In this class we’ll discuss creating and editing Percussion Layouts and Percussion MIDIMIDI is a data protocol with information that enables computers and other sequencers to perform music according to the instructions it contains. maps for Garritan and other libraries.
- Getting Started Editing Percussion Maps in Finale
- Before Editing Your Percussion LayoutA percussion layout is a list of percussion instrument variables available for use in a staff. These variables include staff position, notehead style, and Note Type (snare drum, cymbals, etc.). Percussion Layouts are defined in the Percussion Layout Designer dialog box.
- Editing Layouts
- Creating a Percussion Layout
- Adding a New Device to a Percussion Layout
- Creating a Percussion MIDI MapA Percussion MIDI Map is simply a list that matches each percussion instrument in a sound library with a particular MIDI note number (e.g. bass drum = 36, snare drum = 38, etc.). These maps are required to properly assign the same percussion notation to various playback devices, and are also used to accommodate the many different percussion sound banks that can be used for input with an external MIDI device.
- Adding a Percussion MIDI Map to your Layout
- Setting the Staff Positions for the new MIDI Map Notea symbol used to represent a specific pitch and duration Types
Getting Started Editing Percussion Maps in Finale
Finale’s ScoreA written representation of a piece of music, including the notation for all parts of an ensemble. Manager has 3 selectable NotationA system of symbols used to write down music. Styles. When you add a percussion (or drum set) staff to a Score, the Percussion notation style is automatically selected. Percussion notation uses Layouts consisting of Percussion Maps consisting of Note Types to connect sound samples on a Device to Notes on the Staff.
Before editing your Percussion Layout
Go back to your score, hit the spacebar to make sure your devices load their samples (assuming you’ve already added a new Device if that’s what you’re working on), and click in the Percussion staff you want to edit with one of the Note Entry Tools. Later, having done this, you’ll be able to audition samples as you add them as Note Types to your Percussion MIDI Map. Then, let’s go back to the Score Manager.
To view or edit your Percussion Layout, click “Settings” next to the Notation Style dropdown at the bottom right of your Score Manager window. The Percussion Layout Selection window opens.
At this point, you have the option to either
- Edit your Current Layout
- Create a New Layout
Editing Layouts
Clicking “Edit” opens the Percussion Layout Designer, where you can view or edit it. You’ll see a list on the left of pre-configured Note Types, which associate an instrumentIn terms of the Finale interface, an instrument refers to the collection of settings for each row listed under the Instrument column of the ScoreManager. These include staff properties (staff name, transposition, clef, etc.), playback sound, channel, and other settings. An instrument may include more than one staff (e.g a piano grand staff). soundwith a Percussion Staff Position, define the Note Head symbol used for it, and the MIDI Note used to triggerIn Finale, the term "trigger" describes a keyboard shortcut that is used to display the Waiting for Input dialog box while entering music with the Simple Entry caret. Once displayed, a Metatool key can be used to enter certain markings, or the marking can be chosen from a selection dialog box. it.
These MIDI note numbers correspond to keys on your keyboard. The Note Type’s Percussion Staff Position will not correspond to its keyboard midi note – it’s independently defined in this screen.
It’s possible to add Note Types to the current Layout by clicking the plus sign at the lower left of the window, which adds a Slot to the Note TypeA Note Type is the instrument assignment paradigm used for percussion notation and is part of a staff's percussion layout. Note Types and their corresponding MIDI notes can be referenced and edited in the Percussion MIDI Map Editor dialog box. The staff position and noteheads of a Note Type can be edited in the Percussion Layout Designer dialog box. List. This allows you to add more Note Types from the currently selected Percussion MIDI Map using the Note Type: dropdown menu. It’s important to note that only sounds available on the currently selected Device will play. Each Layout and MIDI Map are associated with a particular Device, and you can’t mix1. Collection of individual tracks or parts 2. The process of adjusting relative sound levels, processing and placement within a sonic realm 3. The result of sonic recording and processing or combine them in a Layout.
Creating a Percussion Layout
You’ll need to create a Percussion Layout if you’re adding a new Device to your Staff for playback such as the Native Instruments Kontakt sample player, and you want to map a drum kit. Let’s cancel this window and return to the Score Manager.
