Using imported sounds through midi keyboard

Discuss technical issues with keyboards, sound, video cards, etc.

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Auskiwi
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2015 7:28 am
Finale Version: Finale 2014
Operating System: Windows

Post by Auskiwi » Thu Mar 01, 2018 11:12 pm

Hi,
I am in the throws of purchasing a digital piano for high level silent practice, as the room my acoustic piano is in has become a work-at-home office for another family member.

Ideally I would like to use the digital as a midi keyboard for entry into finale, both for notation purposes, but also for recording single and multi-track audio files (you know the ones: they sound fantastic played in, but would look horrendous if you were trying to read the unedited notation with real instruments in a school orchestral setting!)

I write musicals for my kids’ school, and having a quality audio track they can use for practice would be much better than using a mic with my acoustic piano. To date I have been writing them notation (entered via computer keyboard/number pad which is fine), then recording with a mic near my acoustic piano. Not brilliant for replay though, when you play it in a regular classroom situation for practice!

My questions are as follows (I am currently running Finale v 2014):
1) Can any midi keyboard be used for entry into/manipulation in Finale? (I am tossing up betweeen a Kawai CA98 and a Yamaha Clavinova 705 - overkill specs for midi reasons, but I need it to closely replicate my acoustic for Diploma level silent practice)
2) Can I import/purchase sounds (ie Garritan/EastWest Quantum) to play in Finale, but also use these to play back through my midi keyboard, eg. I play a note on the midi keyboard and I can hear the imported sound playing?
3) Is it possible/easy to create multi-track recordings/notation in Finale so I can playback/listen to what has already been entered, whilst entering another track/instrument line on my midi keyboard? (ie. writing orchestral scores/audio via midi keyboard, in different tracks for each instrument/group)

I am new to a lot of this, so I don’t really know what questions to be asking, or if any of this is possible. :)

My main reason for asking is so I know what keyboard to purchase (one with great action, but very limited sounds; or one with lesser action but heaps more sounds), but whatever I end up with, I want it to work with Finale, and am trying to work out Finale’s abilities/limitations and if I may end up needing other software as well, or if Finale can do these things for me, or if I need a different keyboard type for this kind of work.

Many thanks for any suggestions or direction,

Julianne
Auskiwi
Finale 2009, 2014
Windows 7


User avatar
FwL
Posts: 86
Joined: Sun Dec 17, 2017 10:53 pm
Finale Version: 2010, 25.5
Operating System: Windows

Post by FwL » Sun Mar 04, 2018 3:47 pm

Auskiwi wrote:
My questions are as follows (I am currently running Finale v 2014):
1) Can any midi keyboard be used for entry into/manipulation in Finale? (I am tossing up betweeen a Kawai CA98 and a Yamaha Clavinova 705 - overkill specs for midi reasons, but I need it to closely replicate my acoustic for Diploma level silent practice)
2) Can I import/purchase sounds (ie Garritan/EastWest Quantum) to play in Finale, but also use these to play back through my midi keyboard, eg. I play a note on the midi keyboard and I can hear the imported sound playing?
3) Is it possible/easy to create multi-track recordings/notation in Finale so I can playback/listen to what has already been entered, whilst entering another track/instrument line on my midi keyboard? (ie. writing orchestral scores/audio via midi keyboard, in different tracks for each instrument/group)

Julianne

1) Any MIDI capable keyboard will work for inputting into Finale so long as you get things properly set up with your computer and operating system.

2) Yes. Most sound sets will also work as stand-alone sounds outside of Finale.

3) This is going to be very non-practical. Finale is not really designed to work well this way. You'll be much happier using a basic DAW/sequencing program like Reaper.
A composer is a guy who goes around forcing his will on unsuspecting air molecules... often with the aid of unsuspecting musicians - Frank Zappa

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