Create a mod wheel slide expression?

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mrfunk
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Post by mrfunk » Tue May 08, 2018 4:00 pm

I’m working with a song where synth expression is very important and I’d like Finale to play it as accurately as possible. Since there doesn’t seem to be a standard way to notate synth expression, you have to make it up.
Specifically, I have a note that I’d want Finale to start with modulation value 127 (full) and slide it to 0 evenly throughout the duration of that note that the expression would be assigned to, much like you would do with a physical wheel.

With the help of a forum post I found, I just discovered how to make custom expressions that can send MIDI messages. But following the post, I only manage to create a custom expression that sets the modulation to a fixed value. Is there a way to create a slide?
I found this "execute shape" command as well which is probably what I'm looking for but I don't think I understand the parameters regarding (time) scale, and all these ascending and descending lines look the same. The individual note that I'm currently trying to apply a mod wheel slide is an 8th but if I learn this, I want to understand how it works for notes of any length.


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zuill
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Post by zuill » Tue May 08, 2018 5:46 pm

Just to clarify: are you speaking specifically of the Pitch Wheel?

Zuill
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Bill Reed
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Post by Bill Reed » Tue May 08, 2018 5:48 pm

I could never make sense of executable shapes. You might want to use the MIDI tool instead.
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zuill
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Post by zuill » Tue May 08, 2018 5:55 pm

That's what I would suggest. However, I'm not sure what effect to test. If we're talking Pitch Wheel, that is easy with the MIDI Tool.

Zuill
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mrfunk
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Post by mrfunk » Tue May 08, 2018 6:02 pm

zuill wrote:Just to clarify: are you speaking specifically of the Pitch Wheel?
Not pitch, but mod. If it was pitch, I would simply write the notes and connect with ties or glissando ribbon (whatever its real name is!)
Modulation is often not applicable to orchestra VST instruments but with typical synthesizers, depending on how the instrument is mapped, modulation wheel can control all sorts of things, usually related to frequency filtering or tremolo or other timbral effects.
Bill Reed wrote:I could never make sense of executable shapes. You might want to use the MIDI tool instead.
I was looking at it at Tools > MIDI. In the window that comes up, the third symbol from the top gives a window where you can specify the parameter to be Modulation. But from there on, I have no clue of what to do; there's that box with the range 0-127 with nothing in it, and you can highlight time from it with the mouse or draw disappearing rectangles around the notes in the measure preview below. It looks like a mere viewer, but is there something you can actually do, record, mark into that window?

Bill Reed
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Post by Bill Reed » Tue May 08, 2018 6:07 pm

Select the MIDI Tool, and double click the measure you want to work on
From the MIDI Tool menu, select Edit Continuous Data
Drag to select the the are you want to effect; it will remain grey
from the MIDI Tool menu, choose Scale
Set your values and click OK
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Deacon Don
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Post by Deacon Don » Mon Mar 11, 2019 6:30 pm

Bill Reed wrote:Select the MIDI Tool, and double click the measure you want to work on
From the MIDI Tool menu, select Edit Continuous Data
Drag to select the the are you want to effect; it will remain grey
from the MIDI Tool menu, choose Scale
Set your values and click OK
Thank you for your post.

I've tried just what you said and there isn't a difference. I'm using a glissando on
an alto sax and there is no difference between the default and the altered version.

I'm trying to get the "Billy May Scoop" and it still sounds like a kazoo.

What might I be doing wrong?
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Deacon Don
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Post by Deacon Don » Fri Mar 29, 2019 2:23 pm

Bill Reed wrote:I could never make sense of executable shapes. You might want to use the MIDI tool instead.
Are those executable shapes the ones found in "Miscellaneous" in "Expressions"?
Can't say I've every used them. Maybe I should just to see what happens.
Finale 26.3.1
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