Need some pointers for mixing in Finale

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

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yang
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2020 3:55 pm
Operating System: Mac

Post by yang » Wed Oct 21, 2020 4:53 am

I wonder if anyone could give me (who's totally new to those) a guide for mixing, mainly what I should do to make my music alive.

What I have done:
1. I added and adjusted dynamics on the score so that it reflects in the playback
2. I set the panning stuff like the attached picture for my 3 horns and rhythm section (the audio track).

I wonder if I'm doing it right and what else I should do.

Also, the big band seems to have a default panning setting because when I view it in Studio View the knobs are already set up.

A simple step guide would be highly appreciated! Then I'll go from there to dig in one by one.
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Screen Shot 2020-10-20 at 9.43.50 PM.png


Jetcopy
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2017 8:40 pm
Finale Version: Finale 2012, 25, 26
Operating System: Mac

Post by Jetcopy » Wed Oct 21, 2020 3:29 pm

I don't have any steps to suggest, just "trust your ears". And remember that Finale is a notation program, not a DAW, so don't expect perfection. Set your levels the best you can.

With reverb, the advice I got once, was to adding reverb, then once you start noticing the reverb, back off of it slightly.

But being honest, if you mix in a DAW, you have many more options and more control than Finale gives you. And taking it one step further, mastering a track using those tools really make it come to life.

yang
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2020 3:55 pm
Operating System: Mac

Post by yang » Wed Oct 21, 2020 11:34 pm

Thank you!
Jetcopy wrote:
Wed Oct 21, 2020 3:29 pm
I don't have any steps to suggest, just "trust your ears". And remember that Finale is a notation program, not a DAW, so don't expect perfection. Set your levels the best you can.

With reverb, the advice I got once, was to adding reverb, then once you start noticing the reverb, back off of it slightly.

But being honest, if you mix in a DAW, you have many more options and more control than Finale gives you. And taking it one step further, mastering a track using those tools really make it come to life.

ttw
Posts: 171
Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2009 2:29 am
Finale Version: 27.4
Operating System: Windows

Post by ttw » Thu Oct 22, 2020 3:05 am

I prefer to do the following which I posted somewhere else and can't remember the location.

For almost everything with Finale: Copy the HP settings you like to Custom (I mostly use Latin or Romantic or Baroque). Then on the upper "Interpret" I set everything but "final bars." On the lower "advanced" I just set "Baroque Style for ornaments" and "auto piano pedaling" and "string harmonics" and "strum plucked string chords"; the others are unmarked.

Under the MIDI/Audio tab, I bypass everything, individually and master (no ambiance reverb). Then under the Aria player SETTINGS tab, I set as much memory as I can afford (I have 32gig computers) for Max ram and pre-caching, never noticed much difference here.

Under the CONTROLS, I set the Stereo Stage and Equalizer.

Under MIXER, I don't do anything; it's useful for rearranging instrument positions.

Under EFFECTS, I turn off the Ambience reverb, set the Convolution reverb, and then pick a location. I've used Jazz Club for a flat sound, Dome Ballroom for a really live reverb sound, and any of the concert halls or piano halls or chamber halls for an intermediate sound.

All this can be tweaked later (different locations for different instruments, etc.)

I tend to use the solo GPO5 or JABB3 stuff for most things with some GWI percussion. Any library for something unusual (usually GWI).

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gogreen
Posts: 305
Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2016 12:50 am
Finale Version: Finale 26.3
Operating System: Mac

Post by gogreen » Thu Oct 22, 2020 7:19 pm

I most often use NotePerformer now, but when I was using COMB2 and GPO5, here are four changes I routinely made:

1. I've noticed that some inherent instrument volumes in GPO5 and in COMB2 are quite different. For instance, the suspended cymbal, bass clarinet, and bassoon sounds I use are very loud. Snare drum, flute, and oboe are soft. I often group these instruments in their own Aria instances and raise or lower that group's volume. With these adjustments, score dynamics are more even.

2. For reverb settings, make sure that ambient and convolution reverbs aren't on at the same time. That produces mud. I wish Finale had brighter lights on those controls, or at least they could make it clearer whether they are on or off.

