HP issue: tempo slows down for no reason

[bj nick]

Bar 3 ritards drastically. I tried clearing MIDI data, checked HP (no ritard before a fermata), etc. Nothing doing. Turning off HP, doesn't ritard.

[Bill Stevens]

It definitely has to do with the fermata. If you remove the fermata it is in time.

In HP if you put the fermata duration at zero it is in time.

::: Bill

[bj nick]

Yeah, as I said originally, definitely an HP issue. Not sure how to approach this.....setting the fermata to 0 means no fermata......having to turn off HP is a drag, and the only other option is to have an annoying work-around such as making a de facto "fermata" by adding a couple beats to the bar and extending the notes. This is definitely an option when creating separate versions of a piece: the mock-up just for playback vs. the actual version you'll give to musicians. Is there no other way? I've seen people trying to wrestle with this issue.

I just sent this to Finale tech support and we'll see if there is some solution or a more reasonable work-around. I'm sure it's something that comes up a lot....I mean, composers use fermatas!

[ebiggs1]

You need to turn HP off. Play it back as a midi using Soft synth. If it plays back correctly go turn HP back on and it should work.

[bj nick]

You need to turn HP off. Play it back as a midi using Soft synth. If it plays back correctly go turn HP back on and it should work.

Tried that a couple times, but Finale freezes immediately if I switch to MIDI....have to do a control-alt-delete and shut down/restart. Also, I don't know anything about "soft synth" or how to set Finale to use it. Sorry for my ignorance; I've always just used the VST setting.

[ebiggs1]

OK then just switch HP to none. Play it. Now switch back to the HP you want. You might reassign playback sounds first, too.
For some reason Finale's HP sounds get messed up and sometimes this will clear it up.

[motet]

Go to Tools->Advanced Tools->MIDI, then on the MIDI Tool menu (not the MIDI/Audio menu) pick Apply Human Playback. In the dialog, select Clear Items near the bottom and click Apply. That will fix it.

Somehow HP data is not always being cleared after you play back. That's the reason for all those hidden trill notes as well. They shouldn't be there. They way it's supposed to work is that when you press play, it adds that stuff--trills and ritardando--plays, then deletes the extra stuff. Perhaps you're stopping it other than with the playback controls?

[bj nick]

ebiggs, I'll definitely keep that in mind, but Motet's solution worked perfectly, so I'm good for now. Wow, had no clue there was such a simple solution. Never really dealt at all w/the Tools options/functions.

I already sent the request to Finale Tech support, so let's see what they say, whether they'll offer the same strategy; it'll be interesting to see.

Anyways, thanks for solving a headache that comes up fairly frequently, that I can now dispose of simply and easily.

[bj nick]

Forgot to add: Motet, I generally just use the standard playback controls (buttons on toolbar.) Very occasionally I'll use the quickie space bar tactic if it's something totally basic, but I don't like hearing things devoid of all articulations, etc. Are you suggesting that using that once in awhile might result in the fermata issue? I guess regardless, from now on I'll go right to your solution and be done with it; just one of those Finale glitches we gotta deal with.

[ebiggs1]

I'll definitely keep that in mind, but Motet's solution worked perfectly,...

The thing to keep in mind is HP not clearing itself. You need to do something that forces it to do so. One way or the other will work...mostly.

[ebiggs1]

I already sent the request to Finale Tech support, so let's see what they say, whether they'll offer the same strategy; it'll be interesting to see.

MM has had ample time to correct this. So far they don't see it as a big enough problem to do so. Perhaps it's the not enough money or not enough know how thing.

[motet]

Forgot to add: Motet, I generally just use the standard playback controls (buttons on toolbar.) Very occasionally I'll use the quickie space bar tactic if it's something totally basic, but I don't like hearing things devoid of all articulations, etc. Are you suggesting that using that once in awhile might result in the fermata issue? I guess regardless, from now on I'll go right to your solution and be done with it; just one of those Finale glitches we gotta deal with.

I couldn't say what's causing it, but it doesn't happen to me. You might spend some time experimenting to see if you can pinpoint the cause--once that's known, then you can work around it. Turn the display of hidden notes back on while you're experimenting, so you'll see the trill notes left over if the problem occurs. (Type Ctrl-D to make sure they're really there!)

Try the pause button, various settings for "Begin playback at...", stopping in the middle, etc. It's certainly a bug--not your fault--but with Finale, being aware of the bugs and how to work around them rather than expecting them to be fixed is a fact of life.

[bj nick]

That's good advice; I'll try that. It's interesting, the difference between types of glitches. I bought a new Samsung Galaxy S21FE didn't use it much until the 30 days' return policy was used up. The screen constantly dims on any phone call, then shuts off; you have to tap the screen twice every time to bring it back. On a longer call, you may have to do it fifty times. Went back and forth w/Verizon tech support, they replaced it with a new one, same issue. Eventually Samsung said yeah, known issue, solution is dump Samsung phone app, switch to Google phone. Works like a charm now......but the phone made it through the whole engineering design process, and either they didn't catch the glitch, or figured ah, what the heck. Sounds like Finale, and glitches like HP stuff? Difference is, HP is intended to work, and DOES, most of the time. W/the phone, the design was off. Or something. Anyway.....