All players in my score currently use instruments provided by Wallender’s NotePerformer plug-in. I’d like to switch one player’s instrument to one that is part of the Halion or GrooveAgent plug-in.
But when I try to change that player’s instrument in the Setup screen, the “change instrument” entry in the drop-down menu (which appears when I click the three dots next to the player’s current instrument’s name) “change instrument” is grayed out.
If I click the + next to the player’s name on that same screen, I’m allowed to select only instruments provided by NotePerformer.
In the Play screen, all three VST plug-ins are enabled, so I believe that Halion & GrooveAgent are properly loaded.
Is there a trick to switching a player from one plug-in’s instruments to those of a different plug-in?
Have you tried changing the instrument in Play mode rather than through Setup? If you already have the HALion VST loaded in Play, that might be easier.
Changing an instrument within NP is best done within the NP mixer itself. Not sure, though, why the Change Instrument in Setup would be grayed out.
There are some limitations on what kind of instruments you can change in Setup mode. For example, you can’t change an unpitched percussion kit into a pitched instrument or vice versa.
But if you want to change the VST instrument used to play a particular instrument, this is indeed done in Play mode. In the VST & MIDI panel, add the VST instrument you want to use. Then in the Track Inspector panel, assign the instrument you want to change to the newly-loaded VST instrument.
More progress: In Setup Mode, I discovered that the “change instrument” option is grayed out only for unpitched percussion parts (as another poster pointed out). But the basic problem remains: When I try to change a player to an instrument provided by a different VST, only instruments in the currently assigned VST are available. And no way to associate that player in Setup Mode with a different plug-in.
Sometimes you have to be careful with terminology. Changing an instrument is different from changing out the VST that produces the SOUND for an instrument.
You use setup mode to add or change an instrument from flute to clarinet or whatever. But you don’t/can’t do anything VST related there.
Dorico tries to keep all of the library/samples/playback stuff in play mode - where it is out of sight and mind for a composer that doesn’t want to mess with it. (Or composers who have made custom playback templates that they normally don’t need to touch, etc… )
So you go to play mode to do things like swap out the VST that plays the sound for a given instrument. If that makes sense, check the links that Daniel gave. Note that a VST has to be added in play mode before it will show up where you can assign it to an instrument. My Apologies if I made anything worse.
gdball: That was a pretty clear explanation – thanks! I’ve been using Dorico for a while, but only with NotePerformer. So figuring out how to switch one player to a Halion-provided instrument, while leaving the rest with NP, is all new to me.
Having said that, I did now successfully switch that player from NotePerformer to the Halion VST. However, when I did so, that player suddenly made no sound at all. And in Setup mode, when I try to select a Halion instrument for that player – yes, the one that is now assigned to Halion – the only options that “change instrument” displays are the original NotePerformer instruments.
I’ll do some more research, including Daniel’s links. Despite being pretty handy with Dorico when I stay within my specific use cases, there are big areas of this program that I’ve never explored. Like Expression Maps, MIDI-editing functionality, “endpoints”, – and the Halion interface.
I’ll get there eventually. And I do really appreciate the expert advice I’m receiving from people like you & Daniel (and everybody who contributed to this thread).
As @gdball tried so very hard to explain, one does not change the instrument sound in Setup. One points the instrument in Play to the VST and MIDI channel holding the sound one wants.
If it makes one feel better, one can then change the Name of the instrument (not the instrument) in Setup to reflect the sound specified by the new VST and MIDI channel assignment in Play.
Perhaps being specific would help.
What is the old instrument you wish to replace?
What is the name of the instrument you wish to change it to?
Can you post a excerpt from your Dorico file cut back to the first two measures so we can see what you are seeing?
Otherwise I fear we will just keep going around in circles.
