Condensing and casting off

Dorico
1

I could use some clarification as I go into condensing a very large score for the first time:

It seems that I should do all the casting off I can do before condensing—or at least reset the condensing, if that’s possible, after casting off. Is that true? Best I can tell, if I make manual system breaks, Dorico does not adjust the condensing to match the new systems. Likewise, it seems that splitting a staff with two players into two separate staves via a manual condensing change cannot occur mid-system. (I guess I expected Dorico would add the needed blank or un-condensed measures from the start of the system up to the point of the new manual condensing change, but this seems not to be the case.)

Also, Dorico does not seem to take into account instruments that might share a staff but that use different playing techniques. For example, it is condensing a muted trumpet with an open trumpet. This is normal, I suppose, and needs to be manually adjusted, yes? I would not expect otherwise but thought I’d ask the experts!

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I generally have two score layouts: a Working Score in concert pitch with all instruments (including piano reduction) that is not condensed, as a Conductor Score that is transposed and condensed. I never try to format the Working Score and have no trouble formatting the already condensed Conductor Score. I can always make manual condensing changes (going from beginning to end) as needed. This I do once all the music has been input.

Condensed or not, the separate instruments should each be assigned to a different MIDI channel (VST slot); so applying different techniques to each should not be a problem.

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