Garritan instruments not playing

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

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MarkThompson
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2020 2:08 pm
Finale Version: 25.5.0.290
Operating System: Windows

Post by MarkThompson » Sat Feb 01, 2020 3:25 am

I just purchased and installed Garritan Concert and Marching Band 2. In my score, I am using several of its instruments (Horn, Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Tuba). The playback is quite nice.

But after I save the document (.musx), close it, and then reopen it, the instruments do not play initially. When I do a playback, those instruments are silent. I have to open the ScoreManager, change the "Device" for each instrument (for example, to None or to SmartMusic SoftSynth) and then back to Garritan Concert and Marching Band 2, at which point each such instrument will again be audible during playback.

The same thing happens every time I close and reopen the file. In addition, each time I have to do this, the saved Mixer settings are discarded, so I have to reset them as well. (Luckily, I wrote them down).

What am I doing wrong?


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Djard
Posts: 916
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2010 2:23 am
Finale Version: Finale 26
Operating System: Windows

Post by Djard » Mon Feb 03, 2020 7:18 pm

Scary when someone as skilled as you experiences such a problem.

I am experiencing the same problem and attached a copy of the error message I get when attempting to Edit ARIA Player in my recent post.

My guess is that v26 does not like Garritan instruments, failing to import *.sfz files. Are you able to get playback by selecting "Playback Finale through MIDI"?

harp-lady
Posts: 43
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:31 am

Post by harp-lady » Tue Feb 04, 2020 1:59 am

I downloaded Finale again following the instructions onto a new computer. Now none of my new pieces have sound on playback. I get a message that I need to install sounds, but the instructions in Help are beyond me. Do I need to reinstall? Help, please. All of my old pieces will play as usual, but none that I am working on now.

Susan
Harp-Lady

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Djard
Posts: 916
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2010 2:23 am
Finale Version: Finale 26
Operating System: Windows

Post by Djard » Tue Feb 04, 2020 3:11 am

I got a support ticket from MakeMusic about this issue. Until I get a fix that I will share, here is what you can try in the meantime:

MIDI/Audio -> Playback through MIDI -> VST Banks & Effects -> from Instrument drop-down menu, clear all but Bank 1 and select SmartMusic. While there, make sure the volume faders are turned up to 100%, including the master control at the bottom. Also make sure the faders in the Mixer are up as I have caught Finale attenuating them surreptitiously.

In Score Manager, select SmartMusic as the Device for each instrument and reassign all instrument sounds in the Sound column.

As far as I can tell, the playback issue is limited to playback through VST/Garritan. I am beginning to wonder if ARIA Player is compatible with v26. Finale is the most unstable software I have ever used.

harp-lady
Posts: 43
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:31 am

Post by harp-lady » Tue Feb 04, 2020 2:16 pm

I would really like to hear from someone from MakeMusic about this issue. Is there a fix for everyone coming? I am SOOOO frustrated !
Harp-Lady

harp-lady
Posts: 43
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:31 am

Post by harp-lady » Tue Feb 04, 2020 2:29 pm

I just discovered that if I copy my new pieces and paste them at the end of an old piece, then i can listen to them. Now I want to know how I can download the old Finale to my new computer!
Harp-Lady

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Djard
Posts: 916
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2010 2:23 am
Finale Version: Finale 26
Operating System: Windows

Post by Djard » Tue Feb 04, 2020 11:00 pm

I wasted a good portion of my life, contending with the issue of instrument playback loss in Finale. Not wanting to retrace steps that helped in the past, I made notes along the way. A recent upgrading of Finale caused loss of playback again through VST, and option 4 below worked nicely. I share my notes in hope they might help others.

OPTION 1

1. Window (upper text menu) -> Mixer ->
make sure volume faders are up and
instruments are not muted.
2. MIDI\/Audio -> make sure "Play Finale
through VST is selected -> VST Banks
& Effects -> make sure VST instrument
volume at right is set to 100.
3. Window -> Score Manager -> make sure
a sound has not been removed from the
instrument.

OPTION 2

1. Try playback in a new or another
document that is set to "Play Finale
through VST" to rule out corruption
in the file.
2. If the problem is limited to only
one document, start a new document
-> copy & paste the music into the
new document.
3. Open both documents in horizontally
tiled window view -> compare old
document with the new-> adjust any
notation that may not have copied
properly.

