No audio for Garritan Steinway pt.2

Discuss playback problems, including VST, Garritan, MIDI, etc.

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Al Fine
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Post by Al Fine » Sat Jun 16, 2018 1:10 am

So, I've tried everything I can think of, or saw online, but I can't get the Garritan Steinway audio for playback (see my text all the way below). When I try to import the instrument from Aria after clicking on the pencil icon in the Audio unit banks/effects, I get the following pop-up. Does anyone know what that means? Thanks!
Aria import pop-up.png
This happens if I switch to the default bank Steinway
Screen Shot 2018-06-15 at 6.01.12 PM.png

Original post:
Hello all, am using an imac and Final 25. I've been wanting to change my Synth piano instrument choice to the Garritan Steinway option, and found what seems the way to do so. However, when I use Playback, the scroll bar moves through the score, but there is no audio. Here are the steps I went through: Midi/Audio; Play Finale through Audio Units; Score Manager (where I selected the Garritan Steinway); Audio unit banks/effects (where Bank2 showed Aria Player); Clicked on the pencil icon which produced the Aria Player pop-up; Chose 1. Steinway--import--my piece into which I wanted to import.

After the last step, I got another pop-up telling me that, "Nothing registered to read files with extension musx". I then tried the Steinway Finale Default option, which gave me a pop-up which read, "Error slot 0, no sound asset loaded", followed by a long "not found" list.


Maryk4music
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Post by Maryk4music » Sat Jun 16, 2018 4:16 am

Do your other Garritan sounds playback?
Why bank 2?
Is Steinway Piano assigned to the correct staff in your Score Manager?

Al Fine
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Post by Al Fine » Sat Jun 16, 2018 5:11 am

No, the other instruments don't seem to play. My pieces are all for piano two hands, but I just changed it to flute, and still no audio. Bank 2 is what was assigned when I chose the Garritan Steinway. What should the bank be? And what staff should it be assigned to in Score Manager?

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zuill
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Post by zuill » Sat Jun 16, 2018 5:21 am

It sounds like it's time to reinstall the Garritan samples. Something's missing somewhere. I'm going to guess if you posted a sample Finale file here, we could test it and find that we can get playback. However, we are guessing until we see a file.

Zuill
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Al Fine
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Post by Al Fine » Sat Jun 16, 2018 5:24 am

If my device choice in Score Manager is SmartMusic Softsynth, then the piano plays. But the second I change it to Garritan instruments, the audio disappears. I tried bank 1 and 2, and it made no difference.

Al Fine
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Post by Al Fine » Sat Jun 16, 2018 5:26 am

By "Sample file", do you mean the score from which I'm working? Or a shortened version of it? Thanks.

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zuill
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Post by zuill » Sat Jun 16, 2018 5:28 am

A shortened version would work.

Zuill
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Al Fine
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Post by Al Fine » Sat Jun 16, 2018 5:30 am

Does it matter what audio settings I use, or would you be changing them around anyway for testing?

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zuill
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Post by zuill » Sat Jun 16, 2018 5:34 am

Exactly. We can test various audio setups. If we get playback, that probably means you'll need to reinstall your Garritan instruments.

Zuill
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Al Fine
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Post by Al Fine » Sat Jun 16, 2018 5:38 am

Okay, here is a brief excerpt from the piece, currently set for Garritan Steinway.

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zuill
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Post by zuill » Sat Jun 16, 2018 5:45 am

I changed the Instrument to Piano in the Score manager, for starters. That made using Reassign Playback Sounds work.

Anyway, it plays fine for me. If not for you, I'm thinking your Garritan Instruments didn't get installed properly. You will probably need to reinstall them. Trashing preferences might solve this problem, but I can't say. I use Windows. mac is a different beast.

Zuill
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Al Fine
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Post by Al Fine » Sat Jun 16, 2018 5:53 am

I just changed it to piano as well, but still no audio. How do I go about reinstalling? They came with the overall installation of Finale, so I never installed them separately, if that makes a difference? Also, what do you mean by "trashing preferences"?

Al Fine
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Post by Al Fine » Sat Jun 16, 2018 5:56 am

Ah, you must mean to reset the Finale preferences? Also, what did you make, if anything, of those error messages I was getting from Aria (see examples)?

