Aria Player mixer problem

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GarryW
Posts: 59
Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2017 9:13 am
Finale Version: 2014.5 and 26
Operating System: Windows

Post by GarryW » Wed Jul 04, 2018 6:40 am

Using Aria Player for playback, I can easily use Aria Player's "Mixer" to adjust the playback volume levels of my different Layers... while the playback is in progress. But if I stop the playback and resume it -- or even if I just pause it and resume it -- the mixer level sliders always instantly jump back to their default settings upon the "resume", losing the mixer levels that I had chosen.

Why would the Aria Player behave in such an odd way?

(There are no dynamics markings at all within the score.)

thanks,
Garry


GarryW
Posts: 59
Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2017 9:13 am
Finale Version: 2014.5 and 26
Operating System: Windows

Post by GarryW » Wed Jul 04, 2018 7:00 am

Argh. Figured it out. I'm posting here in case someone else has the same problem.

Answer is: the volume levels in the Aria Player "mixer" are always ignored. The Mixer is useless. The score volume indications are also useless. The only volume levels that seem to count are the ones in Score Manager / Instrument List / Vol.

If "Vol." isn't visible (my problem) you may need to slide the Instrument List dividers back and forth until "Vol." comes out of hiding. (Sometimes the dividers refuse to slide, but that's a topic for some other post...)

Let me know if I should just delete both these posts.

Garry

User avatar
Michel R E
Posts: 702
Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2016 9:16 pm
Finale Version: Finale 2012, 25, 26
Operating System: Windows

Post by Michel R E » Wed Jul 04, 2018 11:59 am

Score volume indications (ie: p, mp, mf, f, etc...) are not "useless". They function perfectly if you have HumanPlayback definitions for whatever VSTi you are using.

In the Score Manager, you set the "overall volume" for the instruments (for example, if the clarinets sound too loudly at the same dynamic as the oboes, then you might adjust the volume there to bring the overall dynamic range of the clarinets down a few notches.)

Using the Garritan libraries, I find that the clarinets and bassoons tend to be too loud, that the brass are too soft, and the percussion are VERY much too soft, so I adjust all the levels in accordance: I select an overall volume "Default" (in my case, around 90 for all instruments) then adjust individually from there, for example clarinets and bassoons at 80, horns at 100, trumpets and trombones at 110, etc... (just examples)

The Aria Player has its own volume control because it was originally designed to also be usable outside of Finale, as a stand-alone.

So if you are using Finale, ignore the Aria Player volume/pan nobs.


Edit: I have also created "volume" setting invisible markings for use where I might need, for example, the harmonics from one of the Garritan strings, then a return to regular playing. This requires different volumes because the Garritan harmonics are recorded far too loudly.
User of Finale since version 3.0 on Windows.
Now using a mix of Finale 2012, Finale 25, and 26.1
GPO, Garritan Solo Stradivari violin, Gofriller Solo Cello.
XSamples Chamber Ensemble.
Absolute convert to NotePerformer3.

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