Vienna Assistant Dorico Wizard Playback Templates and Expression Maps (use of CC11)

[scott.rankin]

I was very pleased to see the Dorico Wizard in Vienna Assistant after months of struggling to create my own expression maps for the library, but I'm confused about the variations in expression map settings in the playback templates it produces for Dorico 5 and the Special Edition vol. 1.

Most of the generated expression maps have implemented CC11 to control dynamics, many also using CC2 as a secondary dynamic control.

Some instrument's (Wizard generated) expression maps (eg. VSL SYzd SE PLUS - Low woodwinds) have note velocity set for volume dynamics with CC2 for all articulations including Legato and Legato-sus. However instruments with these settings are unresponsive to dynamics entered in a score (CC11).

So, I have a few questions about how the Wizard works.

1. Do the Expression Maps in the generated Playback Template replace existing expression maps in the library if they have the same name?
2. While I would expect expression maps for percussion to use note velocity, is there a reason for the generated expression maps for melodic instruments to have different implementations for dynamics ie. note velocity vs. CC11?
3. Should I edit the Wizard's generated Expression Maps for melodic instruments to conform to the Dorico standard CC11 setting for Volume dynamics?
4. Should I consider deleting all VSL related playback templates and expression maps to make a clean slate for new settings generated by the wizard so that my library settings are consistent?

Thanks in advance.

[mducharme]

"Dorico standard CC11"? "Dynamics entered in a score (CC11)"? I'm not sure where you're getting this from. CC11 is not any kind of Dorico standard whatsoever. Dorico sends dynamics to whatever controllers the expression map is configured to use.

However, with the default settings, Velocity Crossfade will be off, meaning the note cannot get any louder or quieter once it has started to sound. Hairpins or other dynamic changes during a note will not have any effect, so you won't hear the new dynamic until the next note.

As it explains in the manual, they expect you to manually add a CC26 lane to each instrument where you want to turn on Vel XF and add a high CC26 value to turn Vel XF on.

https://www.vsl.co.at/tutorials/guides/dorico-integration/quickguide#dynamic-control

[mducharme]

Sorry I meant CC28 not CC26.

[scott.rankin]

mducharme,

Sorry, I misused the idea of standard setting, but in my defence it's a very common default setting.

Anyway, thank you for the link. I wasn't aware that page existed.

[mducharme]

@scott-rankin said:
Sorry, I misused the idea of standard setting, but in my defence it's a very common default setting.

With the vast majority of sample libraries out there, CC11 acts as a secondary volume controller, so it will almost universally make the instrument quieter or louder but without the timbre change associated with this. So the effect will be like taking a loud note and turning down the proverbial volume knob. CC11 can be misleading in this way - it will almost always "work" and do something, but will instead just turn down the volume of the instrument, which doesn't help if you can tell it is playing loudly like a blaring brass instrument, making it really quiet by turning down the volume just sounds artificial.

There is a small percentage of libraries that use CC11 as a dynamics controller instead of a secondary volume controller. These are generally libraries which use CC1 for a vibrato controller. Sample Modeling Brass is an example of a library that does this - but it is not the most common use.

Aside from Sample Modeling, the other vendor that sometimes uses CC11 for dynamics is EastWest - they are frustratingly inconsistent with their CC usage so some instruments use CC1 for dynamics and others use CC11 and others use velocity. Unless you read the help, it can get very confusing and you wonder why it doesn't work.

But these Sample Modeling and EastWest are still largely the exceptions.