Finale 2011

[buzzsmith]

Had a big enough project come up that I decided (with the current promotion) to upgrade from 2005b to 2011.

I called a local arranger and he said it was pretty good and stable but some persistent bugs, in his opinion, were still there and had not yet been addressed for quite a while, but he green lighted it.

He said after my 6 years since an upgrade, that I should enjoy it more than my current version!

Anyone else have some Finale 2011 tips, tricks or bug reports?

Thanks...

Buzzy

[Frodo]

The latest update of 2011 fixed a few initial bugs, like wonky ties over the barline when using Staff Styles. There are some minor things that still need addressing, like a couple of gotchas when creating/extracting Groups from a score, but overall, 2011c is pretty stable.

It might take some adjustment to get used to the Mass Mover being gone, and some menu/click options having been relocated as well. The Manage Parts feature might also throw you at first because it's so different from v2005x.

I am most relieved by the fact that Finale no longer nags the user about uninstalled Audio Units VIs and plugins not being available. I was using 2006x for a good while, but it will no longer boot because of some conflict with uninstalled VIs, even though I don't use those VIs. Instead of just citing certain AUs as being unavailable, 2006x refuses to boot at all anymore. What a shame, because 2006x was among the most trouble-free versions I've ever used.

But 2011 is holding its own, to be honest. I would only recommend that you Generate Parts before Extracting them to ensure that all of your edits are updated.

[buzzsmith]

It might take some adjustment to get used to the Mass Mover being gone, and some menu/click options having been relocated as well. The Manage Parts feature might also throw you at first because it's so different from v2005x.

But 2011 is holding its own, to be honest. I would only recommend that you Generate Parts before Extracting them to ensure that all of your edits are updated.

Thanks, Mr. Frodo...

I'm going to install tomorrow, and I've looked at a few of the online "What's New" videos. (Haven't even opened the package yet so I'm assuming that there may be some videos in the actual install package.)

By any chance, is there a MIDI Thru now? IOW, if I want to check a track that I'm working on, I'd like to not have DP running in the background as my "audio" source.

So with Mass Mover being gone, is it now replaced with a more simple Cut, Copy and Paste?

The Percussion entry looks promising, as it was a pain in 2005b and this current project requires drum parts actually written out...only 1 rehearsal for 20 some songs.

Thanks for the input...

Buzzy

[Frodo]

By any chance, is there a MIDI Thru now? IOW, if I want to check a track that I'm working on, I'd like to not have DP running in the background as my "audio" source.

Hmm. There are options to play through AU or to play through MIDI, but I'm not sure if it's true MIDI Thru. I still only use Smart Synth on my laptop and leave the AU heavy lifting to DP on my tower, but somehow I believe there is a way to do this.

So with Mass Mover being gone, is it now replaced with a more simple Cut, Copy and Paste?

Prior to v2007, the arrow was essentially a non-tool or a neutral one. Now, the Mass Mover has been folded into the Arrow tool. Select Partial/Complete Measures (whatever they called it) to edit is now gone. You can just click drag over what you want to edit it without having to activate the partial/complete feature via the old edit menu.

The Percussion entry looks promising, as it was a pain in 2005b and this current project requires drum parts actually written out...only 1 rehearsal for 20 some songs.

Not sure how much of a time saver perc entry really is. If you're mousing in the notes, it takes some very careful ultra-micro mouse moves to distinguish an open high-hat from a closed one or a snare hit from a side-stick-- even if those notes appear on the same space (or line). I find this even more difficult to do precisely with a wireless mouse or a trackpad.

The one thing about perc entry is that it shows what instrument is about to be put to use before the note is entered just by pointing to the line or space.

Then again, I've never been a big fan of computer keyboard entry in Finale, so there may be some other benefits which escape me but help dedicated copyists who can type it all in as fast as I might be able to just play it into DP and port over the SMF.

[buzzsmith]

Getting a little more comfortable with it. The GUI didn't change too much so it's not graphics shock.

I think I know the answer to this based on my VI experiences with DP but...

I need the 2 reeds on this project to switch occasionally from sax to flute or clarinet. I believe I know how to do it in the score by inserting a doubling section with the corresponding transposition and key change required going from an Eb or Bb instrument to the flute in C.

Is there a way to have the Aria GPO/JABB player reflect this patch change within the score so that it plays back the instrument change correctly?

Also, Frodo, you're right. The drum entry thingy is very tricky and (I think) requires layers.

Only a few hours with it today.

Buzzy

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[Frodo]

...
I think I know the answer to this based on my VI experiences with DP but...

