool. I created techniques for a text "KS 1" and "KS 2".

In the action pull-down menu, there is an option to correlate a "Key Switch" command with that text. I tried entering values for "KS 1" and "KS 2", but nothing seems to happen when I play it back.

I also tried using the action "Set to Pitch (Absolute)" to trigger the pitches in the lower octave that allow for EWQL to "key switch." That did not work either.

Are the Key Switch commands in Finale hard-wired to the C0-C1 octave or do they follow a different protocol? I know that EWQL uses that bottom octave for its switching, most of the time.

Has anyone managed to figure this out?

Bill Reed
Posts: 181
Joined: Sun Dec 25, 2016 7:24 pm
Finale Version: 25.2
Operating System: Windows

Post by Bill Reed » Fri Aug 18, 2017 7:07 pm

What techniques are KS1 and KS2 for?

Sometimes there can be an octave discrepancy between Finale and other music apps (middle C can be C3, C4 or C5). If you keep the Play window open during playback you should be able to see what keys are activated in the virtual keyboard.
Finale 25, Overture, Sibelius, Notion, Cubase, StaffPad
Win10 x64, 32GB RAM, Focusrite Scarlett 18i20
Kontakt, VSL VI Pro, VE Pro, EWQL Orch, Choirs and Pianos
August Foster 190

hthaw
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 4:54 am
Finale Version: 25
Operating System: Mac

Post by hthaw » Sat Aug 19, 2017 1:48 am

"KS 1" and "KS 2" were established in Expression Selection/Expression Designer under "Create Technique Text..." I simply added the text for the expressions, without using the Playback modifiers.

In the HP Preferences, the technique is set to "Custom Text", with the filter set to "For text expressions containing.." with a value of either "KS 1" or "KS 2."

For the actions, I tried "Set to Pitch (Absolute)" with values of C0 up through C5, at this point - and I also tried the Key Switch with a few different variables.

I have been monitoring it in Play and I'm not seeing any of the keys being triggered.

I never realized how hard it was to describe all the parameters in Finale!

Bill Reed
Posts: 181
Joined: Sun Dec 25, 2016 7:24 pm
Finale Version: 25.2
Operating System: Windows

Post by Bill Reed » Sat Aug 19, 2017 8:45 pm

Yes, but what is it you want to trigger in Play with KS 1, etc? And what library are you using?
Finale 25, Overture, Sibelius, Notion, Cubase, StaffPad
Win10 x64, 32GB RAM, Focusrite Scarlett 18i20
Kontakt, VSL VI Pro, VE Pro, EWQL Orch, Choirs and Pianos
August Foster 190

hthaw
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 4:54 am
Finale Version: 25
Operating System: Mac

Post by hthaw » Mon Aug 21, 2017 1:55 pm

Ah, well, I'm using EastWest libraries.. There are several instruments with Keyswitch-based sample sets..different keys access different samples.. I've been working with those..Is that what you mean?

Bill Reed
Posts: 181
Joined: Sun Dec 25, 2016 7:24 pm
Finale Version: 25.2
Operating System: Windows

Post by Bill Reed » Wed Aug 23, 2017 5:23 pm

EW produces many libraries, so it would help to know which one...
Finale 25, Overture, Sibelius, Notion, Cubase, StaffPad
Win10 x64, 32GB RAM, Focusrite Scarlett 18i20
Kontakt, VSL VI Pro, VE Pro, EWQL Orch, Choirs and Pianos
August Foster 190

settima
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2017 9:35 am
Finale Version: Finale 2014.5
Operating System: Windows

Post by settima » Tue Dec 12, 2017 9:44 am

Hi there,

If you are still facing this issue, try the following steps, they worked for me.
The thing is that EastWest sees C0 as MIDI note number 24, so the keyswitch for C0 would be like this:

Technique: Custom Text
Action 1: key switch: 24
Action 2: base volume: 0
Action 3: Dynamic: CC#11 only: 0
Filter: for text expressions containing: KS 1 (for instance)

C#0, D0 etc will follow the same pattern, but changing the key switch to 25, 26 etc and the text expression according to your choice.

Cheers and good luck!

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