Glissandi Playback

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moonmadness
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Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2009 1:43 pm

Post by moonmadness » Wed Aug 07, 2013 12:49 pm

Hi.
I know finale is not designated to playback precisely. But I really need to hear my glissandi as precise as possible, as I'm making midi files for musicians and students.

And they hardly ever are:
Sometimes they play extra notes. Other times they start/end at a wrong pitch. Yet other times they playback at the wrong time. And yet other times they don't playback at all!
Now I'm working on a file with many glissandi. Those that connect between to notes don't work at all. It plays back as if they weren't there. Those that slide to an arbitrary point downwards/upwards do work, but they gliss only half a step, when usually they gliss about a 4th or a 5th...

I'm using finale 2011.
There are so many variables, I think I tried to play with them all, to no avail:
1. Play finale through midi/vst
2. Human playback set to None / not
3. Apply Human Playback
4. TG Tools (This is the only thing that activates the glissandi, but they still sound wrong - the second note is played again right after the glissando ends).

What am I missing here?
Thanks!


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Peter Thomsen
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Finale Version: Finale v27.4
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Wed Aug 07, 2013 1:06 pm

Have you tried various glissando types?

I would try chromatic glissandi (it is a setting in Human Playback).
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

moonmadness
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Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2009 1:43 pm

Post by moonmadness » Wed Aug 07, 2013 2:25 pm

Thanks, yes I just did, had no effect.
Then I noticed all my glissandi are between half-step-apart notes...
So I tried a gliss between a 3rd interval pair of notes and the gliss works!
But... it sounds like a piano gliss (a succession of 1/2 steps), and I want it to sound like a pitch bend (portamento).
So I went and changed the gliss type to "always use pitch bend". It had no effect...

Any ideas?

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Peter Thomsen
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Wed Aug 07, 2013 2:39 pm

From your first post I thought that the "musicians and students" were playing instruments that make glissandi in chromatic half-steps.
Sorry about that.

I have had good success with expressions playing {executable shapes with playback effect "PitchWheel"}.
Be aware that you also need some extra (hidden) expressions that will reset the Pitchwheel to zero where needed.
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

moonmadness
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Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2009 1:43 pm

Post by moonmadness » Wed Aug 07, 2013 2:42 pm

Another update!
I just noticed that glissando playback is different in different staves!
Somehow the Soprano part plays only glissandi that are greater than 1/2 step, and the Tenor plays only the second part of all the glissandi (cutting out the first note and the beginning of the glissandi, leaving only the end of the gliss and the 2nd note)

What kind of bug is that??

I even tried assigning both staves the same instrument - Choir Aas. (different midi channels) - The difference in gliss playback remains.

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Peter Thomsen
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Finale Version: Finale v27.4
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Wed Aug 07, 2013 10:47 pm

Did you try my suggestion with expressions?

In your first post you told that you were making MIDI files for musicians and students.
How are the "musicians and students" supposed to use the MIDI files?
- Import into a MIDI playback program, and listen to playback?
- Import into a music notation program, and view the layout?

Please explain.
The more we understand, the better we can help you.
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

moonmadness
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Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2009 1:43 pm

Post by moonmadness » Thu Aug 08, 2013 6:03 am

Hi peter, thanks for your reply!

I haven't tried your suggestion with expressions yet, because I first want to understand why this file's glissandi playback behaves the way it does. I feel that working with the gliss tool is easier, more convenient and intuitive, if only it works the way it's supposed to. Now I know many times it doesn't, but I wand to understand why, and what can be done about it, before I give up on it, and move on to another (the expression) tool to do the job.
Kind of like trying to fix my car before giving up and taking the bus :-) know what I mean?

The musicians and students are supposed to import the MIDI files to a playback program (otherwise I wouldn't care about playback).

Thanks again.

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Peter Thomsen
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Post by Peter Thomsen » Thu Aug 08, 2013 12:47 pm

I suggest that you go to MakeMusic's web site, and open a support case with the good folks at Tech Support.
Their web site allows for attaching a document to a support case.
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

moonmadness
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Post by moonmadness » Fri Aug 09, 2013 11:43 am

A last update (problem solved):

I was writing to tech support as you suggested, and wanted to refer them to the problematic soprano staff. Then I noticed that it was labled "staff 4" in studio view, because it had no name. So I named it and went on to crop the document to keep only one typical bar with glissandi. When I hit the play button to check if it still sounds the same, It suddenly sounded good, the bastard! Since I made all kinds of changes it took me a while to figure out which of them fixed it. It was naming the staff. Who knew? Why would an unnamed staff playback glissandi wrong??

Well I'm glad I got it anyway and thanks for your help!

tfstacy
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Finale Version: 25.5.0.290
Operating System: Windows

Post by tfstacy » Thu Mar 29, 2018 12:37 pm

It is dismaying to me that this issue persists after years! YEARS!!! I have the same issue in Version 25 (on Windows) and there are no clear instructions in the manual how to manage glissando controls (document specific or globally), and how to get them to playback as selected in the HP Preferences dialog boxes.

My dream is to receive a set of instructions that allows me to globally set glissando playback the way I use it, and never have to (NEVER) have to think about it again. Here is my "dream set-up":

A) the glissandi start note on the staff is the note on which the glissandi playback starts. Not half the interval. Not stuck on a half step below or above. Just start the glissandi playback on the starting note indicated in the score. Who wants anything but that???

B) for me, I want glissandi to play back only portamento, regardless of the score I have loaded, am creating from setup wizard, regarless of what instrument, staff name, glissando range or Human Playback style - for me - ALL glissandi should be portamento. Chromatic or diatonic glissandi are not useful in the styles in which I write, transcribe and perform. Yet USUALLY the glide/portamento option fails to function: It's almost always chromatic playback no matter what I try. On the rare occasion I can get glide (portamento) playback to work I don't know how I got it to work. I have literally wasted multiple hours multiple times trying to get it to work. Why would Finale not clear this up for users? Does anyone know how? Is it even possible? The instruments where I most commonly ask for (but am refused by the software) portamento playback are basses, guitars, voices, synths, brass and strings.
Blessings to anyone who can hook me up with the solution here. I will PAY YOU! Thanks!

JMcLay
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Finale Version: PrintMusic 2014
Operating System: Windows

Post by JMcLay » Thu May 17, 2018 4:44 pm

I'm using PrintMusic 2014, which I think is a cut-down version of Finale, and had given up on glissandi for exactly the same reasons shown above.

HOWEVER.

I HAVE found that a gliss will work nicely on the Accoustic Bass #33 in the MakeMusic GM Bank 0. This, I imagine, would describe an "ordinary" double-bass.

Could it be that some smartie-pants in MakeMusic has realised or decided that the ONLY stringed instruments it will allow a Gliss to work with must be fret-less ?

Maybe some will try this out with violin / viola etc, and a trombone springs to mind as well. Maybe there is a Reason for the apparent oddity.

Jim McLay

PS I think the original post should have said they were making AUDIO files rather than MIDI files for their students: I doubt that any MIDI instruction is embedded in the Gliss function. My 3-1/2d worth, in pre-1971 UK currency.

PPS Yes, the trombone works perfectly. Good old Finale. tfstacy, I think you owe me!

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