Determining if dynamic is "Voice-specific" or not (and changing it)

Dorico
1

Hello,

I have read about “Voice-specific” dynamics here: Voice-specific dynamics
And am familiar with how to input them, as described here: Inputting dynamics with the popover

My question is twofold:

  1. Once a dynamic is on the score, what is the easiest way to determine if it is “voice-specific” or not? The only way I’ve found to do this is to check the MIDI velocity in the Play tab and infer from that. Hoping there is an easier way.

  2. Once a dynamic is on the score, can it be changed from “voice-specific” to not or vice-versa? My current understanding is the only way to do this is to delete and re-add the dynamics.

Finally, If there are not good ways to do (1) and (2), are they reasonable feature requests?

Thanks!
David

2

Hi dryross!
You’re right on your both points. I feel the request is valid (mere user here so take it with a kg of salt), but I would not have high hopes about how fast this will appear in the roadmap — i don’t recall this has ever been requested.

3

Playing devil’s advocate here, if the purpose of notation is to communicate to performers, then if a performer can’t work out what the dynamics apply to just by looking at the score, the communication failed.

(Yes, I know people cover their scores with dynamics that were never intended for humans, to try to improve computer playback!)

4

Fair point, Rob. This is purely from the perspective of improving computer playback (which I assume is the case for “Voice-specific” dynamics in general).

But I appreciate the point.

5

Actually I agree there should be a readout somewhere (e.g. in the bottom status box that gives the pitch of notes, etc?)

If you are trying to sort out a snake pit of voices imported from another app by MusicXML (e.g. converting faked cross-staff notes to use Dorico’s capabilities), every extra clue helps.

6

I would like to get back to this topic, because I have to deal a lot with two voices in one staff.
Look at the attached example:
Test Dynamic Voices.dorico (532.0 KB)
There are three different dynamics? Which one belongs to which voice?
You don’t have to guess: The “pp” belongs to Voice 1, the cresc. to Voice 2 and the “f” to all voices. I really would like a way of making this visible: either as a read out in the status bar or as a coloured objects in the voice colour.

One additional question is grouping of dynamics: There seems to be an inconsistency. If I try to group the “pp” with the cresc. and or the “f”, it is not possible. Grouping the cresc. and the “ff” is possible?!?