It might be worth your time and effort to read the following fairly comprehensive article about MIDI messages.

Overview of MIDI Messages

The use of these message has developed over time. In general, the function of Program Changes has been largely pushed into the background by Keyswitches (On/Off control tied to one of the MIDI note values) and Continuous Controllers commonly abbreviated as CC's, (each controller can be programmed to send a value from 0 to 127 to affect the virtual instrument in a fine-tuned way).

But all are just different types of MIDI messages that can still be used. These message are sent by whatever software platform you are using, in your case Finale. The user must program the platform to send these messages, and each platform has it's own unique way of handling this. I myself don't use Finale.

So for you Finale would be programmed to send the right message, and VSL is just the receiver of that message. VSL would then "interpret" the message and respond with the desired switch (an articulation) or control (say, vibrato).

The Vienna Instruments player was created at a time when Program Changes were still in general use, but even then they were being supplanted by Keyswitches and CC's. But Vienna Instruments had to support them because a lot of people were still using them.

Even now there are some people who still find them useful. But there is one big problem: Key virtual linstrument and platform companies have moved from an older protocol, VST2, to a new one, VST3, and the newer has dropped all support for Program Changes. 

Again, I strongly suggest you take some time to investigate and come to some understanding of MIDI protocols and how they work. Using virtual instruments requires this understanding in order to make significant progress.

I don't believe this possible. The only reason I add "believe" is because I am not an official source of information.

You CAN create custom presets, and you can drag any matrix or patch setup you want into it. 

Update:

What a great support system VSL has.

Apparently this button is only missing in Windows, and VSL programmers will get it restored in the next update.

How's THAT for service! Thanks, team.

So the answer I'm getting from Support seems to imply the VI Pro add channel button is no longer part of VI Pro, but that right-clicking within the instance, then selecting Insert Plugin, then selecting VI Pro will do the job.

This works fine, but involves a lot more than clicking a button. If done repeatedly it makes a difference, especially since I do not see a way to add multiple channels at once besides duplicating existing channels and changing the loaded instruments.

I guess VI Pro is fading further into the background. One of the reasons I got MIR Pro 3D with the Synchron Stage roompack was to use my VI libraries more actively. I'll just adjust to this reality.

SEE UPDATE IN MY NEXT POST

Thanks for chiming in, dbudde.

VI Pro is version 2.6.99 is installed per Vienna Assistant. Licensing does not appear to be the problem, as everything looks fine in VA.

Tried reinstalling, no change. Tried removing eLicenser, no change. Standalone loads fine with the same problem.

VI Pro shows in the list of available instruments in the VE Pro settings.

Thanks again, appreciate the ideas. Hopefully VSL support can help.

I ended up sending an email to VSL support, so hopefully they can help me figure this one out.

Haven't had any occasion to use VI Pro in VE Pro since the move to iLok. Started to add a channel now, I noticed I no longer see a way to add VI or VI Pro channels, either by right click in channel list or by icon below. The icon does not show, the right-click option does not appear.

However, Vienna Assistant shows I have the VI Pro software installed and shows the correct location.

But I don't find VI or VI Pro in my iLok License Manager.

Any help figuring this out would be appreciated. It's holding me up from deciding whether to purchase MIR Pro 3D.

Edited to add:

I just noticed that VI and VI Pro still show on my eLicenser. Could that explain it? Do I need to remove those licenses there?

Also, I I just remembered I have three existing channels of VI instruments (running VI Pro, of course) in one of my instances. The VI Pro instrument shows and plays normally when selected, and I can copy and paste from these existing channels to get new VI channels, so that is at least a temporary workaround.

Congratulations, Dietz, on the fruition of all your hard work over years.

MIR 3D looks great and several features, especially Roles, look like it will be much easier to use.

Quick question to either confirm or not my understanding of Sy libraries versus Syz libraries with MIR Pro. Is it the case that Sy libraries cannot take advantage of MIR Pro 3D because the room and positioning is baked into the samples, but Syz libraries, because they are based on the dry VI samples, ARE able to do so?

edited to add:

Thanks for your answer in the VI Control forum.

Best places to ask would be the Dorico forum or the Notation section of the VI Control forum.

Originally Posted by: Bill

Are the strings setup to to use VelXF ?

Three versions, as typical lately with VSL.

VelXF MOD (uses CC1 for all x-fading)

VelXF sus (uses CC1 for x-fading long notes, velocity for shorts)

Velocity (uses velocity only for all)

Originally Posted by: Bill

I don't suppose there any way to control the ensemble size of the string players?

I don't believe so. This is one major difference between the Special Editions and Prime. No small sections, no solo strings.

Originally Posted by: Bill

RM's already posted! For Dorico, Sibelius and even Notion

I knew where to find maps before under eLicenser MyDownloads, but where do I find these now that I've transitioned to iLok and Vienna Assistant?

