Using Dorico Elements 5.1.60.2187, I import a Midi file containing 5 tracks. In the Midi file, CC7 commands are defined for volume control. After import, all tracks have the “Default” expression map, which lists note velocity as volume, and the CC7 curve looks as in the upper picture. This is 100% correct and correlates with what is present in the MIDI file.
I now change to my own expression map which lists CC7 as the volume control. The CC7 curve immediately changes to what is displayed by the lower image. A lot of ghost changes have been added to the CC7 curve. They affect the volume but cannot be edited. The only way I have found to get rid of those ghost entries is to draw new lines, as in the upper image manually.
The ghost entries added seem to correlate with the note velocities, so it looks as if Dorico seems to create a new CC7 curve based on note velocities when I change the expression map volume from note-based to CC7-based.
How can I stop that from happening?
First thing to check is all the playback/humanization options (bumps for 1st beat, melody contour emphasis etc. You can override most (all?) defaults in the expression map itself (Playback Overrides section).
My bet is setting everything to do nothing 0, 0% etc. will straighten out that CC7 lane.
Feel free to upload your project for diagnosis.
Here are the first bars in a new project where the only thing made is to import the midi file.
- Select any track on the play page and select CC7 in the lower pane. The CC7 curve is flat, apart from some bumps when the volume is raised.
- Change the expression map to “Session Horns Pro” and observe the CC7 curve now being jagged.
cc7.dorico (1.0 MB)
Because you are now using CC7 to control the dynamics, Dorico is automatically adjusting values based on the humanisation of each note and the Dynamic Curve that you have set.
Volume and Dynamics are two different things.
CC7 is normally used for “overall volume” – e.g. controlling the mixer slider.
“Dynamic volume” (e.g. the played variation of volume within the mix) is usually set by CC1 (sometimes CC11) or NoteVelocity.
