Can you work with Dorico and Cubase at the same time?

Dorico
#1

I know the answer, yes. But I would like to specify a bit more:

What I am able to do now is:

  • Open Dorico if Cubase is opened before. You can edit notes, but you can’t hear them or use your MIDI keyboard. You can’t open Cubase if Dorico is on because they doesn’t share the audio driver (they seem to be greedy :laughing: ).
  • Drag and drop your MIDI from one to the other.

What I want to do:

  • Having Dorico or Cubase opened, be able to open the other.
  • Be able to listen to both Cubase or Dorico.
  • Be able to use my MIDI keyboard in both programs.

Why I want to do it:

  • Because I like to work with score. I would like to record things reading the score and if I want to modify something, be able to do it easily.
  • I prefer start working with Dorico, not with Cubase. In fact, it would be something like that: [Handwritten - Dorico - Cubase - Dorico (for engraving and adding the extra tracks to the score)].

I may have missed some configuration thing in order to work like that, because currently I’m so close to achieve it that it makes me think it is possible to do so (but I don’t know how!).

Any ideas or alternatives? Thank you in advance :slight_smile:

I have Dorico 3.5 and Cubase 10.5, in Windows 10

#2

If you have dedicated audio hardware like the UR-22 or another similar audio interface, you should be able to specify that Cubase uses the UR-22 driver directly while Dorico uses the Generic Lower-latency ASIO Device, and that should allow both applications to run at the same time and both still produce sound.

#3

Well, very good points by reztes! :slight_smile:
Probably from version 4 of Dorico and version 11 of Cubase we’ll have some kind of integration between both applications, I hope! :slight_smile:
I don’t have problem with the audio drive with my RME Fireface UFX, I can have both apps opened and I have sound from them.
The problem with the MIDI keyboard exists. Only the firstly launched could have the MIDI controller active. This should be resolved in
the next versions of both apps.

I wish success to the teams with the next versions! :slight_smile:

Best wishes,
Thurisaz :slight_smile:

#4

I guess you don’t mean to sync the playback, but only be able to work with one app at the time. Like jumping back an forth with both apps open at the same time.

For that you’ll need an audio interface that can handle multiple ASIO-streams.

I had the same problem before. First I used two different interfaces, then I tried some software solutions. Finally I’ve now ended up in a solution that works great, and that is an audio interface with multi client ASIO.
The cheapest, and probably the best is the RME Babyface Pro. Another one in the same price range is the UAD Apollo Twin Duo.

After installing the drivers everything works excellent. No more problems running multiple audio apps at the same time.

#5

The input challenge will be to make sure the MIDI keyboard interface knows which program is active on the desktop so info streams do not go to the wrong program (or both programs). It’s like a parallel to one program taking exclusive control of the sound card, only in this case you would want the active program to take exclusive control of the keyboard interface, but the inactive program would have to release it first.

Of course the programs already do that with the text keyboard when switching active programs, but there may be an OS routine for that which would not be available for a MIDI keyboard.

#6

I used the solution Daniel told me. The problem is that now Cubase sounds through the speakers and Dorico through the screen. I guess what MatsHall says is the only viable solution right now. I didn’t even know about “multiple ASIO-streams” before…

My soundcard is a UR242. I have the speakers connected to the soundcard.

#7

The UR242 can only handle one ASIO-stream at the time.

I tried one free software solution that worked (don’t remember the name of it), but then I had to have that running in the background all the time. Didn’t like that.

So after some research I found that the cheapest external audio interfaces that can handle multiple ASIO-streams simultaneously are the ones I mentioned above. (RME Babyface & UAD Apollo)

This is the only downside I’ve experienced since switching from Mac to PC. On Mac this has never been any problem.

#8

I’ve installed FlexASIO (I don’t know if this was the freesoftware solution) and with it I did what Daniel told me again (Cubase through yamaha driver, Dorico through FlexASIO). This time, I’ve been able to get it working right!

https://github.com/dechamps/FlexASIO/releases/tag/flexasio-1.5

I think that with the MIDI controller you can’t do anything for the moment. Thanks for your help! This forum is always SUPER useful.

#9

Other users have also reported success using the free Voicemeeter application. If you search for “Voicemeeter” in this forum you may find some interesting posts.

#10

I have a Steinberg UR22.
The idea was to have all 3: Cubase, Dorico and sound card, all from the same company, to avoid compatibility issues.
No luck!
Cubase and Dorico refuse to produce sound when running parallel.Exporting Midi from Dorico to Cubase, works only sometimes.
Interestingly enough, using Sibelius, I had not even once, a problem like that.I can still have Cubase and Sibelius running with sound, and no extra set-up needed."They just “like each other”.
I figured after installing and updating all the latest versions, where “hundreds of bugs were fixed” (?), problems would be solved.
It is a pitty, cause Dorico is the best, Cubase excellent, and I really like my UR22, but they just “hate” each other, allthough they belong to the same “family”.
This problem has been following me since I first bought Dorico a couple of years ago. Got some help applying some cumbersome “workarounds”. But really it is far from acceptable.
Any hope Steinberg will fix these any time soon?
Thanks in advance.

#11

It is interesting… However, can you confirm that both apps are using the same Steinberg/Yamaha ASIO driver for UR22, when they are running/playing together…? I don’t think this is allowed and suspect that one app is using the Steinberg ASIO driver and the other is using some other generic (internal.? ASIO.?) driver - but both using the same routing to the UR22 device… Could you double-check please.?

If I’m right, then there’s your answer - to make sure each app (Cubase/Dorico) is set to different drivers. Which is what is being suggested above in other posts.

#12

If I’m right, then there’s your answer - to make sure each app (Cubase/Dorico) is set to different drivers. Which is what is being suggested above in other posts.
[/quote]

Yes I know what you are suggesting, and I can make it work, sometimes, usually, it involves turning on and off, closing the score, reloading, reassigning drivers, etc…i.e. cumbersome.
Again, all that extra stress is just only happening within the “Steinberg family.”
So far the only solution being offered is a “compromise”. Like I said before, using Sibelius I don´t even need to click once to have the sound running on both!
Please understand I don´t want to pester you guys, I know you put a sincere effort. The apps. are fantastic, that´s the only reason why I´m going the extra mile.
But you do need to admit, things should work easily between the Steinberg apps.
All the best, and please stay healthy.

#13

I use Dorico and Cubase together - both use my ASIO driver simultaneously, but I have an RME HDSP AIO PCIe card. I imagine it is probably a special feature of my card’s ASIO driver that allows both to be used simultaneously.

#14

Even if you’ve saved the two-different-drivers thing as a default configuration in each app.? So they load with different drivers in the first place.? This should (in theory) ensure you don’t need any faffing and fiddling in between times.

My point - that’s how I suspect Sibelius and Cubase are all sweetness and light when they run together… :wink:

Anyway, enough…

Good luck.!

PS:- @mducharme - yes, multi-client ASIO driver there… nice. :slight_smile: