Since Dorico 4 introduced more convenient tools for working with playback, I decided to try again working with Cinematic Studio Strings (combined with noteperformer). I created a new expression map that uses mostly custom playing techniques to control CSS. My philosophy is to separate notation and playback control to their own layers, since getting the best result from CSS will always include some manual work (and manual selection of patches). Cinematic studio strings is controlled with custom playing techniques that can be hidden in the score - that way it is (in theory) possible to reach a kind of daw-like control while the notation will stay clean for the players.
In the template file I created, up-stem voice 1 is assigned to note performer and up-stem voice 2 to Cinematic Studio Strings. That way I’m hoping to keep the fast noteperformer workflow, but have the possibility for more expressive playback if it’s needed.
“Dorico’s native playing techniques had to be added as add-ons without control since otherwise the notation
could prevent custom add-ons from working at the same um with custom base switches”
So do I have to make a template and add Dorico natives playback as default? and Kontakt(Cinematic Studio Strings) next?
Excuse me, could you please tell me whether this expression map is already optimized to cope with the notorious legato latency of Cinematic Studio Strings?
with the current strings version, the latency is not as bad as it used to be. And now we have another option in the NotePerformer playback engine which corrects automatically for latency (although the timing is not always perfect and a few adjustments will be required whatever you do) and gives improved phrasing and general musicality.
Of course I can’t answer for @SampoKasurinen 's maps – I always used my own though NPPE is likely to take over in most – thought not every - project.
In an expression map you can enter a positive or “negative” (=earlier) delay for a certain base switch. So for example you can make it possible that all legato tones of an instrument start 40 milliseconds to early. You see this posibility, when you open an expression map and click on a base switch in the collumn in the midst. The delay tool you see in the right top of the expression map window. (This tool is first implemented in Dorico 5).
Sorry, I overlooked that it’s about NPPE. And I don’t use that and I don’t know either. I’m afraid that a custom default won’t work, because then all notes get a delay, including staccato, for example, which I don’t think needs a delay. In the expression map you can set a separate delay for every switch (staccato, legato, pizzicato etc.), but I don’t know if NPPO works with expression maps.
My understanding is that the NP expression maps are very complex (as one might expect), so I have taken Lillie’s advice and advanced each note by a sixteenth (in the tempo I am using) and that seems to work, at least for that song.
