Use of Key Switches in Dorico

[Cadenza]

Hi! When working in Finale, I used a lot of Key Switches with hidden text in the score to make changes of sounds, MIDI channel etc. But is this possible in Dorico to add such hidden info in the score?
And yes, - I posted the same question in the Dorico Forum at Steinberg.

[Andreas8420]

Hi!

In Dorico, you use musical symbols & so-called Playing Techniques to trigger articulations (and technique changes). The VSL Expression Maps then translate that into the correct KS data for your VSL plugins. But that's something the user does not have to program by hand.

Best regards,
Andreas

[MMKA]

It is also possible with the shortcut: shift + )
You can then fill in the right key switches. (e.g. F0, A1, C7)

You have to take care that the key switches are placed before the first note, that they have to have effect on.
You can move them a little with the shortcut alt+left arrow. To make the move as little as possible you can change the note in the bottom left corner of the Dorico window in a 32nd note.

But the use of Playing Techniques, as Andy describes, is much easier, certainly, when the expression maps of VSL comply to your needs, and they are good! Many things are automated.
Me for myself use them a lot, and sometimes I have to adjust something in it for my personal needs.
There is a learning curve, it is another way of working, but at the end you win a lot.

[Cadenza]

@Andreas8420 said:

Hi!

In Dorico, you use musical symbols & so-called Playing Techniques to trigger articulations (and technique changes). The VSL Expression Maps then translate that into the correct KS data for your VSL plugins. But that's something the user does not have to program by hand.

Best regards,
Andreas

Hi Andreas,
Yes, I've discovered that now, but I wonder when you will submit Expression Maps for the Rieger Organ, Synchron Dimension Strings etc. - just to mention some other of the libraries I purchased?

Best regards,
Anders

P.S. It is much easier to work with Key Switches in Finale D.S.

[Cadenza]

@MMKA said:

It is also possible with the shortcut: shift + )
You can then fill in the right key switches. (e.g. F0, A1, C7)

You have to take care that the key switches are placed before the first note, that they have to have effect on.
You can move them a little with the shortcut alt+left arrow. To make the move as little as possible you can change the note in the bottom left corner of the Dorico window in a 32nd note.

But the use of Playing Techniques, as Andy describes, is much easier, certainly, when the expression maps of VSL comply to your needs, and they are good! Many things are automated.
Me for myself use them a lot, and sometimes I have to adjust something in it for my personal needs.
There is a learning curve, it is another way of working, but at the end you win a lot.

Hi and thanks!

I have to try your method with shift +, since the other method of creating playing technique AND corresponding Expression Maps takes a lot of time, compare to work with KS in Finale.

Best,
Anders

[Cadenza]

Hi all!

This is the way I work with Key Switches in Finale. As you can see, I also use the to change channels.

Dreaming of a technique in Dorico, similar to this:

[MMKA]

@Cadenza said:

@MMKA said:

It is also possible with the shortcut: shift + )
You can then fill in the right key switches. (e.g. F0, A1, C7)

You have to take care that the key switches are placed before the first note, that they have to have effect on.
You can move them a little with the shortcut alt+left arrow. To make the move as little as possible you can change the note in the bottom left corner of the Dorico window in a 32nd note.

But the use of Playing Techniques, as Andy describes, is much easier, certainly, when the expression maps of VSL comply to your needs, and they are good! Many things are automated.
Me for myself use them a lot, and sometimes I have to adjust something in it for my personal needs.
There is a learning curve, it is another way of working, but at the end you win a lot.

Hi and thanks!

I have to try your method with shift +, since the other method of creating playing technique AND corresponding Expression Maps takes a lot of time, compare to work with KS in Finale.

Best,
Anders

It is shift + ) , good luck. It can be, that the key switch names in Dorico don't match with the key switch names in the VSTi, that e.g. A0 in Dorico corresponds with A1 in the VSTi. You have to figure it out by trial and error.

[Andreas8420]

Dorico works similarly in a way that instead of placing a KS (which you must remember and manage), you use a shortcut for the musical change you want. The Expression Map does the rest for you. That way, you should be able to handle 95% of standard musical instructions and articulation changes.

[Cadenza]

@Andreas8420 said:

Dorico works similarly in a way that instead of placing a KS (which you must remember and manage), you use a shortcut for the musical change you want. The Expression Map does the rest for you. That way, you should be able to handle 95% of standard musical instructions and articulation changes.

Well, I have tried and been in contact with John Barron at Steinberg/Dorico team and it is a very complicated process to add those KS, first add it in the Expression map (to each instrument) and then specify them in the Playing Technique - puh! Imagine if you have three different sampling libraries loaded in the VEPro....
Back to my earlier question above: Is VSL planning other expression maps for Rieger Organ, Synchron Dimension Strings etc. ?

[Cadenza]

@MMKA said:

@Cadenza said:

@MMKA said:

It is also possible with the shortcut: shift + )
You can then fill in the right key switches. (e.g. F0, A1, C7)

You have to take care that the key switches are placed before the first note, that they have to have effect on.
You can move them a little with the shortcut alt+left arrow. To make the move as little as possible you can change the note in the bottom left corner of the Dorico window in a 32nd note.

But the use of Playing Techniques, as Andy describes, is much easier, certainly, when the expression maps of VSL comply to your needs, and they are good! Many things are automated.
Me for myself use them a lot, and sometimes I have to adjust something in it for my personal needs.
There is a learning curve, it is another way of working, but at the end you win a lot.

Hi and thanks!

I have to try your method with shift +, since the other method of creating playing technique AND corresponding Expression Maps takes a lot of time, compare to work with KS in Finale.

