I find myself - again - not understanding the fundamental differentiation between section players and solo players.
Since I write for wind bands, it is utterly impossible for me to think of the clarinet staves as “solo players” when there will be 10 to 20 people sitting there…
Yes, fair enough, of course in this kind of music the distinction between a solo player and a section player as Dorico presents it is a bit strange! If you want to use the condensing feature, then at least to begin with you will need to use solo players for your massed ranks of flutes and clarinets.
Hello Daniel
As excited as I am for the condensation feature (and for Dorico 3 in general) I find a bit of an issue that divisi and condensation are not compatible. Whilst it’s not necessary in most cases, I can see that in choir parts there can be both divisi and SA-TB condensations (or even unisons) in the same piece.
Yes, agreed, it is certainly the case that a given SATB piece might need both to divide each voice part in some places and also be condensed onto only two staves in other parts. To begin with, at least, that won’t be possible, but the wonderful (and terrible) thing about software is that you can keep working on it, and nothing is truly impossible, given sufficient time, money and will.
SA-TB Condensing is effectively already possible using the Divisi feature, assuming you don’t want a different configuration of staves in different layouts. Given choirs tend to sing off some sort of “score” I can’t see this (often) being a problem.
Actually you’re right. Just make a “choir” section player and then make as many divisi as needed. I haven’t thought it that way. Specially if playback is not an issue for making the distinction between male and female (and although I’ve never heard the Dorico ones, vocal samples are usually not very good anyway 
)
I’ve got a Vocal Score from a Musical where one of the songs starts SA/TB, then goes to SA, then S/A/T/B, then SA /T/B, with a whole bunch of solo sections - sometimes involving up to 3 soloists singing together - appearing periodically within that lot. I’m pretty sure that the different permutations of staves are a consequence of the lyrics and, as with all Musical Vocal Scores, mindful of page constraints. Is it possible to do that with Divisi? Would it be possible with Condensing?
If you can assign different playback to different voices in Dorico 3, you should be able to select male/female vocal samples for divisi.
For condensing, if I understand it correctly playback will be linked to the “uncondensed” staves, so the same comment applies.
Yes-- You’d just need to set up multiple players. One stave for each soloist, one for SA and TB (combined), one for S/A/T/B and then input the correct music where it needs to go and use the auto-hide empty staves feature. This would be the simplest, most direct route anyway.
Hah! Thanks Romanos.
If you don’t need proper playback, I literally use one Vocal “player” for all the voices, then use a series of Divisi signposts.
Thanks Leo. Playback is important to me. That said, there’s proper and seriously proper playback. I’ve yet to get to grips with Dorico on the latter, it’s mired in the maze of Expression maps. I tend to stick with Note Performer which I would put in the first category. It gives me a very good indication which, more often than not, is good enough. I’ll try Romano’s suggestion and see how it works out with NP.
The alternative would be:
- Create a section “female” staff
- Create a section “male” staff
- Use divisi and solo staves at will, and label them correctly each time.
Sorry pianoleo, I’ve missed this answer. Anyway, with the “female” and “male” staves playback should be fine, I guess.