I need the 2 reeds on this project to switch occasionally from sax to flute or clarinet. I believe I know how to do it in the score by inserting a doubling section with the corresponding transposition and key change required going from an Eb or Bb instrument to the flute in C.

Is there a way to have the Aria GPO/JABB player reflect this patch change within the score so that it plays back the instrument change correctly?

Not sure. That's not to say that it's not possible, but I've never explored it to the extent that Finale will play back the doublings at the proper transpositions on the same staff. For me, those tend to be the exceptions, so I tend to make those custom edits in the extracted parts themselves even at the risk of Finale playback.

I'm going to get back into Finale 2011 big time in about 3-4 days from now and will explore this further-- will report what I find unless someone else beats me to it.

Also, Frodo, you're right. The drum entry thingy is very tricky and (I think) requires layers.

Yeah-- I've had to manually put the kick drum on layer 2 as a rule. Layers are unavoidable with drum parts. It's kind of a pain, but no more than it has always been. My thing is that when people look at the parts, they won't see any of the so-called entry enhancements in Finale. They just see the part. Everything still requires careful and meticulous proofing so that the parts read down properly. You could get everything working in Finale and still manage to miss some critical real-world element that might throw off a human being reading those parts.

Honestly, I'm still not that tickled about all of Finale's features, but I do the bulk of my note entry in DP for orchestral scores. Not everyone works this way, but it is very quick work for my workflow. Once I get the SMF into Finale, the harp, keyboards, percussion, timpani, and drums tend to get done manually.

For me, a full orchestral score would take maybe 1/2 hour per 5 minutes of music (minus harp and percussion). Porting into Finale comes to another 5 minutes. Harp and percussion take a lot longer, and keyboard/guitar/bass parts with chord changes take as long as it does to prep the rest of the orchestra because of symbols and alternate notation requirements. I still endeavor to find a more expedient way to deal with this.

[buzzsmith]

That has been my normal MO, as well. DP first, then into Finale.

I may go back to that method, but this project is basically bringing a Broadway style pit orchestra down to 9 players and I have most of the music in varying degrees of content. I full, 10 or 12 simplified Conductor's scores and a few piano vocal.

I kinda thought I'd go pure Finale input for this, but I'm thinking for the speed factor, my (our) old way might actually be more efficient and time is absolutely of essence. About 20 charts due in 3 1/2 weeks.

Buzzy

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[Frodo]

About 20 charts due in 3 1/2 weeks.

Dude-- I don't envy you. This weekend I'm knocking out my taxes, but I have about 3.5 weeks to deliver 6 new orchestral scores. I just finished 19 arrangements for some 11 musicians a few days ago.

My advice: use the fastest, most accurate method possible and throw all other idealism out the window. In fact, I would sooner recommend that you use your previous version of Finale just to avoid personal confusion. Sometimes, enhancements do less to "enhance" than they purport.

3.5 weeks comes to about 24 days. Knock out two per day and use the remaining days for proofing and printing. That's not a tiny venture, imho.

[buzzsmith]

No, it's not tiny and you know the MD as they rehearse will be making changes...keys and form.

I think I agree-rather than learn all the wonderful new features I'd better concentrate on getting the work done by the deadline!

So, probably back to DP for playing the parts and massaging in Finale.

Thanks...

Buzzy

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[MIDI Life Crisis]

My advice: use the fastest, most accurate method possible and throw all other idealism out the window.

Sage advice.

[Frodo]

Nice photo!!

Hmm... now I'm hungry.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Nice photo!!

Hmm... now I'm hungry.

How about lunch today? I'm thinking Boston Creme Pie! Oh... never mind!

[Frodo]

Nice photo!!

Hmm... now I'm hungry.

How about lunch today? I'm thinking Boston Creme Pie! Oh... never mind!

Dude, you're brutal!!! You know that I have taxes yet to send off, a heavy business lunch (within the hour, in fact), and an air/heating inspection on the slate for today. Wish me luck.

That said, I owe you lunch. Wed or Thu?

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Both? Either or. I'm on my own schedule and have a GB gift card burning a hole in my pocketses...

[buzzsmith]

Did the 3rd song in DP and saved as a MIDI file to import into 2011.

I was very impressed at how much more accurate the result was. I did heavy quantizing in DP prior to the export but in the past I was always having to fix the file. Some notes didn't transcribe, triplets were a nuisance, etc.

I'll figure it out, but the resulting Finale project from the SMF import had no libraries loaded. No articulations, etc. I went to the help site and found a few answers that got back most of what I wanted.

I guess I could get all in that I need and then Save Library as "Buzzy 2011" and I assume that when I do this again (like Wednesday) I could load that new library.

Anyway, so far it's lookin' good.

Buzzy

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