Big template or single track preset

Dorico
21

I must elaborate on what I wrote above:

  • A first way to hide the unused staves is to uncheck them, for the Full score layout, in Setup mode > Player panel.

  • An automated way is to open Layout Options > Vertical Spacing > Staff visibility. Here, you can decide to hide all unused staves, except for the ones in the exclude list. You can add the sketch staves in the exclude list, to be sure they are always there. Switching between Page View and Galley View in Write mode, you can show/hide the empty staves.

The first one is the method I prefer, since I can hide the unused staves while working in Write/Galley mode.

Paolo

22

Trying another strategy, again. This time, trying again to avoid the monster template and start light.

  • Save a separate endpoint configuration for each of the VSL BBO libraries. Editing will be done when all of them are in the current template and in the VSTi list, to be sure the playing and playback techniques are coherent between libraries. A global endpoint configuration for all of the BBO libraries can also be saved.

  • The VSL BBO playback template will include all the separate endpoint configurations. This will allow the creation of playback templates excluding the libraries that are not needed (for example, if you don’t want the loop-based Capricorn and Eridanus, recall a playback template not including them).

  • A similar method will be adopted for the VSL VI, SYN and SE libraries: an endpoint configuration for each of the families (strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion…). The same with the other manufacturers and libraries. This is what Paul suggested in his guide to creating expression maps.

  • In VSL VEPRO, individual instances will be saved. For example, a VSL VI Woodwinds instances, a VSL VI Orchestral Strings one, an Xsample Woodwinds one, and so on.

  • VEPRO instances (including individual families or libraries) will be loaded as needed. Various VEPRO projects may be saved, including different sets of instances. Compared to a master template including everything at any time, these partial templates would be much faster to load. For example, load the Sketching VEPRO project when composing, or the Final VI Orchestra VEPRO project when working with all the VSL VI instruments. If you need additional instruments from a different library, add that VEPRO instance to the project.

  • After you have loaded the desired VEPRO project/instances, create a blank project in Dorico. Select the matching playback template, to recall the endpoint configurations collecting the desired expression/percussion maps, playing and playback techniques.

  • Create a single VSTi instances, and connect it to the corresponding VEPRO instance. Create a single player. I don’t know, at the moment, if it will be automatically routed to the correct instruments in VEPRO. If it isn’t, manually link it. Go on in the same way with the other players, as soon as you need them.

Paolo

23

I can’t speak for VSTi’s that I don’t have, but I underestimated the sophistication of Dorico Playback Templates. (And EWQL, as far as that goes) Some of that is my fault, some of that is because the features continue to improve. But anyway…

Turns out I was making it a whole lot harder than it needs to be. I have a Playback template that contains all of the instruments as individual instances. To be more accurate, I have an EW Orchestra template that contains the EW Strings and other sectional endpoint configurations, and each of those endpoint configurations contain their instruments as individual VST instances.

Here is the interesting thing - if I open a blank score using the big Playback template - no instruments are loaded. If I add any player or combination of players to the score - the Playback template will auto-magically load and connect the right instruments from the template for only those players. And ONLY those players. I may have a Contrabassoon in the Woodwinds configuration, but its not going to load unless its in the score (even if other woodwinds in the same Endpoint configuration are used.)

You can’t even break it - say that Violin one was originally in the 02 instrument slot in the VST instrument list, but I since started out with a trumpet and a piano, its now in the 04 slot or something - doesn’t matter, Dorico handles it.

What I’m saying is that you don’t need to worry about partial templates to speed loading for sketching. Using a big score template like Modern Orchestra, yah that will cause a lot of instruments to load up front, so I’m preferring to start blank. Because of the ability to add players as ensembles - and because Dorico is automatically taking care of ALL of the maps, presets, and routing - adding new instruments is no work at all.

24

Thank you for your considerations! But I see two types of problems with my setup:

  • VSL classic VI instruments require this type of routing: Dorico → Vienna Ensemble Pro (the host) → Vienna Instrument Pro (the player) → MIR PRO (the spatializer/reverb)

A playback template would recall the VEPRO instance, and the VIPRO instrument (not sure if it will load the instrument, at the moment I can’t try). It would not recall the routing to MIR, and the settings for that instrument.

The same problem should extend to all the dry libraries I use (from Xsample, to conTimbre, to LCO Strings, to the choirs I use only with their close mics to blend them with the other instruments in MIR).

  • A playback template would know a single type of violin. It will not do any difference between Violin 1 and Violin 2. Also, it can’t know if what I want is a section of Chamber, Orchestral, Appassionata, Dimension Strings.

Something will be automatically set. Much other will not.

Paolo

25

Gotcha… It actually does know the difference between Violin 1, Violin 2, + or solo Violin for that matter, and also understands when you conversely want all the clarinet parts say to use the same instance. And it does know and route differently to single players or section players. It will remember if you want to send the main, close and surround mics to separate audio channels in the Dorico mixer (Or at least it will with EWQL). I’m telling you, I underestimated it.

Perhaps the best tool for the situation you describe with Mir is something like DDMF’s MetaPlugin, which will remember and handle the settings and routing for Mir or whatever else you can think up. Basically your instrument instance is now Meta which contains VE with our without Mir and other plugins. Whether you load Mir as also part of Meta or even place Mir external, Meta can handle and save those routing options I believe.

26

I’ve clearly not done enough tests with it. In particular, I would like to try again to see if routing to the separate Dimension Strings/Brass is preserved in the endpoint configuration.

Perhaps the best tool for the situation you describe with Mir is something like DDMF’s MetaPlugin

Never tried! Thank you for pointing to it.

Paolo

27

So, maybe I’ve found a workflow that is the good middle way between single track templates and full orchestra templates. I’m now reasoning in sections.

My VEPRO server project is made of several instances, each one dedicated to a particular section. For example, I have a “VSL WW Fl/Cl” instance, a “VSL WW Ob/Bsn” one. An “Xsample Contemporary Strings” one. A “VSL ST Appassionata+Orchestral+Chamber+Solo” one.

And then: a “VSL Dimension Violins I” section, and a “VSL Dimension Violins I (16 separate channels)”. And so on for the other sections, as full sections or individual instruments. Each logical block in the orchestra is a module, that can be combined or interchanged with the others.

To create the needed endpoint configurations interfacing with these VEPRO instances, in Dorico I create projects including only a single instrument section each, as suggested by Paul in the dedicated instructions in this forum. A section project may be called the “VSL WW Core”. This one could include the most commonly used woodwind instruments, and be linked to the corresponding VEPRO instances.

When everything is configured and linked in Dorico, I can save a “VSL WW Core” endpoint configuration. This will be added to the “VSL Orchestra Core” playback template. Other sections and endpoint configuration will later be added to this playback template.

Then, I can open VEPRO with no server project loaded. After this, I can create a new Dorico project, and select the “VSL Orchestra Core” playback template, including the “VSL WW Core” endpoint configuration. This will recreate the linked VEPRO instances, with all the contained instrument. If I have set MIR, the corresponding icons are loaded and set in the room.

So, applying a playback template including a set of endpoint configurations automatically reloads the linked VEPRO instances, sounds and effects. It can’t only load the single instrument I create in Setup mode, but having the full section it belongs is not excessive weight. In VEPRO, I can mute/turn off the unused channels, and they will not weight on the CPU and memory.

If I have to add other instruments/sections, I can add the corresponding endpoint configuration to a playback template, and apply it to the score. Everything I routed with the previous playback template seems to remain in place, and the added endpoint configuration will add the needed VEPRO instances and sounds.

Paolo