OPTION 3

1. MIDI/Audio -> Device Setup -> Rescan
for VST Plug-ins.

OPTION 4

MakeMusic reports that the "Slot 0 error"
notification in the playback issue is the
result of ARIA Player failing to find the
location of Garritan audio samples on the
computer. Re-installing the Garritan
Instruments for Finale sound library is
said to be "the usual fix."

1. Visit the page below for "Reinstalling
the Garritan Instruments for Finale
sound library" at...

https://makemusic.zendesk.com/

2. Select your OS -> select version of
Finale -> close any open programs,
except the web browser.
3. Login to your account -> click on
"My Software" button -> click on
"Download" link (right of Finale
software and your S/N. Download
progress will appear at bottom of
browser.
4. After download, use File Explorer
to locate "FinaleSetup.zip" that
should appear in your Download
folder -> extract all the files.
5. Double-click on the executable file,
"FinaleSetup.exe" in the extracted
folder -> Next.
6. Deselect all the components except
"Garritan Instruments for Finale"
-> Next -> Install -> select your
language -> OK.

NOTE: When prompted to select your
VST directory, choose Finale's
default location...

C:\ProgramData\MakeMusic\Finale26
\VST Support\

Selected components:
ARIA Player
ARIA Player Standalone
ARIA Player VST2 (64)
ARIA Player VST3 (64)
ARIA Player AAX Native 64

Destination:
C:\Program Files\Garritan
\ARIA Player
C:\Program Files\Plogue\Aria
C:\ProgramData\MakeMusic\Finale 26
\VST Support\Garritan
C:\Program Files\Common Files
\Avid\Audio\Plug-Ins

NOTE: Do not remove the "Avid"
subfolder. ARIA Player is
also used by Pro Tools and
Cakewalk as well as other
DAWs. Plogue evidently chose
to use "Avid" as the name
for its AAX plug-in.

7. Install -> follow system prompts
-> when prompted for location of
"Samples directory" (where the
"Instruments for Finale Samples"
should be installed), browse to
and select the following, so that
the setup field shows...

C:\Program Files\Garritan
\Instruments for Finale\Samples

8. Next -> select my "MultiMedia" in
Start Menu -> Next -> Install ->
wait for process to complete.

NOTE: If installation appears to
hang, click on icon in the
Taskbar that may show files
being decompressed.

9. Finish -> reboot system -> check
if you are now able to use Garritan
Instruments for Finale.

NOTE: If steps above fail to resolve
the issue, you may also need to
uninstall then reinstall ARIA
PLayer as follows.

10. Start -> Settings -> Apps -> scroll
down and click on "ARIA Engine" ->
Uninstall -> follow system prompts to
complete the uninstallation.
11. Visit the page below then download
and install latest version of ARIA
Player.

https://makemusic.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/ ... 0037425313

OPTION 5

When changing instruments in Score Manager,
Finale Finale may attenuate the volume of
the

1. MIDI/Audio (upper text menu) -> VST
Banks & Effects.
2. Make sure all the faders in "Volume"
panel at right are set to 100 (click
on button and use arrow keys for
precision) -> Close.

OPTION 6

1. Window -> Mixer -> Solo each instrument
to identify which instruments fail to
play back.
2. Score Manager -> Instrument List tab.
3. From the instrument's "Channel" drop-
down menu (at right), select "Next
available" -> exit Score Manager.
4. Repeat steps for next instrument in the
list with a playback issue -> Save the
document. Proceed with the next step if
the following notice appears:

"All banks used. Finale supports 8 banks,
16 channels per bank."

5. From the drop-down menu of problematic
"Device" instrument, change from, say,
Garritan to SmartMusic, or vice-versa.
If changing from Garritan to SmartMusic,
the instrument may change also; e.g.
Chimes may change to Tubular Bells.

NOTE: You may need to reset the volume
level of the instruments edited.

OPTION 7

If you have different instruments assigned
to layers in a staff system, this option may
require re-assigning the instruments and
resetting the volume for each layer.

1. Window - Score Manager -> Instrument List
tab.
2. Temporarily change sound and/or device of
problematic instrument--e.g. Change
"Violins KS" to "Violins Arco" and/or
Garritan to SmartMusic.

TIP: Make sure the temporary instrument
is written in the same clef.

3. Play back a measure or two then repeat
steps to change back to the original
instrument and/or device.

OPTION 8

This option may require that you choose a
different instrument as the VST sound may
not be available in Garritan's list.