Edited to add:

Answered my question by looking in a rather obvious place...the same place they used to be, under eLicenser MyDownloads.

Thanks for the heads up, Bill

Congratulations on the new library.

I don't imagine you can say right now whether there will be VSL-created Dorico expression maps for this library in the near term. For me that is crucial as to whether I would use this library very much.

For me, I see Prime as something that might be used in Dorico for initial composition before exporting to Studio One for further work and production. In this case the sound, basic articulations, and hopefully the basic CC work of the instruments would nicely correspond with the Standard instruments I would use in Studio One.

Again, since this was just released, I understand if you cannot say at this time. It would be great if an answer is available before the introductory offer is over.

And again, congratulations.

I suggest you ask for opinions on the VI Control forum here:

VI Control - Sample Talk

You will get more and quicker responses there.

The patches have to be dragged into a slot in the Synchron Player. Doublel-clicking on them does not make them accessible to play. Slots contain patches. You have to reference the slot (via keyswitch or other control) to play the patch.

Just got my first update notification in Vienna Assistant. Really appreciate not having to check MyDownloads to find out if there are any updates.

I want to congratulate VSL on what proved for me to be a fairly easy, successful transition from eLicenser to iLok. It was a two-day project because of my provider's slow internet speeds but also because I wanted to babysit the parceling out of installations to particular SSD's, so I did no overnight fire-and-forget downloads.

Great job by VSL, and I like the Vienna Assistant.

Originally Posted by: andi

We will fix it with the next library update. In the meantime you can fix it yourself by assigning keyswitch C6 (with middle C = C4) instead of C2 in the "Custom" dimension.

Best regards,
Andi

Done and fixed, thanks Andi.

Originally Posted by: David Braun

Took me some time to find this, so maybe this will help somebody and/or VSL might fix this.

Indeed it has solved the same problem for me. I was totally stumped. I'd have never thought to look in the Custom folder.

Thanks a lot, David!

Originally Posted by: Beat Kaufmann

Even though you seem to want to say goodbye to keyswitches, here is a link to a video about the choice of articulation. Maybe it can change your mind.

https://youtu.be/dsw6FIdDeY0

Beat Kaufmann,

That looks like an interesting approach. Thanks for pointing this out.

Alias capability would be very useful to me as well.

Originally Posted by: Mikecomp

Thank you - I had not thought of this, but will certainly try it!

Mike

I'm nearing completion of my transformation of Studio One from Synchron Player-based to VE Pro-based using this technique. Works like a charm. I am so glad I ran into this, hope you benefit as well.

No more need to disable instruments in Studio One, no worries about load and save times either. At least so far.

Originally Posted by: mkiz

Not sure of this helps, but I am using sound variations in Studio One with VEP 7 by first adding a track in studio one with a synchron player, selecting the instrument I want and then saving the auto-loaded sound variations as a preset, then, on a track with VEP loaded I apply the preset there. That then triggers the correct articulation switching in the synchron player that I have loaded in VEP7for that track.

This is interesting. I've got to experiment with this. Would prefer VEP over instrument tracks. Thanks for posting.

EDITED TO ADD:

This works sweet! A bit of a process, but not much of one once the VEP presets are in place. Thanks again.

...

It turns out that the best way to organize and then assign user-created Sound Variation presets is the Browser. Forget the dropdown in the Sound Variations dialogue, organize, then drag-and-drop directly from the Browser into the Sound Variations dialogue. Bingo! Done.

So the steps I have come up with are:

1. Save and name a SV preset for your instrument using a Synchron Player track, which is auto-populated.

2. Organize SV presets into folders by library by instrument family (see attached screen shot).

3. Drag and drop SV presets directly into the Sound Variations dialogue. This will assign the dragged SV preset to the instrument.

4. Rinse, repeat for all the VEP-hosted instruments you want, making sure the appropriate instance and MIDI channels are assigned.

A day or two of effort ought to gain me the use of my entire VEP set of instances, and from there I can move forward using VE Pro at will with all my Studio One projects.

Again, thanks to you, mkiz, for pointing me in the right direction.

Interesting comments, thanks.

It is a real disappointment that Cubase 12 has brought nothing in the way of expression map improvements. The feature set of the newly released versions of Cubase and Dorico were heavily impacted by the development time for their new licensing system (the Dorico team has plainly said this). But it's still disappointing. It kicks the can down the road another year. I had been hoping that Studio One's auto-population advance would stir competitors up match or exceed them and create some momentum for better VST - DAW interaction.

Actually, I should acknowledge the real solution is what VSL has already done working with Studio One and Sound Variations, making user-created expression maps needless except for circumstances that go beyond just referencing individual slots (reference Dorico's conditions options.)