Finale 'How to' question

[Rick F]

Is there a way to change the voicing of a midi file before you save it as a file? The score is voiced properly (tuba/euph) when I play it back thru the computer speakers from within Finale, but when I save the file as a midi file, the midi file is always voiced as piano.

Maybe this can't be done.

Thanks.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Create a text expression for each line at the beginning of the first measure...click on the "mf" tool, then double-click on the first measure of the first line.

Click on "Create" in the Expression Selection window, then "Playback Options," which will open the bottom half of the Text Expression Designer window.

In the "Type" box, select "Patch" from the pull-down menu. Leave the "Patch" box as "Program Change," and change the "GM" box to the desired patch number (59 is tuba, should work ok for both...or select your desired patches).

Click "OK" in the Text Expression Designer window, leaving the text blank (this will be an invisible text expression). Click on "Select" in the Expression Selection, then assign the newly-created invisible expression to the first note or rest in measure 1. This will create a patch change which will be saved with the MIDI file and hopefully cause the MIDI file to playback with the correct instrument sounds.

Repeat the procedure for each line of music in your file, making sure to create a new expression for each different patch you use.

Good luck!

[Rick F]

Thanks guys! I appreciate it.

Todd's way worked pretty easily. Since I only had two lines of music, it was pretty easy to add.

I tried Wade's way too, and all of the voicing (instruments) were already correctly defined. But when I saved a new midi file, it still sounded like 'piano'. Maybe this has something to do with my Finale being 2001 version, not sure.

Wade, that looked like an awful lot of work for you to capture and host all those screen shots. Thanks for all of that.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Thanks guys! I appreciate it.

Todd's way worked pretty easily. Since I only had two lines of music, it was pretty easy to add.

I tried Wade's way too, and all of the voicing (instruments) were already correctly defined. But when I saved a new midi file, it still sounded like 'piano'. Maybe this has something to do with my Finale being 2001 version, not sure.

Wade, that looked like an awful lot of work for you to capture and host all those screen shots. Thanks for all of that.

You're quite welcome, Rick. The reason Wade's way didn't work for you is that it doesn't actually put any MIDI information into your document when you save it as a MIDI file, but rather just changes the playback parameters in Finale. You need your MIDI file to have the patch numbers as data in the file as well, and inserting a establishing patch command at the beginning does that for you. You could do the same thing anywhere in the file to change sounds if you wanted. I agree, though, that the Wade's screen shots were way cool...looks like a later version of Finale than mine as well (I'm still on 2002). The brass qunitet settings were nice info too, Wade...thanks for that.

OK...that settles that. : )

How about this one?

I was told by the Finale people that in Finale 2007, I can record a line of music through microphone to the PC above the score and save as a sound file. They didn't give the step by step on how to do this. Can anyone help?

Ken F.

Sorry, Ken, I'm not much help on this one as I'm on an earlier version and generally use speedy entry with the computer keyboard to enter notation. You might try here for the Finale Forum and some help for your question.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

I think the question from the OP was to be able to create a file in Finale, save it as a MIDI file, then open said file in a different program while retaining the playback sounds of the original Finale file.

The only way to accomplish this is to generate a MIDI event corresponding to a "patch" so that whatever program reads the MIDI file knows what General MIDI sound to associate with each line. Creating a "patch change" at the beginning of each line of music via the Text Expression tool is the easiest way I know of to do that, although it may be possible to create the same MIDI event via the MIDI tool or some other method.

Wade, you are obviously very fluent in Finale, and I dig your brass quintet + percussion setting of Carol of the Bells; but, I don't think your method of creating an instrument definition actually puts a MIDI event into the file. That would be why Rick's file plays with a piano sound (default) when he exports it as a MIDI file with no patch change event.

I do mostly marching band arranging, and I export my MIDI files for band directors to use for drill design or other preview needs...since I don't know what program they are going to use to listen to the MIDI files, I always use a patch-establishing-MIDI-event (whew!) on each line of music. I stick it on the first note of each line, which makes the invisible text expression easy to find. Worst case, it's just redundant info in the file.

As you said, I think we're attacking this problem from opposite (incongruent?) angles. I enjoy the lively discussion, though, particularly on a slow Monday night.

[Rick F]

I think the question from the OP was to be able to create a file in Finale, save it as a MIDI file, then open said file in a different program while retaining the playback sounds of the original Finale file.

Yep, that was my question. Sorry if I didn't post my question more clearly.

I already had the quartet music figured out, but wanted to be able to email a midi file along with the pdf file of the parts to the other players. Until tonight, the midi file was piano.

Thanks again guys. Always like learning something new.

[Chuck(G)]

Crikey, now I know why I use Sibelius. To do the same, press "M" and change the voices for each part in the box that opens up. Idiot-proof.

[TMurphy]

Crikey, now I know why I use Sibelius. To do the same, press "M" and change the voices for each part in the box that opens up. Idiot-proof.

And still very, very limited in the appearance of the output. Finale is the more powerful program. Sibelius is easier.

And that does NOT include setting the Pan and Volume of each voice, much less selecting the channel . . .

My instructions to merely change the voice take about three seconds, literally with a stopwatch, per staff. You just need to know the steps to do it.

I look at Finale the same way I look at Photoshop. Both are useful programs, that a great many people can se the basic functions of. In the hands of the select few experts, though, they become the most powerful tools around to do what they do. If you aren't one of those experts, Sibelius is probably the simpler, better option. Given the time to become an expert (which I wish I had), Finale can do virtually anything you need a composition program to do.

[Chuck(G)]

And that does NOT include setting the Pan and Volume of each voice, much less selecting the channel . . .

In Sibelius, not only do you get that in the "M" window, but you can also select the soundfont bank.

Hey, if Sibelius is good enough for Philip Sparke and Colin Davis, it's fine for anything I have to do. If you know what you're doing, Sibelius output can be finely controlled.

In contrast, when I encounter a badly-placed page turn, I assume the score was written using Finale.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

In contrast, when I encounter a badly-placed page turn, I assume the score was written using Finale.

Nice. If you encounter a badly-placed page turn, you should assume a composer/arranger who either doesn't understand the program he/she is using or doesn't give a **** about the appearance of his/her notation. Page turns are no problem to edit, even in Finale.