1. MIDI/Audio -> Play Finale through MIDI.

OPTION 9

1. Selection Tool (upper icon menu) -> Edit
(upper text menu) -> Select All.
2. right-click in any part of highlighted
area -> Clear Selected Items -> None.
3. Check "MIDI Data" to select "Continuous
Data," "Performance Data" and "Tempo
Changes" -> OK.

OPTION 10

1. MIDI/Audio (upper text menu) -> VST Banks
& Effects.
2. From each Bank drop-down menu, select none
(---) -> Close.
3. Window (upper text menu) -> Score Manager.
4. Re-assign the instruments, devices and then
the sounds -> exit Score Manager.

OPTION 11

If this option works, much work may be lost,
requiring a re-write of the score from the
point where playback is lost. But you may use
a backup copy for reference.

1. Make a backup copy of the document ->
rename the backup copy (e.g. add "Bak"
to name).
2. Click on "Undo" (upper icon menu) -> try
playback, until playback is restored.
4. With the document and backup copy open,
click on "Window" -> Tile Windows
horizontally.
5. Compare the two documents, using backup
copy for reference when updating the
problematic document. These steps may
help you determine the cause of playback
loss.

OPTION 12

Reinstall Garritan or reinstall the
Finale program as sound samples may
not have installed properly. This
option will require you configure all
your custom settings.

harp-lady
Posts: 43
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:31 am

Post by harp-lady » Wed Feb 12, 2020 8:08 pm

I am giving up. I have always been a great fan of Finale and have recommended it to many people. But this problem with the sound has defeated me, and I can no longer allow myself to worry about it or try anything else. I have re-downloaded Finale 2014, the sound works fine, I can play all my music on it, and I will not try a newer version again. If I have any more major problems with Finale I'll just switch to Sibelius and go through the learning curve. I only use finale for 4-part or less arrangements for one instrument, the harp. I can't imagine what people doing orchestral arrangements have to deal with! Best of luck...

Harp-Lady
Windows 10
Dell pc computer
Harp-Lady

oldmkvi
Posts: 384
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 6:13 pm
Finale Version: 25
Operating System: Mac

Post by oldmkvi » Wed Feb 12, 2020 8:45 pm

I'm sorry you both are having these problems.
I can tell you that I'm on Mac F 25.5, and have NO playback Issues.
I never have to go into the Aria Player to adjust or change anything.
I wish I had something to offer , but on a windows Computer, I can't even get my email, I have had to have someone else do it for me.
Mac is so easy.

User avatar
Djard
Posts: 916
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2010 2:23 am
Finale Version: Finale 26
Operating System: Windows

Post by Djard » Thu Feb 13, 2020 4:08 am

All the posts at Sibelius forum evidences that it too is unstable.

Did you try my steps?

Select for Finale to play through MIDI. If you are configured to play through VST, you will need to make sure the program point to where your plug-ins are loaded (Edit > Preferences > Folders(.

Basically you have two kinds of VST plug-ins, one type for editing in a score, like TG Tools and JW, and the other is for instrument sounds, like Garritan, SmartSynth.

Use your file manager to copy all your plug-ins to the "VST Support" folder in the "ProgramData" directory, which is more reliable.

If you need assistance, give me a call and I will walk you through the steps.

Roger Parton
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2019 5:23 pm
Finale Version: 26.1
Operating System: Windows

Post by Roger Parton » Wed Mar 31, 2021 2:57 pm

Djard, I had the same problem here, and found your steps immensely helpful. My particular problem was that of sliders resetting to 0 in "VST banks and effects". Many thanks for the time and suffering you put into this problem, and here's hoping that others can also benefit from your analysis and suggestions -

best regards -
r

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DavidGaines
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2020 5:18 pm
Finale Version: Finale 26.3
Operating System: Windows

Post by DavidGaines » Thu Apr 01, 2021 1:57 am

I realize this thread is about Garritan instruments but this info from the NotePerformer for Finale User's Guide may be helpful. The situations described have happened to me more than once with more than one instrument library:

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David Gaines, DMA | Composer
Finale 26.3.1, Windows 10, GPO5, COMB2, JABB3, NotePerformer 3.3, VSL SE + downloads
davidgainesmusic.com

User avatar
Djard
Posts: 916
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2010 2:23 am
Finale Version: Finale 26
Operating System: Windows

Post by Djard » Thu Apr 01, 2021 1:57 am

You are most welcome.

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