Problem importing Finale midi files into Cubase/Kontakt

[wasocu]

Hello, I don't know if this belong to the Finale or Kontakt forums...

I want to import Finale midi files into Cubase 5 with Kontakt 5.
I know many people does this manly to take advantage of the Finale Human Playback features.

When a midi file produced in Finale is imported into Cubase 5 it appears as an Aria player instance.
Then I move this midi file into a newly created track which feed Kontakt 5 with whatever library, in this case LASS (LA Scoring Strings)

This is all business as usual and all works as it should.
Problem is when the Cubase project is closed then reopend, audio on the LASS instrument (any intruments) is barely audible.
Kontakt cursors goes up and down accordingly to Human Playback instructions, but audio is very low.

Only ways to bring audio to a normal level is either reload the LASS instrument, or completely restart Cubase.

At first I thought there was something to change in Finale's Human Playback settings, then I found out that problem persist even in plain midi files exported with HP turned off.

It seems only LASS libaries are affected. It's my main strings library with more than 10GB of files.

Does anyone knows if it's possible to import a Finale midi file in Cubase without appearing as an ARIA Player instance?

Click to read more...

 

[JJP]

I don't work with Cubase or LASS, but I do a lot with Finale. It's possible that there is some CC data in the Finale MIDI file that is used to control Aria, that is affecting LASS in a different way. It could be modulation, expression, volume, or some other controller that is used in LASS.

Check for CC data first and see if it may be causing the low levels.

 

[wasocu]

Thanks for answering JJP
the cubase midi editor show the volume curves and faders on kontakt goes up and down as they should.
Only solution so far is to "freeze" Kontakt.

 

[Rob]

in addition to cc7 check cc11 as well, as that is also responsible of the volume. There might be also other messages in the midi file that are messing things...
and on some patches cc1 as well

 

[Rob]

things like program change, bank select messages etc. I usually have to clear the tracks before using the midi (via logical editor)

 

[Rob]

in Finale, what are the instrument settings in the "score manager"? What device is assigned to staves?

 

[wasocu]

The only parameters that have data in the midi files are Volume, Velocity and Pan, they seems ok to me.
In Finale Score manager output is set to Garritan instruments, thanks for the hint Rob, perhaps I should try SmartMusic...

 

[JJP]

Hey, are there any keyswitches in the files? Look for very, very low or high notes in the file, possibly at the very beginning, but also other random places.

I forgot whether Finale Human Playback adds those in midi export. It may depend on the Human Playback configuration. Those could create all kinds of havoc because different libraries use different keyswitches.

I also know that Human Playback often uses Bank MSB (CC#0), Bank LSB (CC#32), and Program Changes to select instruments. It also can use CC#68 for legato effects, and CC#18 and CC#15 for some other Garritan effects. Those could be in your file but being filtered from view for some reason in Cubase.

 

[wasocu]

Yes there are some very high points in the volume parameter, one is visible in the image above at the very beginning. What are keyswitches?

 

[JJP]

Keyswitches are usually very high or very low MIDI notes (pitches) which are used to select different articulations or playing techniques within a sampled instrument patch in Kontakt, Aria, or other sample player. The MIDI notes are usually outside the playable range of the instrument, i.e. low notes on a violin or high notes on a contrabass.

 

[wasocu]

Anyway problem was solved by changing device from Garritan Instrument to SmartMusic in the Score manager, thanks all for the replies.