Device "Missing" from Score Manager

[AndrewHPercussion]

I finally got all my files in order and everything loaded up on VDL 2.5.5 on my Windows 7 PC and it seems to line up with everything I've done with my MacBook Pro which everything works great on.  However, in the score manager under Device, it says by default "missing" and when I click on it trying to find the Kontakt 5 Player, it does not list this as an option; only Smart Music SoftSynth, Aria and None.  What can I do to get this to show up because I have already gone through this entire process on the MacBook Pro without this issue so I'm a little lost. (the VDL library is loaded and activated in Kontakt 5)

[TBoliske]

Andrew,

There is a .dll file that needs to be copied to a Finale folder for Finale to recognize Kontakt. I'm not on my Windows partition to know the exact location. However, if you use the Finale Knowledge Base the answer is there. Look for installing Kontakt using Windows.

[AndrewHPercussion]

Ted,

I did find that folder and it contained three different files; Kontakt 5.dll, Kontakt 8out.dll, and Kontakt 5 16out.dll.  I followed the instructions from finale and copied them into the VST support folder, but it is still showing the device as "missing" in the score manager.  I attempted every combination I could with those three .dll files because I wasn't sure what it needed (all three of them copied over, just one of each copied over, etc..).  The same finale instructions say the full Kontakt should be available as a playback device under the midi/audio menu, but nothing in there seems to say anything about Kontakt.

[TBoliske]

Andrew,

These may seem like obvious suggestions so humor me for a second. Did you quit and restart Finale? Did you restart your computer? Occasionally, Finale requires a restart for third party items to be recognized.

Also, check the VDL User Guide in the Troubleshooting section. It specifies which Kontakt .dll file must be copied and pasted as well as the location. For Windows 7/8 this location, the C:\ProgramData folder, is hidden. So you will need to either unhide it or do a search using the full path. That is C:\ProgramData\MakeMusic\Finale201x\VST Support.

[AndrewHPercussion]

I did restart both Finale and my computer and I checked the user guide and have in fact installed the correct .dll file (Kontakt5.dll) in the VST folder.  When you say the location must be posted as well, do you mean the folder the .dll files came in; not just the files themselves?

[TBoliske]

I was talking about copy/paste of the files. The originals must stay where they were placed by the Kontakt installer. I'll need to do a bit more looking around on my Windows partition. Possibly something in doing that will help point me towards a solution. I'd also advise checking the Tapspace and Finale forums at this point.


This is what I found on the Finale site.

Close Finale. Copy the Kontaktx.dll file from the following folder:

    Windows XP: C:\Program Files\Native Instruments\Kontakt x\VSTPlugins
    Windows Vista/7 C:\Programs\Native Instruments\Kontakt x\VSTPlugins

Paste the Kontaktx.dll file to the following folder:

    Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data*\MakeMusic\Finale 201x\VST Support
    Windows Vista/7: C:\Users\[your account]\AppData*\Roaming\MakeMusic\Finale 201x\VST Support

*This is a hidden folder. To show hidden files and folders, go to the Explorer's Tools Menu (XP) or the Organize Menu (Vista/7), Folder and Search Options, the View tab, and Show hidden files and folders.

[AndrewHPercussion]

Ted,

It has taken a bit to respond due to the holidays, but I made sure and copied/pasted the correct files in the correct places and it is still showing up in Finale as missing.  I have checked in the tapspace and finale forums and could not find anything that sheds any light on this problem.

[TBoliske]

Andrew,

One thing to examine is which version of Kontakt you have been working with, the 32-bit or 64-bit version. Check to verify that the version of the .dll file is compatible with your operating system.

[AndrewHPercussion]

Ted,

I did be sure I got the 64-bit file to match my operating system.  Would it be worth-while to attempt the 32-bit file just to see if anything different happens?

[TBoliske]

Yes, it would be worth while. It may be that Finale is not yet 64-bit compatible.

From a Finale Tips site:

http://www.finaletips.nu/index.php/component/content/article?id=96