# Condensing: Overlapping lyric bug? **URL:** \ **Category:** Dorico\ **Created:** [November 15, 2021, 9:00pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/condensing-overlapping-lyric-bug/749792 "2021-11-15T21:00:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![andythompson](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/andythompson/32/148523_2.png) [@andythompson](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/andythompson)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2021, 9:00pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/condensing-overlapping-lyric-bug/749792/1 "2021-11-15T21:00:20Z")
When auto-switching between 1 and 2 voices in a condensed vocal staff, lyrics are showing up twice and colliding with each other. ![non-condensed](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/original/3X/0/0/00a2d61136d1aae2bd7059c3405296f253a13d64.png) ![condensed](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/original/3X/0/6/06ccd90df7d8e932a4aadc774d588a9251205b6d.png) When I force the whole passage either into the same or separate voices, the lyrics are displayed as expected, but neither option is ideal. ![1 voice](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/original/3X/a/5/a5006247f3d2ec37bcdc49d6d472035ded7faef7.png) ![2 voices](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/original/3X/e/c/ec4b2a2b2f3e8f7a4e17495eddb91137772e2194.png) I’ve read on here that there is still some work to be done ironing out kinks in vocal stave condensing. Is this a known bug? ---
**Author:** ![dspreadbury](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/dspreadbury/32/328687_2.png) [@dspreadbury](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/dspreadbury)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 11:33am UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/condensing-overlapping-lyric-bug/749792/2 "2021-11-16T11:33:21Z")
Unfortunately that is correct: at the moment, vocal music is not really well catered-for by condensing, but it remains something that we plan to fix in future. ---
**Author:** ![andythompson](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/andythompson/32/148523_2.png) [@andythompson](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/andythompson)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 9:19pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/condensing-overlapping-lyric-bug/749792/3 "2021-11-16T21:19:30Z")
It’s all good. Condensing has saved me so incredibly much time I’d forgive little bugs like these 1,000 times over 😜 ---
**Author:** ![klafkid](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/klafkid/32/4391_2.png) [@klafkid](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/klafkid)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2022, 4:22pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/condensing-overlapping-lyric-bug/749792/4 "2022-03-05T16:22:20Z")
I am linking a thread from the german forum here, examining the exact same bug for completeness. > [@Problem beim Zusammenführen im Chorsatz](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/problem-beim-zusammenfuhren-im-chorsatz/769563/): > > Wie kann ich das verhindern, oder ist das einfach ein Bug? Der Liedtext wird auch bei ähnlichen Stellen wie hier doppelt geschrieben und wie man sieht nicht korrekt übereinander. Ich habe schon alle Einstellungen ausprobiert, die ich gefunden habe. ---
**Author:** ![cacophonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@cacophonix](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/cacophonix)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 3:34pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/condensing-overlapping-lyric-bug/749792/5 "2025-05-04T15:34:18Z")
Hello, It seems this problem has not yet been fixed with Dorico 6? (for the record I’m truly thrilled by this new version of Dorico!!) I have the very same problem here: ![condensingLyrics0](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/original/4X/7/e/3/7e3ee58eeb5610fe01e8ec0412f5106b2409dc13.png) Which condenses as: ![condensingLyrics](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/original/4X/8/f/d/8fd5f25bde2ab264716b18b47f892baee17d7305.png) I suppose fixing this would be quite challenging, but it is mandatory in order to produce professional scores (this example is an excerpt of a 57 page long cantata to be performed in a few weeks… not condensing is not an option at this point…) Feel free to ask for the project if you need to investigate… All the best, Alexandre. ---
**Author:** ![Romanos](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/romanos/32/1687_2.png) [@Romanos](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Romanos)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 3:52pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/condensing-overlapping-lyric-bug/749792/6 "2025-05-04T15:52:22Z")
Alexandre, condensing is only properly handed with instruments, not singers. The devs have indicated in the past that proper choral condensing will be a whole area of development unto itself. So if you want to do this with choral staves, you need to handle it manually with a third stave where you place the notes and lyrics manually (whereafter the original staves need to be hidden at that point). ---
**Author:** ![Estigy](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/steinberg/user_avatar/forums.steinberg.net/estigy/32/141376_2.png) [@Estigy](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/Estigy)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 3:54pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/condensing-overlapping-lyric-bug/749792/7 "2025-05-04T15:54:35Z")
If you look very closely, it looks as if the “ma” in the upper singer is shifted to the right compared to the lower singer. I guess, if both "ma"s were in the same rhythmic position, conensing could do a better job here? ---
**Author:** ![cacophonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@cacophonix](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/cacophonix)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 4:26pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/condensing-overlapping-lyric-bug/749792/8 "2025-05-04T16:26:08Z")
Thanks for the clarification about devs statement about this being a whole area of development. But this worked perfectly for the whole score, understand my frustration for 2 bars 🙂 I wont’t invest to much time to do it manually, but thanks for the tip. ---
**Author:** ![cacophonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@cacophonix](https://forums.steinberg.net/u/cacophonix)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 4:28pm UTC](https://forums.steinberg.net/t/condensing-overlapping-lyric-bug/749792/9 "2025-05-04T16:28:24Z")
You’re right about the shift, I see it too. It tried to erase and re-enter the lyrics again, but very same the same shift happens. So I guess it is some sort of bug (or at least “unwanted feature” :-D) Nobody’s perfect!