Staff styles paste bug

[jwcnmr]

When you have an instrument like Clarinet that switches transposition, usually A to Bb in the same piece, the best (only) solution is to create a new staff style for the Bb Clarinet section. This works great, but if you have two staff lines for Clar 1 and Clar 2 and want to paste a measure or two from one staff to the other, the pasted measures revert to the original style, including changing the key signature and adding double bars. You can select those measures, of course, and reapply the correct staff style, but what a pain if it happens more than once. This is not an obscure piece of music, it is by Arthur Sullivan.

Since I can't see a reason for this, I call it a bug, not a feature.

James Cooper
Finale 25.5.0.290
Windows 10 and Windows 7
Thinkpad Carbon laptop and Dell Dimension desktop

[zuill]

Copy/Paste issues with staff styles is a longstanding issue. I'm not sure that is fixed in v26. Would be nice to have that be resolved. By your description, I'm not sure exactly the nature if your problem. Usually right clicking in the score on the staff style bar and choosing to show in Score and Parts is a quick fix.

Anyway, why are you using the Staff Style method. Finale's Change Instrument approach is much better, I believe.

Zuill

[jwcnmr]

Change instruments doesn't work, I tried. Probably because it is the same instrument in another transposition.

[zuill]

It should work. I'll create a sample for you.

Zuill

[N Grossingink]

It does work. Just select Clarinet in A from the list if you're coming from Bb Clarinet. Or vice versa.

N.

[zuill]

After re-reading the original post, I guess I forgot to ask: when you created the Staff Style, did you check the box to make the style Copyable? If not, that could explain things. Once you make it Copyable, and then copy/paste, it will show in the score, but not in the part (that is the bug I mentioned). However, if you right click the bar at the top of the measure (showing the Staff Style is applied), select to show in Score and Parts.

Zuill

[motet]

If you have two staff lines for Clar 1 and Clar 2 and want to paste a measure or two from one staff to the other, the pasted measures revert to the original style, including changing the key signature and adding double bars.

I give clarinet staves Bb transposition and use staff styles for clarinet in A and don't have this problem. I've been doing it that way for 15 years.

I suspect you just need to use the copy filter and uncheck staff styles.

I don't like Change Instrument because it's hard to see where the changes are. With staff styles, you can see exactly where the switch begins and ends.

[zuill]

I used to be frustrated when the entry sound was not the correct instrument when inputting. I used to use tricks, along with the staff style for transpositions. But with the Change Instrument feature, it's been so seamless. I just add the name of the instrument when changing with an expression. The abbreviated name shows correctly at each system.

Zuill

[motet]

Clarinet in Bb and A sound almost the same, though.

[zuill]

For those 2, not that important. But for ww doubling between sax, flute and clarinet, a big difference.

Zuill

[motet]

Sure. How was it handled in the pre-change-instrument days. With an expression invoking a MIDI patch?

[zuill]

Yes, basically. With GM that is easy. VST and Garritan made this much harder, needing a channel change workaround. However, you didn't get the sound until playback. Now, with v25, you not only get the new instrument upon note entry with change instrument, you get the correct concert pitch.

Zuill