To create the MIDI file, follow your sequencer’s instructions. There’s no need to quantize the sequence; however, you’ll probably find Finale’s quantization powers to be more effective than your sequencer’s. Note: Finale uses the Maestro Default File as a template when importing MIDI files. If you don’t see all of your percussion layouts, try loading the percussion layout library into the Maestro Default File.

To import a MIDI file with a standard percussion track

1. Choose File > Open. The Open dialog box appears. The file types are listed in the drop-down list at the bottom of the window.
2. Click MIDI File. The names of any available MIDI files appear in the list box.
3. Double-click the desired document name. The Import MIDI File Options dialog box appears, listing various transcription options. The Track/Channel Mapping to Staves dialog box allows you to specify some extremely sophisticated track and channel splitting, as well as clefs, distances between staves, split points and multiple percussion maps. See Track/Channel Mapping to Staves dialog box. Finale will choose a clef for each resultant staff based on the range of notes in the track. (If it discovers that the notes in a track have a very wide range, it will automatically notate its contents on two staves. See Import MIDI File Options dialog box for details.) For most files, the default Tracks become Staves option will work fine.
4. In the Create Percussion Staves area, click on the Select button near Percussion Layout. The Percussion Layout Selection dialog box appears. For most percussion staves, you’ll want to choose the General MIDI Entry and Playback. If you’re using a specific instrument, you may wish to select the percussion layout with your instrument’s name, such as Triangle.
5. Click OK. You return to the Import MIDI File Options dialog box. In the Create Percussion Staves area, you can also select a different clef or playback channel for the percussion staves in the file. These settings will affect all percussion staves; for individual settings for more than one percussion staff, see Track/Channel Mapping to Staves dialog box.
6. Click Quant Settings. The Quantization Settings dialog box appears.
7. Click the icon representing your smallest note value.
8. Choose your quantization type. See Quantization Settings dialog box for more details.
9. Click More Settings. The More Quantization Settings dialog box appears.
10. Select the quantization settings you desire. You can select options for grace notes and voice 2, as well as retain key velocities and note durations. See More Quantization Settings dialog box for details.
11. Choose Key and Time Signature options. Most MIDI files contain key and time signature information already, so you usually won’t have to change the default selection (Use the File’s).
12. If you’ll want to hear the sequence played back with its original tempo fluctuations and continuous data (controllers and wheels) data, make sure Tempo Changes and Continuous Data are selected. These options capture some of the MIDI performance data from your sequence.  
13. Click OK (or press ENTER). Finale transcribes the MIDI File into standard notation. If you discover that your settings weren’t quite right, you can close the new Finale document and try again—the original MIDI file is unaffected by Finale’s transcription efforts. Or, for smaller sectional changes, use the Retranscribe function in the MIDI tool. For more information about the elements of the Import MIDI File Options dialog box, see Import MIDI File Options dialog box and Retranscription.

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