Sync and Video Options dialog box

How to get there

Choose Document > Sync and Video Options.

What it does

Use settings in this dialog box to control how Finale handles MIDI Sync and SMPTE MTC synchronization with other devices and the movie window. This dialog box allows you to, for example, adjust the base time and MTC frame rate.

• Internal Sync. Choose Internal Sync to specify you want Finale to be the sync master. Choose this option when you intend to configure another device to receive Finale’s MTC timing for synchronization.
• MIDI Sync. If your computer is connected to an external drum machine or other sequencer, and you want Finale to be the "slave" device for synchronization purposes, select this box. Finale won’t begin playback until it receives a MIDI Sync signal from the external device. Note that when Wait for MIDI Sync is selected, the start measure displayed in Playback Controls is considered to be measure 1. For example, if the start measure is measure 10, and the master sends sync information to go to measure 5, Finale advances 5 measures to measure 15.
• Send Patch Changes During MIDI Sync • Send Continuous Data During MIDI Sync. These technical options are only available if you’ve selected Wait for MIDI Sync (and your computer is connected to an external sequencer).

In the event that the external sequencer is playing a sequence of its own, there’s a danger that your synthesizer will be confused by duplicate MIDI data being generated by Finale and the sequencer. Using these options, you can specify what kinds of MIDI data you want Finale to transmit, so that you can avoid simultaneous transmissions of the same kinds of data to the same synthesizer. Choose Send Patch Changes During MIDI Sync if you want Finale to transmit any patch changes you’ve created in your score as it plays back. Choose Send Continuous Data During MIDI Sync if you want Finale to transmit continuous data (use of the pedals, pitch or modulation wheels, aftertouch, and so on).

• SMPTE Frame Rate. The Frame Rate is the number of frames per second. When writing to picture, this setting much match the Frame Rate of the movie, whether played within the internal movie window or in a piece of external software/hardware.
• SMPTE Start Time. This is the MTC time Finale sends at the beginning of measure 1 while playing back the Finale file (in hours|minutes|seconds|milliseconds). This feature is useful if your Finale score begins anywhere but the beginning of the accompanying video, or if the external hardware/software begins at hour 1 rather than 0.
• Movie Window; Video Starts at __ in Score • Video Starts at __ in Video. These settings only apply to Finale’s integrated Movie Window. Enter a time for Video Starts at _ in Score to tell Finale to leave the Movie Window blank until reaching that time during playback of the document. Enter a time for Video Starts at _ in Video to the Video will start at this time at the beginning of the score. The format is: hours|minutes|seconds|milliseconds.
• OK • Cancel. Click OK (or press RETURN) to confirm the settings you’ve made in this dialog box. Finale uses the option settings you’ve just made whenever it plays in this document. Click Cancel to leave the dialog box without changing any settings.