3. If you use HP, choose the best style that's closest to what you like, but make adjustments. For instance, I often shorten phrase-ending notes by 5-15% to make phrasing and breathing spots more realistic. And these adjustments apply to strings, woodwinds, and brasses. If you don't, you might get a tied and slurred legato mess--very unrealistic playback. I set these adjustments in MIDI Tool - Note Duration - Percent Alter. I've done this so much that I created Finale scripts to speed up this work.

4. To adjust balance further, I've created a set of alternate dynamics that are both two and three steps louder and softer than the original. Sometimes I add them to a score and hide them, or I replace the original dynamic with one of these alternates. In this way, I most often don't need to create separate presentation and playback scores. The dynamic velocities change from dynamic to dynamic by 13 points. For example, in my alternate dynamics lists, F (forte) is volume 88. My alternate forte settings are 101, 114, 75, and 62. I rename them simply and so that I can readily identify them. "=88," for instance.

Hope this helps.

Art
Art
Finale 27
NotePerformer, GPO5, COMB2
MacOS Ventura 13.6.4
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BRHBTHT/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=%22Arthur+J.+Michaels%22&qid=1593016536&sr=8-2

yang
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2020 3:55 pm
Operating System: Mac

Post by yang » Fri Oct 23, 2020 5:44 am

Thank you! I will explore it!
ttw wrote:
Thu Oct 22, 2020 3:05 am
I prefer to do the following which I posted somewhere else and can't remember the location.

For almost everything with Finale: Copy the HP settings you like to Custom (I mostly use Latin or Romantic or Baroque). Then on the upper "Interpret" I set everything but "final bars." On the lower "advanced" I just set "Baroque Style for ornaments" and "auto piano pedaling" and "string harmonics" and "strum plucked string chords"; the others are unmarked.

Under the MIDI/Audio tab, I bypass everything, individually and master (no ambiance reverb). Then under the Aria player SETTINGS tab, I set as much memory as I can afford (I have 32gig computers) for Max ram and pre-caching, never noticed much difference here.

Under the CONTROLS, I set the Stereo Stage and Equalizer.

Under MIXER, I don't do anything; it's useful for rearranging instrument positions.

Under EFFECTS, I turn off the Ambience reverb, set the Convolution reverb, and then pick a location. I've used Jazz Club for a flat sound, Dome Ballroom for a really live reverb sound, and any of the concert halls or piano halls or chamber halls for an intermediate sound.

All this can be tweaked later (different locations for different instruments, etc.)

I tend to use the solo GPO5 or JABB3 stuff for most things with some GWI percussion. Any library for something unusual (usually GWI).

yang
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2020 3:55 pm
Operating System: Mac

Post by yang » Fri Oct 23, 2020 5:47 am

Thank you!! I will try those options!
gogreen wrote:
Thu Oct 22, 2020 7:19 pm
I most often use NotePerformer now, but when I was using COMB2 and GPO5, here are four changes I routinely made:

1. I've noticed that some inherent instrument volumes in GPO5 and in COMB2 are quite different. For instance, the suspended cymbal, bass clarinet, and bassoon sounds I use are very loud. Snare drum, flute, and oboe are soft. I often group these instruments in their own Aria instances and raise or lower that group's volume. With these adjustments, score dynamics are more even.

2. For reverb settings, make sure that ambient and convolution reverbs aren't on at the same time. That produces mud. I wish Finale had brighter lights on those controls, or at least they could make it clearer whether they are on or off.

3. If you use HP, choose the best style that's closest to what you like, but make adjustments. For instance, I often shorten phrase-ending notes by 5-15% to make phrasing and breathing spots more realistic. And these adjustments apply to strings, woodwinds, and brasses. If you don't, you might get a tied and slurred legato mess--very unrealistic playback. I set these adjustments in MIDI Tool - Note Duration - Percent Alter. I've done this so much that I created Finale scripts to speed up this work.

4. To adjust balance further, I've created a set of alternate dynamics that are both two and three steps louder and softer than the original. Sometimes I add them to a score and hide them, or I replace the original dynamic with one of these alternates. In this way, I most often don't need to create separate presentation and playback scores. The dynamic velocities change from dynamic to dynamic by 13 points. For example, in my alternate dynamics lists, F (forte) is volume 88. My alternate forte settings are 101, 114, 75, and 62. I rename them simply and so that I can readily identify them. "=88," for instance.

Hope this helps.

Art

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