Composing Software

Just so we don't get lost here:

Finale exports the exact same MIDI commands as any other music programme. If you export a MIDI file, it needs to contain MIDI data. Finale requires that you "apply" certain plugins if you want to have expressivity and various effects input into your MIDI file.

GPO uses MIDI commands for some things.

Keyswitches are simply MIDI notes that change the "layer" in GPO to another sample set.

For example, the low C (one octave below the lowest note of the piano) for ALL Garritan instruments is "play this sample set in its 'normal' way". So violin would be arco, for example. The D just above that, if I recall correctly, is the first "pizz" KS.

Each instrument has a different set of KSs. Some have only a few, other have up to a dozen.

Finale will include those notes (it is actual note data, nothing more, nothing less) in the MIDI file if you apply HumanPlayback to it before exporting the MIDI file.

If you look at a MIDI file with KS data, it will include really low notes wherever the KS data was needed. It's nothing more than "note on" and "note off".

GPO CAN be played without Finale, however the KS notes are in a different octave. Generally, this is the first octave below the lowest note of whatever sample you are playing.

The idea behind GPO was that it was possible to play it "live" with an expression pedal, the mod wheel, and the KS notes, and get a whole bunch of effects that are normally not possible in a live setting.

hmmm...

As far as I know Finale uses "custom" midi commands to change the sounds (I would assume that it's a program change command or controller). Now most sequencers will not follow this process. What you need to do, is to "split" in different tracks each of the sounds you will use (staccato, legato, pizz, etc) and assign each sound to each midi track (midi track 1: legato, midi track 2: pizz, etc). The other way would be to actually use the program change Controller, but I can't say it's really convinient... Most sample libraries do contain, however, keyswitching articulations, which means that you have legato, and if you press a "preset" key in your keyboard, it changes to a different articulation, preloaded in memory.

In all with sequencers you get much more control, than you do with Finale, but it is harder work of course in most cases. Certainly you can import midi files that you will export from Finale (which is what I do in most cases), so you don't have to input any notes in Logic (I use Cubase).

As you said it can be PIA...