Velocity notation

[perl5964]

Hey all,


I am trying to find a method to notate key velocities of notes in my finale files. These scores were made from midi files composed and exported from my daw.
The velocity data cannot be expressed with automated standard dynamic markings as I mean to express the volume of every individual note (rather than the intensity of a phrase.)

I will need to use a kind of non-standardized notation according to velocity value, just as notes are arranged on the staff according to midi note number, Anything but colored note heads and manually drawing graphics in illustrator as I've had to do in the past..

I'm happy to buy any software needed if this is not possible in Finale. I have not been able to try Audio Impressions' Notation Switchblade yet because it does not run on osx 10.9, (not sure if this program contains my solution anyway), but I've tried a lot else. Logic DP live Sibelius musescore cubase etc etc..

Ideas? Programmers, come out!

Thanks!
finale 2014 mac

[Peter Thomsen]

Welcome to the forum!

In order to give you the best possible help I think that we need some more info.

What is it that you are trying to achieve, and why ?

Is this for layout or for playback ?
or perhaps both ?

[perl5964]

Thanks!
What I'm trying to achieve is graphical renderings on or near the staff according to note velocity data (or other cc parameters for future applications). Be it vertical lines underneath each note, whose heights are determined by velocity, or the velocity values themselves being displayed above each note.
Just as dynamics can be automatically placed according to velocity, I think I need to do this same kind of automation with expressions/ articulation marks. I have no trouble making my own graphics within finale, only with having then automatically placed.
The reason why is that the success of the music depends on the volume of individual notes.
This is for layout only- I have no problems otherwise and the midi playback works exactly as programmed.
Thanks, hope this clarifies

[miker]

To display velocity numbers, why not use the lyric tool?

I'm not sure what you mean about the graphic representation. Could you post a sketch of what you have in mind?

[Peter Thomsen]

To display vertical lines with a length proportional with the velocity value, consider using shape expressions.
You can easily draw a vertical line in the Shape Designer.

I would create a new expression category especially for the lines.

To enter the lines quickly, consider programming expression metatools.

[perl5964]

To display velocity numbers, why not use the lyric tool?

Thanks miker. I have pages and pages of notes which I need to process, so I must find a means to automate the placement of the values.

To display vertical lines with a length proportional with the velocity value, consider using shape expressions.
You can easily draw a vertical line in the Shape Designer.

-seems to be on the right path! What I need to do is exactly what the "auto-dynamic placement" plug in does, but with my new shapes instead of dynamic markings.

To enter the lines quickly, consider programming expression metatools.

I have considered, peter, and will happily take up the challenge if I can be pointed in the right direction.

could you provide further guidance regarding the smart shape auto placement ?

[Peter Thomsen]

…I have considered, peter, and will happily take up the challenge if I can be pointed in the right direction.

could you provide further guidance regarding the smart shape auto placement ?

To program a metatool for an expression:

1) The expression must be created before you can program a metatool for it.

2) You program the expression metatool to be triggered by a key on the computer keyboard.
It can be any key of your choice, so it is a good idea to "plan ahead", and make a consistent, easy-to-remember system of metatool keys.
You could e. g. use the QWERTY keyboard's number row (= 1, 2, 3, …) for the first 10 metatools,
the next row (= Q, W, E, …) for the next 10 metatools,
the next row (= A, S, D, …) for the next 10 metatools.

3) To program an expression metatool, switch to the Expression Tool, Hold down Shift and the trigger key.
Finale will display the dialog box Expression Selection where you can choose an expression for the trigger key.

4) To enter an expression via its metatool, hold down its trigger key, and click in the score.

5) To change an expression to another expression (which has a metatool), select the expression handle, and double-tap the trigger key of the new expression.

6) To enter the same expression again multiple times, hold down the "add again" trigger key (= ~ If I Recall Correctly), and click.
This trick also works for expressions without a pre-programmed metatool.

[perl5964]

Thanks for the guidance, but I don't think I understood that you meant this by "metatool" (I assumed a more generic meaning, and by "programming" I assumed scripting) but I now see that this is part of finales taxonomy and is a specific operation.

So could we go back to the bit about auto-dynamic placement? With an objective of finding a means of using that plugin exactly as it is EXCEPT with my custom made expressions rather than the conventional dynamics markings.
Can you provide guidance with this?

[miker]

Select any expression, and tap the EDIT... button. In the next screen, tap the POSITION tab. That will show you how that particular expression is set. Play around with the settings, and you'll begin to get a feel for how to set the positioning of your new expressions.

[Peter Thomsen]

…So could we go back to the bit about auto-dynamic placement? With an objective of finding a means of using that plugin exactly as it is EXCEPT with my custom made expressions rather than the conventional dynamics markings.
Can you provide guidance with this?

That would require a re-write of the plug-in.

For that you should ask in the MakeMusic forum for Plug-In Development:

http://forum.makemusic.com/default.aspx?f=11

A "quick-and-dirty" solution (without plug-in development) would be something like this:

* Create shape expressions with the vertical lines.
In each shape add a text block with the velocity value that is corresponding to the line length.
Position the line and the text block relative to each other as you would like them positioned in the score.

* Set up an expression category for the expressions, and define the category's auto-positioning settings as you prefer them.

* Run the plug-in "Auto-Dynamic Placement…" as it is.
The plug-in will create new expressions, and add these new expressions to the bottom of the dialog box Expression Selection.

* Go to the Expression Selection, and scroll down to the bottom where the new, plug-in created expressions are.
Click an expression, to select it, and click the button "Delete".
You will get a dialog box where you have the option of replacing every occurrence of the expression with another expression of your choice.
Obviously you will want to replace the expression with one of your own expressions - displaying a vertical line and a text block.
All occurrences of the expression (in the entire document) will be replaced with your own expression.

[perl5964]

Right on, Peter. Thank you. This works just fine. Problem resolved, thanks!