Dynamics inconsistent

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David Toub Posted March 17, 2021 16:29

Inevitably, most Finale files I create have some challenges I have to work around regarding playback. The one I'm working on now starts off pp in the second violin but when the first violin comes in (both are solos) at the same dynamic level, it is markedly quieter. And ppp seems louder. The text expression playback levels in the Text Expression tool are not incorrect as best I can tell, but it's even worse with HP off. These are the Garritan Personal Orchestra strings, and I know HP has various (and often cryptic) settings for them, but I've reached the end of my rope regarding the dynamics in the file I'm linking to here. Any suggestions would be helpful.

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Date Votes

David Toub Posted March 17, 2021 22:03

A lot of the issue is not Garritan. It has a lot to do with how human playback is set up. However, just for kicks, I placed a pizzicato in one of the violins at measure 83. When it plays back (HP on, GPO5-solo violin 1 KS) the pizzicato is oddly loud and the other strings are very muted. I can't find any way to fix that other than to change to the included Garritan sounds (violin solo 1 KS), but that messes up other things in the balance etc. Bottom line-playback is far from optimal in Finale, and this is taking away time from actually writing music to futz with playback issues. I realize Finale is ultimately a notation program. But given how much focus the program has on playback, along with incorporation with the (additionally purchased) GPO samples, it should at least be reasonably straightforward to use.

John Garside Posted March 18, 2021 10:02

Pizzicato strings are governed not by the expression controller but by MIDI note on velocity. Sorry, I'm no Finale expert but somehow one needs to program HP to take account of that.

JohnG.

David Toub Posted March 18, 2021 10:11

Interesting. Does MM know this?

John Garside Posted March 18, 2021 14:56

They wrote the manual for GPO4 and 5, describing how it all works, so I would assume they know.

It is well worthwhile downloading a copy of the GPO4 manual and reading the sections about the use of MIDI controllers for various instruments and articulations.

JohnG.

David Toub Posted March 18, 2021 15:01

Well if I change that violin to the built in garritan solo violin ks (so not GPO5), the pizzicato is not too loud and balanced with the other instruments. Why is the same instrument as such in GPO5 such that when it plays pizzicato, the other instruments are nearly silenced? And no, that shouldn’t require me to have to figure out how to use controllers. This is silly. I’ve used similar GPO strings previously without such issues.

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