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zuill
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Post by zuill » Sat Jun 16, 2018 6:07 am

Not a clue about the error messages. I've never had that kind of problem with Garritan. I think you can use the same install file for Finale, but just skip the Finale part.

Zuill
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Al Fine
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Post by Al Fine » Sat Jun 16, 2018 6:12 am

Roger, thanks. While I'm nickel and diming you, here's one more question...are there any settings I should be checking in the Midi/Audio menu? The various speaker choices, for example? My Sound Map Priority is set to Garritan, but I'm not too sure what everything else should be set as. Thanks in advance for your input, and for doing the test of my sample file. I really appreciate it!

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zuill
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Post by zuill » Sat Jun 16, 2018 6:15 am

Since I don't use Mac, I'm at a loss. I know with Windows, there's a folder for the VST plugins. I can rescan for them if they are missing. I don't know if Mac has that.

Zuill

P.S.: I looked it up. In Mac it's rescan for AU plugins.
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"When all is said and done, more is said than done."

Al Fine
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Post by Al Fine » Sat Jun 16, 2018 6:29 am

Yes, thanks, I've tried that. I was also referring to the Device Setup options, such as the Midi internal speaker set up. Maybe your PC settings are different? Once again, thank you kindly.
Screen Shot 2018-06-15 at 11.26.26 PM.png

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zuill
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Post by zuill » Sat Jun 16, 2018 6:48 am

I don't know anything about Mac, so I can't be of help.

Zuill
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Al Fine
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Post by Al Fine » Sat Jun 16, 2018 7:08 am

On the contrary, you've been of great help! :-)

Al Fine
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Post by Al Fine » Sat Jun 16, 2018 11:51 pm

Hi Zuill, just thought I'd let you know that the reinstall of the Garritan instruments worked, so thanks for that tip. It's funny though, because I don't like the sound of the Steinway, heh. It sounds like it's in an empty concert hall, has a strong reverb to it. But I found a lead on how to address it via the Master Effects options. I'm back on track with my quest to make it sound as much like a real piano as possible. :-)

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zuill
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Post by zuill » Sun Jun 17, 2018 3:39 am

Have you tried the Steinway D? It takes longer to load (at least on my system), but has a meatier sound.

Your profile says you're using Finale 25.2. The most current version is 25.5. I'm guessing maybe you just haven't updated your profile.

Zuill
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Al Fine
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Post by Al Fine » Sun Jun 17, 2018 4:24 am

I did try the Steinway D briefly, but it seemed to have the same problem. However, I've since found the Aria Player controls (Finale's Audio Units Banks and Effects option doesn't seem to change anything, while Aria does), including the different venue choices, so will definitely return to Steinway D to give it another go. I write children's piano music, so rather than a concert hall sound, I'm actually going more of a private music studio sound. I want the sound of a Steinway in somebody's living room, heh.

Re my Finale version, my listing is correct, 25.2, which I got about a year and a half ago. Since you brought it to my attention, I'll get the latest update. Perhaps if I'd done that all along, it would have taken care of my original problem. ::slaps forehead::

ttw
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Post by ttw » Sun Jun 17, 2018 3:29 pm

For a piano sound, I use the Steinway D mostly but I do adjust the concert hall. (I'm a great fan of convolution reverb after reading how it works.) I tend to use the piano in its own Aria player. I found the "traditional concert hall" or the "modern concert hall" to be nice and resonant and the "ballroom" or "club" (or whatever the names are) to sound small and dead (not bad though). I do a bit of experimenting for each piece.

One can put different instruments into different settings too. The downside is that it takes a while to change all the settings.

The Human Playback matters too in getting a reasonable sound. I usually use a custom setting based on either Latin or Romantic originals. On the first group of settings I turn off "FInal Bars." In the Advances Settings in turn on Baroque ornaments, exact 32nd note rolla, auto piano playing, string harmonica, and strum plucked chords. Someday, I'll experiment with other settings.

Al Fine
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Post by Al Fine » Tue Jun 19, 2018 1:15 am

Thanks for your response. When you have a chance, would you mind checking out my new post under the beginner's board? It's me asking how to get a real piano sound out of a Garritan Steinway. Thanks!

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