Notation vs. playback: same note twice as loud

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

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sPretzel
Posts: 165
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2007 8:38 pm
Finale Version: Finale 2007
Operating System: Windows

Post by sPretzel » Mon May 17, 2021 6:38 am

Hi,
I could not see if this has been discussed here before but I am sure others have already encountered this issue. If it has been discussed, please point me to the right thread.
I have an issue where I have set a treble and bass clef staff in Finale and have assigned each to the same instrument (and therefore the same channel). It so happens that for the sake of notation, I occasionally have the same note (same pitch) appear in the treble clef and in the bass clef simultaneously. In practice, this is the same key on the instrument (like the piano) but in playback, even though I have set the staves to be the same instrument, I can tell that the result is twice as loud as that note being played once. Is there a way/setting to prevent this from happening in playback? In other words, if Finale sees that the same note appears in both staves at the same time, it only plays one of them in playback.
This if for Finale 2007c.
Thanks.


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zuill
Posts: 4418
Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2016 9:35 pm
Finale Version: Finale 2011-v26.3.1
Operating System: Windows

Post by zuill » Mon May 17, 2021 2:21 pm

I don't know of a way to tell Finale to not double-up the playback. Maybe there's a setting i am not aware of.

If you need to avoid the stacked playback effect, you can mute those notes that are duplicated in another staff, so that you only hear one of the 2 notes.

Zuill
Windows 10, Finale 2011-v26.3.1
"When all is said and done, more is said than done."

sPretzel
Posts: 165
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2007 8:38 pm
Finale Version: Finale 2007
Operating System: Windows

Post by sPretzel » Mon May 17, 2021 2:35 pm

Hi Zuill,
Thanks. Yes, I did see your suggestions in another thread about this. I thought there might be a setting, especially since I assign the staff to the same instrument, so Finale would know that it is not possible for the same note to sound twice on the same instrument (at least the instrument I selected)! It's a bit dumb, or maybe I am to take it for granted.
Out of curiosity, are other popular notation software handling playback this way too?

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zuill
Posts: 4418
Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2016 9:35 pm
Finale Version: Finale 2011-v26.3.1
Operating System: Windows

Post by zuill » Mon May 17, 2021 2:50 pm

I just tested this in MuseScore, and unison between staves of a grand staff don't play louder.

Now, for piano, this increase in volume is undesirable. I can imagine there might be situations where a grand staff might be used where the increase in volume might be desired. For example, you might have a choral score in which a channel is shared between 2 staves. There, the increase would seem a desired effect. Usually, in choral scores, each part is on its own channel.

Zuill
Windows 10, Finale 2011-v26.3.1
"When all is said and done, more is said than done."

sPretzel
Posts: 165
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2007 8:38 pm
Finale Version: Finale 2007
Operating System: Windows

Post by sPretzel » Mon May 17, 2021 2:59 pm

For piano, not only is it not desired, it's not possible.
I tried your suggestion of using Edit Frame in Speedy Entry and uncheck Playback for the note I want to mute but it still plays in playback! If I hide the note however, it behaves and keeps quiet.

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zuill
Posts: 4418
Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2016 9:35 pm
Finale Version: Finale 2011-v26.3.1
Operating System: Windows

Post by zuill » Mon May 17, 2021 3:02 pm

In the Edit Frame, make sure you are unchecking the Playback box in the top area of the window, not the one in the bottom are. An easier way to mute playback might be with the JW Change plugin.

Zuill
Windows 10, Finale 2011-v26.3.1
"When all is said and done, more is said than done."

sPretzel
Posts: 165
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2007 8:38 pm
Finale Version: Finale 2007
Operating System: Windows

Post by sPretzel » Mon May 17, 2021 3:08 pm

Got it. I had unchecked the Playback at the bottom in the Note section. Unchecking the one in the top section works as expected. It would have been nice if the selected note in Edit Frame was somehow highlighted on the staff because it's hard to know which note is which using its ID. I might just hide the note; in my case, it might be the lesser of two evils.

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