Dorico<->Cubase Expression Map Compatibility

Hi Dorico Team!

Thank you so much for your incredible work, especially with the new update! A quick question about the expression maps:

Regarding expression maps imported from Cubase and adjusted for Dorico—will exporting Dorico MIDI or musicXML back to Cubase transfer automation and keyswitch data? And by using maps originally imported from Cubase, will the Dorico midi/xml export work with the original expression map in Cubase?

From one of Daniel’s previous posts, I understand that Dorico’s expression maps are a “superset” of Cubase expression maps. I’m just curious if that means those maps are backwards compatible from Dorico back to Cubase.

And specifically when using these sort of “matching” expression maps:
A) Is MIDI or musicXML more effective for exporting automation/keyswitch data from Dorico to Cubase?
B) What information might be lost from Dorico to Cubase, despite using “matching” maps?

Thank you so much for all your help! I can’t wait to dive into learning even more about your wonderful software!

Warm regards,
Sam (a very happy and excited Dorico user)

MIDI and MusicXML are currently the only two options for transferring data from Dorico to Cubase. MIDI will include the keyswitches so that if you load the same plugin then it trigger the same articulations. However it won’t transfer the actual expression map. MusicXML won’t include any keyswitch data. If your workflow is to transfer to Cubase for general polishing up and mixing then MIDI is the best option. MusicXML is only worthwhile if you are transferring to another scoring package.

Dorico’s expression map format isn’t so much a superset of Cubase’s. It has a number of similarities, but the key thing is that it represents the capabilities of a plugin or sample library in terms of what Dorico needs for score playback. So one difference is that there’s more semantic structure about a wider range of specific playing techniques and the relationships to each other. We intend to extend what can be represented in the expression map in terms of how Dorico maps score items such as vibrato indications into controller changes. Dorico will try to import a Cubase expression map, though it doesn’t always map on to something that makes sense in Dorico’s model (we’ve made a number of improvements in this import for 3.5). It’s not possible to export a Dorico expression map to Cubase though.

Hi, jumping in on this thread;

I want to use Spitfire Sacconi in Dorico, and am trying to use the Cubase EM from Babylonwaves.
Will it need to be modified? And, should the library be set to UACC or KS?
Cheers,
H