Best,
Anders

It is shift + ) , good luck. It can be, that the key switch names in Dorico don't match with the key switch names in the VSTi, that e.g. A0 in Dorico corresponds with A1 in the VSTi. You have to figure it out by trial and error.

Thanks a lot! It is creating a midi trigger field on which I can write KS - very useful indeed!

Best,

Anders

[Cadenza]

@Andreas8420 said:

Dorico works similarly in a way that instead of placing a KS (which you must remember and manage), you use a shortcut for the musical change you want. The Expression Map does the rest for you. That way, you should be able to handle 95% of standard musical instructions and articulation changes.

Hi Andreas,

Studying and learning Dorico, I noticed that all dynamics are not at all performed as they should. Therefore I wonder, which set up is best to use according to the VSL Template in Dorico. In Finale it was nearly always best to use VelXF - MOD, but in Dorico nothing happens, not even with the other alternatives - all CC:s stays at the same level. What's wrong?

Best,
Anders

[MMKA]

In Dorico, volume is controlled via the expression map. In that expression map you can indicate two ways in which the volume is controlled. Make sure one of them is selected on velocity, and the other on the CC used by the vsti for velXF. This must be indicated for all playing techniques in that particular expression map. If different instruments you use have different CC's for velXF, e.g. CC1 and CC2, it is necessary to have different expression maps for them. You find the expression map for a particular instrument in the play section of Dorico. Click on the instrument and then on the arrow right of the expression map name that is shown. (Sorry, I am not Andy, but because I think this can be helpfull, I decided to answer your question).

[Cadenza]

@MMKA said:

In Dorico, volume is controlled via the expression map. In that expression map you can indicate two ways in which the volume is controlled. Make sure one of them is selected on velocity, and the other on the CC used by the vsti for velXF. This must be indicated for all playing techniques in that particular expression map. If different instruments you use have different CC's for velXF, e.g. CC1 and CC2, it is necessary to have different expression maps for them. You find the expression map for a particular instrument in the play section of Dorico. Click on the instrument and then on the arrow right of the expression map name that is shown. (Sorry, I am not Andy, but because I think this can be helpfull, I decided to answer your question).

Thank you for your reply, I will check it up!

[Cadenza]

@Cadenza said:

@MMKA said:

In Dorico, volume is controlled via the expression map. In that expression map you can indicate two ways in which the volume is controlled. Make sure one of them is selected on velocity, and the other on the CC used by the vsti for velXF. This must be indicated for all playing techniques in that particular expression map. If different instruments you use have different CC's for velXF, e.g. CC1 and CC2, it is necessary to have different expression maps for them. You find the expression map for a particular instrument in the play section of Dorico. Click on the instrument and then on the arrow right of the expression map name that is shown. (Sorry, I am not Andy, but because I think this can be helpfull, I decided to answer your question).

Thank you for your reply, I will check it up!

CC:2 is breath control? Strange, because I always used CC: 1 (Mod-Wheel) in Finale.

[MMKA]

@Cadenza said:

@Cadenza said:

@MMKA said:

In Dorico, volume is controlled via the expression map. In that expression map you can indicate two ways in which the volume is controlled. Make sure one of them is selected on velocity, and the other on the CC used by the vsti for velXF. This must be indicated for all playing techniques in that particular expression map. If different instruments you use have different CC's for velXF, e.g. CC1 and CC2, it is necessary to have different expression maps for them. You find the expression map for a particular instrument in the play section of Dorico. Click on the instrument and then on the arrow right of the expression map name that is shown. (Sorry, I am not Andy, but because I think this can be helpfull, I decided to answer your question).

Thank you for your reply, I will check it up!

CC:2 is breath control? Strange, because I always used CC: 1 (Mod-Wheel) in Finale.

That depends on the VSTi. You can see that in the Performance tab of the synchron player.

[Cadenza]

@MMKA said:

@Cadenza said:

@Cadenza said:

@MMKA said:

In Dorico, volume is controlled via the expression map. In that expression map you can indicate two ways in which the volume is controlled. Make sure one of them is selected on velocity, and the other on the CC used by the vsti for velXF. This must be indicated for all playing techniques in that particular expression map. If different instruments you use have different CC's for velXF, e.g. CC1 and CC2, it is necessary to have different expression maps for them. You find the expression map for a particular instrument in the play section of Dorico. Click on the instrument and then on the arrow right of the expression map name that is shown. (Sorry, I am not Andy, but because I think this can be helpfull, I decided to answer your question).

Thank you for your reply, I will check it up!

CC:2 is breath control? Strange, because I always used CC: 1 (Mod-Wheel) in Finale.

That depends on the VSTi. You can see that in the Performance tab of the synchron player.

Hi!
I checked that up and yes, under the Performance Tab the Velocity Cross-fade is CC:1 = the Modwheel if you choose both the categories 01 (VelXFsus - MOD) and 02 (VelXF - MOD). The latter is the category which was recommended by the VSL Support to use with Finale.
So I really don't understand why the Dorico Wizard matrix is set to CC:2 (Breath Control). I suspect this is the reason why dynamics are not performed at all when directing Dorico to VEPro.

Best,

Anders

[andi]

Hi Cadenza!

If you use the playback templates that you have saved with Dorico Wizard, you don't have to care if VelXF is set to CC1 or CC2. The preset loaded in Synchron Player will have the same parameter assigned to VelXF as the loaded expression map to "Secondary dynamic".
If you prefer to create your own playback template in Dorico, please take care, that the same setting for dynamics is used in the expression maps (Secondary dynamic) and in Synchron Player (VelXF).

Best regards,
Andi