Continuous data

Continuous data is MIDI information that’s not related to individual notes. Usually the term refers to devices on your MIDI keyboard that modify the notes in some electronic way: volume and sustain pedals (and other MIDI controllers), pitch and modulation wheels, channel pressure (aftertouch), and breath controllers are some examples. You can record any continuous data when you use HyperScribe or the Transcription Mode of HyperScribe to transcribe your music; furthermore, using the MIDI Tool, you can graphically edit this data.

In order to playback continuous data recorded with HyperScribe, you must first set Human Playback to None. To do this, click the speaker icon in the Playback controls to display the Playback Settings dialog box. Click the Human Playback drop-down menu and choose None. Then click OK.To do this, expand the Playback Controls to display the additional options. Click the Human Playback drop-down menu and choose None.

This entry describes the general recording, playback, and editing of standard controllers. For information on specific controllers, see their separate entries: Channel Pressure; Patches; Pedal markings; Pitch wheel; and Volume.    

To specify which continuous data you want to record with HyperScribe

Because continuous data consumes memory and disk space, you may opt not to record all types of this data when you use HyperScribe. You can specify which types of continuous data you want to record.

1. Before recording a HyperScribe Session, from the HyperScribe menu, choose Record Continuous Data. The Record Continuous Data dialog box appears.
2. Click Listen. Briefly play each controller or wheel you want to record in your upcoming performance. As you tap each pedal or wiggle each wheel, Finale records their continuous data numbers in the four text boxes. If you record four controllers or less, any continuous data types you don’t specify in this dialog box will not be recorded. If you record more than four controllers, Finale will record all continuous data during the Hyper Scribe session. See Record Continuous Data dialog box.
3. Click OK (or press enter). Proceed with your recording. See Recording with HyperScribe.

To specify which continuous data you want to record in Transcription Mode

Because continuous data consumes memory and disk space, you may opt not to record all types of this data when you use the Transcription Mode.

1. Before recording a performance with Transcription Mode, choose Input Filter from the Transcription Menu. Finale displays the MIDI Input Filters dialog box. You can directly enter the controller numbers you want recorded, if you know them. It’s simpler, however, to specify the controllers by playing them.
2. Click Listen. Briefly play each controller or wheel you want to record in your upcoming performance. As you tap each pedal or wiggle each wheel, Finale records their continuous data numbers in the four text boxes. Be sure to also play a note or two, to tell Finale that it should record notes, as well. Any continuous data types you don’t specify in this dialog box won’t be recorded.
3. Click OK (or press enter). Proceed with your recording.

To retain continuous data for score playback

When you record a performance in Transcription Mode, Finale temporarily remembers the continuous data that you generated during the performance. Normally, however, Finale discards this information when it transcribes your performance into standard notation.

If you’ll later want to hear and edit this data, however, make sure you follow these steps before transcribing:

1. Record a performance in Transcription Mode. See Transcribing a sequence.
2. Before saving or transcribing the performance, click Save Continuous Data. If Play Recorded Continuous Data is selected in the Playback/Record Options dialog box (see Playback), Finale will play back your transcribed performance applying the same controllers and wheels you did.

To edit continuous data

If you’ve saved continuous data from a performance in Transcription mode, you can edit it directly even when the performance has been transcribed into standard notation.

1. From the Window Menu, choose Advanced Tools. Click the MIDI Tool  .
2. Choose Continuous Data from the MIDI Tool Menu. The View Continuous Data dialog box appears, and you can choose the MIDI data you want to edit.
3. Specify the continuous data you want to edit. If the continuous data type you want to edit is listed in the dialog box, select it from the drop-down menu (Sustain Pedal, Modulation Wheel, and so on). If not, click the Listen checkbox and play the controller. Finale enters the correct controller number in the text box automatically.
4. Click OK (or press enter).
5. Select the measures whose continuous data you want to edit. Click to select one measure, shift-click to select additional measures, drag-enclose to select several on-screen measures, click to the left of the staff to select the entire staff, or choose Select All from the Edit Menu. If you want to edit only a few measures on a single staff, select them, and then double-click the highlighted region to enter the MIDI Tool split-window. Drag through the display area above the notes whose continuous data you want to edit.
6. Edit the selected region by choosing the appropriate command from the MIDI Tool Menu. Choose Set To to specify a uniform value for the controller or wheel setting for all notes in the selected region. Choose Scale to create a gradual change in the continuous data setting over the selected region. Choose Add to add a positive or negative amount to all the controller’s values in the selected region. Choose Percent Alter to change the values in the selected region by a percentage of their original amounts. Choose Limit to specify a maximum or minimum value for the continuous data in the selected region. (See also Set to dialog box; Scale dialog box; Add dialog box; Percent Alteration dialog box; or Limit dialog box.)    

To copy or erase continuous data

See  MIDI —To copy or erase captured (or edited) MIDI data.