Hi, I’ve started composing a piece for solo bassoon and in playback there is a percussive sound on every note which is distracting. Could you assist to remove this extra sound? I’m a beginner on composing software, using Dorico SE. I looked at another response about expression maps and key switches, but I wasn’t sure what those terms meant, if they are the issue, and I couldn’t find those terms in the manual. Hope you can help.
Fine Tuned for Solo Bassoon - tech file.dorico (534.8 KB)
I don’t know if this will work for you because you’re on Dorico SE and I’m using Dorico Pro.
When I looked at Playback Template… (in the Play menu), it appears that your Playback Template is HSSE (SE). When I selected HSSE+HSO (Pro), clicked Apply and Close, and then waited the few seconds needed for the Template to be applied, it played back without the faint clicking sound at the start of every note. The HSSE+HSO (Pro) Playback Template might not be available to you in Dorico SE but if it is, try what I did and see if it helps.
There might be another fix for this with expression maps, etc., but I have not yet had the need to explore that side of playback. Other users with more experience in that area would know.
Welcome to the forum, @WithMargot. I’ve never noticed it before, but you’re absolutely right: the [GM 071] Bassoon sound does have a very quiet percussive click at the start of each note. Unfortunately there’s no good way to change this, and only a single bassoon sound is included with the sounds that come with Dorico SE.
If you have the option of adding some third-party sounds to your software, then check out NotePerformer (www.noteperformer.com), which is inexpensive and an invaluable add-on to any flavour of Dorico. You can even buy it “rent-to-own” for something like $10 per month.
1 Like
Thanks Daniel, I’ve been thinking about upgrading to Dorico Elements, so would the bassoon sound there be without the percussive sound? I’m a bassoonist so it does feel important for me to have a good bassoon sound.
In Dorico Elements as it stands today, the same bassoon sound is included, but we are planning to expand the sounds included with Dorico Elements and Dorico Pro in this version cycle, so you would probably gain some new options then (without needing to spend any more money beyond the cost of upgrading to Dorico Elements).
I don’t use Dorico, but if it can use the extension “spectral layers” like Cubase does, maybe that could help IDK?
Thanks and thanks to all for the suggestions!
Dorico doesn’t use that kind of extension, no 
The only other “bandades” I can think of would be something like a thin-ish dynamic EQ cut, or some kind of pop/click removal vst processing tuned to the most prominent frequencies of the percussive hit and to duck them by a few DB every time they happen, providing it doesn’t interfere with the main bassoon sound you want to keep too much. Again, I don’t use Dorico though so have 0 clue of it’s capabilities and if it can even use VSTs. If you have access to the steinberg frequency EQ over there in Dorico land 
that can work as a nice dynamic EQ. If it’s just a transient issue though a transient shaper may work better.
If Dorico has nothing of this kind of processing, it may be possible to process the samples outside of Dorico and replace the old ones in the folder, if they are stored in a standard audio file format, either with the “fixed” samples or totally new sampled bassoon sounds, providing they are named correctly and in the correct place, and that Steinberg isn’t using some kind of propitiatory storage format for the audio. Mby this is all wishful thinking though lol.
Hopefully it’ll soon be fixed with new samples from Steinberg anyway, now that they are aware!
BBCSO Discover has bassoon (a3) for free
Probably not ideal, but quite better than HSSE honestly.
I can only imagine that it’s supposed to be the noise of the keys.
The Garritan woodwind are quite serviceable, if you have any of those knocking around.
Repeated just in case anyone missed this casual hand-grenade lobbed into the conversion… 
5 Likes
benwiggy it reminds me of the clack of keys too, but hearing it on every note gives an odd effect like a snare drum.
I’ll try out some of the suggested bassoon sounds on other software, many thanks for the suggestions.
1 Like
Just to conclude where I went with this issue, I ended up downloading Musescore for the bassoon sound. I’m such a beginner in composing software that this was the simplest to do and no cost.
Once I’m more experienced I’ll start expanding and looking at more options.
Bassoons do have some clack but only on a few notes and certain passages. Maybe is a glitch, I’ve had libraries that do funnies just like that, and since it’s on every note maybe the VST. EWHO had a weird sound in one note of one instrument that was remarkably like a chair squeak after the note trailed off. They never fixed it.
Yeah, One of the UVI pianos whose overall sound I really love has this noise when the sustain pedal is released… authentic I would guess, but it annoys me.
To the OP, I’m suggesting that it is the VST and particular sample you choose, rather than Dorico or Musescore when it comes to the actual instrument sounds like that. And that as a discerning player- the more you will want to search for and purchase the best matching/quality instruments you can find for use in whatever notation program or DAW you prefer.
And even then, you will STILL want to edit or shape them sometimes.
1 Like
I was wondering if the expansion of sounds as mentioned by dspreadbury has happened yet? I’ve finished writing the first movement in Musescore and thought I could try writing the second movement in Dorico and upgrade to Dorico Elements if new bassoon sounds have become available.
No, @WithMargot, there’s been no change in the sounds provided with Dorico over the last few weeks, I’m afraid.
Thanks for the reply @dspreadbury . I’ll keep an eye out for any updates! I wonder if there is a good way for me to pick up on the update when it happens?
All updates are announced here very promptly.
I also have a feeling you might be able to set your notifications on this forum to receive Announcements though I can’t check this via my phone.
1 Like