Divisi: Restoring section playback

Dorico
1

I’m working on an arrangement for string orchestra in which I divide Vl1 into solo and section divisi. I used the divisi tool and enabled independent playback, allowing the solo to play back as solo violin and the section to sound as a section. Everything’s cool so far.

But when I restore the section to unison, the playback remains a solo violin. I’ve read some forum posts that address related issues, but none that answer the question clearly enough for me to solve my problem. How do I restore my section playback when I end the divisi?

(If it matters, I’m on the latest version of Dorico, playing back via NotePerformer 5, on a MacBook Pro.)

2

You need to reserve a specific voice for the solo and not use that voice elsewhere.

3

You mean, even though I chose the gli altri option, it still treats the divisi solo as a split section when applied to (enable independent voice) playback? So if I choose the divisi solo staff and move the notes to voice 2 (for example), I can assign voice 2 to a solo violin sound and everything will play as desired when returning to unison, as long as I write all the unison parts in voice 1?

4

I just set things up the way Janus described. Thank you, Janus!

I’m glad to have it working now, but I’ve got to say it seems counterintuitive when I’ve just chosen a solo/gli altri divisi. Any chance a future iteration of Dorico could do this automatically? (That is, treat the solo voice of a divisi as a voice that can be set for independent playback?)

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5

Yes it is a workaround, necessary because of how Dorico routes voices to VSTs.
I think it’s unlikely to change in the near term.

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6

The same happens when you create. a section divisi. The second divisi voice is created automatically often in red color when you have voice colors activated but for the first one you have to create an independent voice. Each time you go back to unison you have to switch back to the whole section voice. Usually you also have to clean up some unwanted rests in one of the voices especially if tou switch in the middle of a bar.

I usually create the section divisi voices (full, div. 1 and div. 2) at the very beginning of apiece by entering some notes to get the same order and colors for all flows and pieces and avoid a confusion halfway through a piece. Even with that preparation the gli altri voice created when you have a solo gli altri division might still require an additional voice connected to the full section but on the second staff. So you end up with 5 voices.

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