Need guidance on understanding playback settings

[bj nick]

Playback usually sounds fine, but sometimes I have to go to ridiculous lengths to get instruments to balance, adjust volume, etc. It's a constant battle w/the mixer, expression dynamic markings, etc., and some of my pieces are littered with crazy dynamic markings everywhere; in the middle of bars where two instruments are supposed to be at the same dynamic, I have to set one to FFFF and the other to MP.....Can someone direct me to a video or tutorial or ANYTHING that will help me understand how to set things properly? There MUST be a basic default setup: set the instruments to such and such in the mixer, such and such here, etc....so there's an established BASE LINE setting I can work from. I've tried: In the mixer (6-piece ensemble w/flute, clarinet, violin, cello, bass, piano), I try to set things around 90-ish, with the flute 126 (b/c it's the featured instrument mostly throughout), and in playback I have base key velocity= 64, which I believe is the default. I've searched for YouTube videos, etc, can't find anything. Any help appreciated.

[bj nick]

Nobody can offer any guidance on this.....? Maybe it's just Xmas season......

[Michel R E]

are you using the Garritan instruments that come with Finale?

a file would help. sometimes a playback problem like you mention can be as simple as a missing dynamic at the end of a hairpin, or at the beginning of a new phrase.

[bj nick]

Hi Michel, my issue is a general one, not specific to any particular piece. I want to understand how to set default levels in the mixer/playback/etc.....so as to avoid having to make wild compensations like having two instruments playing together with one at FF and the other at MP, for example. I need baseline settings for this stuff....."Set your instruments to such and such in the mixer, then do this, adjust from here," etc. I don't see it explained anywhere.

[Michel R E]

with the Garritan instruments the only thing I've ever done was set all instruments to the same value (101), then adjust a few specific instruments:

clarinet and bassoon -10 (ie: 10 points lower than everything else, so a value of 91) because those two woodwinds were, for some odd reason, mastered overly loud.

percussion and all brass, +15 (so a value of 116).

but you've been talking about how some instruments are considerably too soft. this can happen if you put a hairpin in a phrase and forget to put a target velocity (which ends up being the volume). that was why I was suggesting you post a file that displays your volume issues.

[heinzfan]

BJ Nick: It would be helpful if you added to your forum profile the OS, Finale version, and if possible which instrument sample sets you use (i.e., Garritan or other). That would eliminate respondents having to ask for clarification.

[bj nick]

Okay, I've added the suggested information to make things easier: (Windows 10, V. 26, Garritan Instruments For Finale.) Michel, is it necessary to individually set every "target velocity" when I add a hairpin (crescendo or decrescendo)? Also, is there any way to adjust the mixer volume level w/o using the sliders? I ask because it can be excruciating trying to get exact levels with the mouse.....and, what about master volume? I see different thoughts on that online....what's your take? Max? less?

[bj nick]

I watched a youtube video of an expert working with the orchestral sounds....sounded great! But he's got the mixer out, adjusting levels, etc, but I'm thinking, when I'm working on a piece, this is not mastering; or a live board with a sound engineer.....you've got a piece that has instruments playing soft, then loud, etc, etc.....it has to be "set it and forget it," right? I've searched YouTube all over, can't find how to this right.....I would gladly pay an expert to teach me this stuff.....

[miker]

bjnick, you can adjust the volume level numerically in the Score Manager, in the V column.

[heinzfan]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the volume mixer slider and the commensurate vol. setting in the score manager act as a cap, or maximum. So for instance, if you set the volume at 50 it will never go higher than 62, even if you insert a cc7 playback expression of 127. I'm using Vienna Instruments but found this even when I used outboard midi synths. It seems to work that way with Garritan/Aria player as well.

[bj nick]

Hey guys, thanks for trying to help. Michael, I see no "V column" in score manager.....where is it?? Heinz, I honestly have no idea what this means: "...but the volume mixer slider and the commensurate vol. setting in the score manager act as a cap, or maximum. So for instance, if you set the volume at 50 it will never go higher than 62...." Sorry to be ignorant, but please explain what and WHERE these settings are and what you're referring to. I must be missing something big-time.

[zuill]

In Windows, it's the Vol column. If you don't see it, click Customize View and you can choose what columns you want to show.

Zuill

[bj nick]

Ah, got it! Under "customize view" it was the "mix" I needed to check and now I have it where it belongs.