Regardless of how the library will behave after it is invoked - - it seems clear in the screen show that the PT is staying natural and not being invoked if you are using a Base Technique. Add ons don’t show (I wish they did) To know what’s happening here we’d have to see the configuration of the PT, what type of PT you created, etc. I noticed Saksuri’s note above that he solved it, and that involved creating an exclusion group.
Sigh. I have now spent the better part of 3 hours attempting to get this working to no avail. I am using Saksuri’s playback technique file from above.
I would be eternally grateful if someone could help this bear of little brain. I have re-attached Saksuri’s file (in case I did something stupid) along with my Dorico project. Thanks!
Noteperformer Section Sizes.doricolib.zip (22.8 KB)
Playback Technique Test.dorico.zip (575 KB)
Hi!
I opened your file, and all of the playing techinques that I have created (a0-12) were working correctly there. But in the screenshot you can see three copies of a playback technique “pt.user.a1” - I think this is a bit suspicious… This “soli” using “pt.user.a1” was the only one that was not working for me. For that, I created a new playback technique called “soli” and assigned it to CC104=1, and that fixed it for me.
So in a nutshell the method is to create both new playing tehcniques and playback technicues and assign them to desired CC104 values. And at the end put all newly created playback techiques to a mutual exclusion group.
Playback Technique Test.dorico.zip (590 KB)
There is a very formidable learning curve here. I seem to have things working, but this is REALLY COMPLICATED. If I understand correctly, here is the flow (please correct me if I’m misunderstanding):
Playing Techniques → Playback Techniques → Expression Maps → Playback Template (audio engine)
Playing Technique is mostly just for the engraving options - how things will appear on the score. Each Playing Technique is linked to a Playback Technique. You create new Playing Techniques from Engrave mode.
Playback Technique seems to serve as a link between Playing Techniques & the Expression Maps.
Expression Maps instruct the audio engine (Playback Template) what combination of midi values are required to create the desired sound
It took me long time to wrap my head around this. There are many things here which confused (and still confuse) this novice beginner. Firstly, just the nomenclature - Playing vs Playback Technique are very similar - easy to confuse. I’ve think I’ve got it straight now.
Next you can create new Playback Techniques from either the Playing Techniques dialog - or directly from Play Mode. It took me a while to realize this.
Next it seems like Playback Techniques seem redundant. The Playback Technique has to have the same name as the corresponding entry in the Expression Map - and it is not obvious what purpose this additional link between the Expression Map serves. It looks like the few properties in the Playback Techniques dialog (alias, Group, Fallback, & articulation type) could have been attached directly to the Playing Technique. I’m sure there’s a reason - maybe more flexibility?
Next - when you first import the custom expression map with the “add ons”, the add ons are not automatically added to the Playing Techniques - you have to add then by hand. And then they seem to disappear after you close the Dorico project? I tried clicking the “Save as Default” button on the Playing Techniques dialog - but it’s hit and miss. Some of them are saved and some of them are not - and I am not seeing any obvious pattern.
Is there a way to make this custom Expression Map the default? I couldn’t figure it out. Every time I close and reopen my project it seems like I have to re=import the custom expression map. This is not terrible, but it would be nice.
Other questions - when you import the customized Expression Map should you save that as “NotePerformer” or should you give it a different name? If you do not give it a different name, then at first you see 2 “NotePerformer” Expression Maps with asterisks next to then. It’s only after you click OK that somehow the two become one.
The documentation is also not helpful. It seems to be referring to Playback Techniques as “Playback playing techniques”
The Playing Techniques also seemed to disappear after the Dorico project was closed. I am able to make these permanent by highlighting each one and then click the “Save as default” star - but this is not obvious and I could not find anything in the documentation.
Another more minor quibble. On the Playback Techniques dialog there are 4 categories (Techniques, Dynamics, Lengths, and Ornaments) but in the corresponding drop down these are labeled as Groups.
Apologies if this is coming across as a rant. I’m sure that to the folks out there who work with Expression Maps, midi switches, etc this is all second nature, but to someone who is focused on the composition side of things it was quite an effort just so I could enter a PT of ‘solo’ and have it switch CC 104 to a value of 1.
The part of the package you are missing is custom Playback Templates that simplify importing your Playback techniques, etc. into new projects.
Maybe I was not clear about it, but I do have a custom Playback Template - it is the one that Sakasuri created last Wednesday: CC 104 codes for string section sizes - #17 by SampoKasurinen - Dorico - Steinberg Forums
Everything seems to be working (famous last words). . .
Can someone confirm that the full ensemble is reset with CC104 = 0?
Paolo
Thank you very much!
Paolo
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