Help with Custom Text in HP Preferences to Trigger Key Switc

[heinzfan]

While I’ve used Finale as a hobbyist for years I’ve only been introduced to VST plugins recently. I have Kontakt 5 and wanted to use its sample library. I learned how to define HP key switches to trigger the samples, but I find displaying the out-of-range notes in layer four messy to look at. I realize I could hide layer four ledger lines, stems, etc., which I did somewhat in the attached picture, but I’d prefer to use a text expression to trigger the change, if possible. Even after reading the manual and searching the forum I’ve hit a brick wall.

The attached picture is of the open HP Preferences in which I tried to enter custom text of “pizz.” to trigger the sample change. (I modified the default keyboard trigger within Kontakt’s viola pizzicato from F0 to F1, which translates to 41).

Can anyone suggest what I’m missing? Or isn’t it possible to use a text expression to trigger a key switch for a non-Garritan library?

I'm using Finale 25, Windows 8.1.

[zuill]

This can be done with Data Dump in the playback settings of a text expression.

Zuill

[Bill Reed]

You don't need custom text for Pizz, it's in the list or articulations already.

In any case, I've never had HP keyswitches show up as notes in the score.

[heinzfan]

You don't need custom text for Pizz, it's in the list or articulations already.

In any case, I've never had HP keyswitches show up as notes in the score.

Kontakt doesn't recognize the "pizz." expression and doesn't change the articulation. I believe that works with Garritan instruments (although I couldn't get that to work either, even after reading the section in the Finale online manual).

The key switches don't "cause"notes to display in the score - you enter the out-of-range note equivalent to the Kontakt key switch (i.e., f0, for the pizz. sample articulation) and when the note is reached it triggers the switch to play the Kontakt pizzicato.

I was looking to trigger the change with a text expression. Zuill said it could be done with a data dump, something I've only done to make a channel change, and that was back when Finale 2003 or an earlier version only output 16 midi channels.

[Bill Reed]

Any VSTi will recognize Pizz and anything else in the list if you setup the proper keyswitch. I believe Kontakt uses C3 for middle C, and Finale uses C4, so you need to get the keyswitch in the right octave.

[heinzfan]

Any VSTi will recognize Pizz and anything else in the list if you setup the proper keyswitch. I believe Kontakt uses C3 for middle C, and Finale uses C4, so you need to get the keyswitch in the right octave.

While your response didn't directly solve my problem it did inspire me to learn what I was doing wrong and ultimately solve it. As you stated, I didn't need to create a customized text technique.

I did need to enter an instrument name for the staff (duh!). When I did that for a Garritan sound it responded to the text expression. I then followed a Youtube video and saw that I was incorrectly setting up the new technique for the Kontakt instrument in the HP preferences. The Kontakt articulations thereafter correctly responded to text expressions.

As a side-note, the Kontakt key switch number appears to be the same in Finale when entered as a number rather than key name: for example I entered "29" as the key switch for "F0" and that triggered the pizzicato. If I entered "F0" Finale changed it to "17," an octave higher. Additionally it seems the key switches within a folder must be entered in the same format, either as note names or else as numbers, otherwise Finale changes them all to the format just entered.

Thanks for helping me figure this out.