Finale vs Audacity

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BKeeney7
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2016 2:42 am
Finale Version: Songwriter2012
Operating System: Windows

Post by BKeeney7 » Tue Jun 23, 2020 11:44 pm

Hello. I have created a score with a simple bass line in Finale. I then export as a WAV file and open in Audacity. The problem is that the bass line no longer matches up with the Audacity rhythm track (130 BPM for both programs). It's either too fast or too slow, but it is definitely not in sync. I have tried resampling the WAV file down to 44.1(which is the default for Audacity), but that didn't work. I have also added a rhythm track to my original Finale score, but that didn't work either. Very annoying. Can you help? I would like to be able to edit different score parts separately in Audacity. I've tried the same thing in ProTools (First), but had the same problem. I might add, that when I create a bass score and a seperate percussion score, again opening in Audacity on different tracks, the percussion parts sync, but the bass falls behind.
Thank you.
-BK


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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 » Tue Jun 23, 2020 11:57 pm

turn off human playback, or set it to not vary the tempo at all.
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.

BKeeney7
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2016 2:42 am
Finale Version: Songwriter2012
Operating System: Windows

Post by BKeeney7 » Wed Jun 24, 2020 5:36 pm

I'll try that. Thank you.

BKeeney7
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2016 2:42 am
Finale Version: Songwriter2012
Operating System: Windows

Post by BKeeney7 » Thu Jun 25, 2020 4:48 pm

Thank you. That did it! It only makes sense, of course. Humans tend to mess up everything anyway....
However, I can see the value of the "human playback" settings. They just don't apply to this particular situation.
-BK

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apkyburz
Posts: 179
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2017 9:50 am
Finale Version: 26 (+TG, Pattsn, JW)
Operating System: Mac

Post by apkyburz » Thu Jun 25, 2020 11:58 pm

BKeeney7 wrote:
Thu Jun 25, 2020 4:48 pm
Thank you. That did it! It only makes sense, of course. Humans tend to mess up everything anyway....
It sounds so negative if you say it that way… :D

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zuill
Posts: 4418
Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2016 9:35 pm
Finale Version: Finale 2011-v26.3.1
Operating System: Windows

Post by zuill » Fri Jun 26, 2020 12:36 am

Another approach is to hardwire the HP effects with Apply Human Playback. Traditionally, it asks you to set HP to None during the process. That way, any fluctuation in MIDI Tempo data will be the same for each of the parts and will give you the other HP effects and the tracks will still align.

Zuill
Windows 10, Finale 2011-v26.3.1
"When all is said and done, more is said than done."

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Djard
Posts: 916
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2010 2:23 am
Finale Version: Finale 26
Operating System: Windows

Post by Djard » Mon Aug 24, 2020 5:02 am

Another option is to use a quantizer plug-in to synchronize the waveforms. You can do it manually with the TimeStretch tool in Audacity, but that is very time-consuming.

Yet another option is to use a DAW with quantization for synchrony, or use a watered-down version just for the synchronization then work with Audacity with which you are familiar.

I keep Human Playback enabled, so hairpins, etc. are honored and disable only the three settings that cause timing drift: rubato, mood and... hmm, I don't remember the third (I'm away from my studio at present). I add some variation in tempo only if the character of the work sounds mechanical. The Time-stretch tool gives you control over how much HP you want to add and takes only a few minutes.

If the saying "to err is only human" is a truism then yes, humans do tend to screw things up. But I like to see the glass as half full.

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