Have you tried making a copy of the file (with a different name) and then using the Time Signature Tool (with Rebar checked) to change the time signature to 4/2. That will show you how well the solution works.

Keep an eye on different layers and passages that come in after empty measures to see if they "translate" correctly. If empty measures do cause a problem, try starting over and making all the implied rests in empty measures real rests. (There is a plug-in for that under Note, Beam, & Rest Editing.) Then try changing the time sig.

Sometimes just experimenting on a copy of the file is the quickest way to find a solution. If not, we are still here.

I have had one success:  I re-imported the midi file as 4/2, so I now have the right measure lengths, 4 beats for one measure instead of 8 beats over two measure, but I'd rather it was in 4/4 instead of 4/2, but Finale does not seem inclined to accommodate that command.  If I change it to 4/4 (no rebar) it makes a right mess of it.  If I tell it to rebar while changing to 4/4, it goes right back to my original problem, where I have two measures for what should be one.

So, the NEW challenge is:  Change 4/2 to 4/4 with Finale changing the note values, but holding keeping it to 4 beats per measure.  I hope I'm making sense.  This should really be an option.  I have sometimes written things in 4/4 and realized I'd like it to be written as 4/2, but always had to just rewrite the whole thing.  That isn't fun.

-e

Hi J,  

I have tried what you recommend, and it does not change the barring, nor, as in my new post, does it change the value of the beat.  It always keep the beat value.  It doesn't work.  We need Finale to be able to change (as I have it now) a measure of 4/2 into 4/4, without it thinking there are 8 beats of quarter notes to deal with.  quarter notes should become 1.8th notes, etc.   They don't.

I think Finale should be able to do that.  Should be a feature!

-e

I DID IT!   I used the Utilities/Change/Note Durations function.   I used the new 4/2 imported midi file.   Changed all the note durations down 50% (half notes become quarters, etc).  THEN, after doing that, I changed the time signature from 4/2 to 4/4 with REBAR checked, and it WORKED.

HALLELUJAH!!  

CORRECTION:   when doing the Note Duration by 50%, DO NOT "rebar."  Then when you change the Time Signature also DO NOT 'rebar.'  Then it WORKS.  Otherwise it completely mangles your score and measures disappear, etc.