First, set the Device for your Drum Kit staff to Kontakt. Click”Edit Player” and put the Jazz Kit into the first open slot. Save it, then go back to your score and hit the “Play” button to ensure that all your Devices load their instruments, then click in the drum staff if you haven’t already (this is an important step, because it allows you to hear all the instruments coming out of the player as you choose them to add to your MIDI map). Now go back to the Score Manager, click “Settings” again, then click “Create” at the bottom right of the window. An empty Layout Editor window opens. Give your new layout a name; let’s call it “Kontakt 6 Drums.”
Adding a New Device to a Percussion Layout
Click “New” next to “Current Percussion Midi Map:” This opens the Percussion Midi Map Editor, pre-populated with its default General Midi Note Types. At this point, click “New” next to the top line’s dropdown to add a New Device. A “Save” dialog opens to create an xml file in your Finale Midi Device Annotation folder. Make sure it’s saving to the right location in order to show up in Finale Menus. On the Mac, it’s in your User/Library/Application Support/MakeMusic/Finale 26/Midi Device Annotation folder. Click OK, and you’ll return to the Maps editor.
Now you’re to the point where you create a new Percussion MIDI Map for your Device, full of all your desired Note Types.
Creating a Percussion MIDI Map
We’re going to create a Percussion MIDI Map for a Kontakt Factory LibrarySets of musical symbols, expression markings, and other important musical elements stored as independent files that can be exported and imported to Finale Jazz Kit.
This Percussion MIDI Map will create routing for all the sounds we want to use from this particular Device, which is a Kontakt multi-timbral instrument. Typical of most Percussion layouts, this instrument has a different sample sound (or individual percussion sound, such as ride cymbal, snare drum, etc with all their variations) on every MIDI note. In the Finale Percussion Midi Map Editor, after defining our Device and particular Map name, we’ll begin to add our sounds by adding them as Note Types to define the MIDI Note that allows Finale to play it. We’ll define the MIDI note for each sound by finding it with our MIDI keyboard.
We’ll keep adding Note Types until all our desired sounds are in the Percussion MIDI Map for our new Device.
The following steps will repeat for each drum sound (“Note Type”) you want to add:
Choose a Note Type from the selected Device using the Note Type Selector menu. Click “Add Note Type” when you’ve found it. When you add a note type to the Map Editor window, you’ll notice its MIDI number is set to zero. Finale will “listen” to your keyboard – keep pecking around until you find the right sound, and stop there. That becomes the midi note assignment for the Note Type.
Finale will listen for the MIDI note for any selected Note Type in the Editor Window – so be careful, make sure the correct one is selected, and don’t hit a keyThe group of pitches, or tonality, that a piece of music is centered around. when something else is selected if its already assigned.
To add a new Note Type not yet added to the current MIDI Map, and it’s not one of Finale’s pre-configured Note Types, click the “Custom” item at the bottom of the list. Pick one from the list – “Custom 1” is a good place to start – all your custom note names will show up here too. You’ll be back in the Percussion Midi Map editor, where you can name your Custom Note Type, and assign it a midi note with your keyboard.
Adding a Percussion MIDI Map to your Layout
Now we have a Percussion MIDI Map of our Device, ready to import to our new Percussion Layout.
When you’re done, click OK. You may get an alert if there are already entries in the score for particular Note Types, but you haven’t mapped them yet. If so, keep adding until you have everything you need to match the score entries. Click “OK” when you’re done. You’ll be back in the Layout Editor.
Now you need to add the Note Types you created to the Layout editor. You can click “Add All,” but if you’re adding more after forgetting some, then you’ll need to click the Plus sign (+) at the lower left of the Layout window, to add a Layout slot to receive the missing sound. Once you’ve created the slot, use the pulldown in the upper right to select or create the sound for that slot.
Setting the Staff Positions for the new MIDI Map’s Note Types
Once they’re all added, set the staff position for each of the sounds by dragging the left handleA small square which appears on currently "selectable" elements in the score. Handles allow you to select, edit and adjust musical elements in the score. in the Staff Position window.
When you finish that, you’re done – your score will play as written through the Kontakt player.
The Player receives the same CC data that goes into the Aria Player, and the same controllers should work in Kontakt. If you’re not hearing it, that’s for another class on another day about Key Swtiches and mapping controllers in Kontakt.