Hi, I just finished exploring the .14.0.20 update.
There are really a lot of interesting things, but many leave me confused:
The ability to open Dorico projects in Cubase is fantastic, but it seems that NOTHING is carried over except the MIDI notes—dynamics, playing techniques, and MIDI controls present in Dorico don’t seem to transfer at all from a graphical standpoint.
Not to mention the Expression Maps (we already know they are tricky), but at the very least, dynamics and CCs are absolutely necessary.
As it stands, transferring a project from Dorico to Cubase doesn’t make much sense—it just feels like reading a PDF of the score!
Maybe I missed something?
Am I doing something wrong in the settings?
Thanks a lot, and let’s really hope for more functional updates in the future
am I the only one or have others experienced issues as well when importing Dorico Projects with repeats and 2nd endings? In my case they seem to be simply ignored and no repeats are generated in the Cubase import.
Hi @ldg75 and @jazztom, I’ve taken the liberty to move your questions into a new thread, to give the topic a bit more visibility.
While the import ignores any playback-specific data like the VST instrument configuration and Expression Maps, items like dynamics, playing techniques and repeat endings should work. Can you provide simple Dorio project files where you find that not to be the case?
Sure Stefan. The most simple one is a Dorico project with just one bar that is surrounded by repeat signs. In Dorico the one bar is played twice as it should. After import into a newly created Cubase project you will get just one bar instead of two. (by the way: When opening the track in the editor I can see that there is a repeat sign on the beginning of the bar but not at the end.) test cubase 14.0.20 n003.dorico (532.9 KB)
Unfortunately, I can’t share the projects I’m currently working on due to agreements with my clients, but as soon as possible, I’ll create some smaller projects to share.
I was wondering about something: could it be that the playback template is causing issues?
I use a playback template with Note Performer Playback Engines and Iconica Sketch for the sounds not covered by my libraries.
Let me try with a different playback template, and I’ll update you!
I want to emphasize that my post is not meant as a critique of the great work you’re doing but rather as support: I truly believe that the path Steinberg is taking could lead to the perfect ecosystem for composers and orchestrators!
Thank you very much for reporting this. I was sure I had tested importing end repeat barlines, and it does work else where but not at the end, so I must have missed that one! I’m logging this now. Regarding the playback of repeats, we don’t currently support this. It should just import the repeat notation objects.
@ldg75 Thank you very much for your reply. Are you saying that when you import a Dorico file, all dynamics and playing techniques are missing? It would be very helpful to us if you could provide an example, but if not, could you tell us anything about the project? What sort of instruments are you using? Thank you.
Hi @Akiko_Ogawa ,
I can see dynamics and some articulations, but for example, if there is an “mf” dynamic marking, it doesn’t appear in the Key Editor (Articulations/Dynamics lane section).
Additionally, in Dorico, I can see various MIDI CC data (Modulation, Expression, etc.) in the piano roll, but in the imported version of the project in Cubase, I can’t see any of it in the Key Editor or the Event List.
EDIT: I’ve tried to change the Playback Template in dorico from mine to one factory template and now the dynamic stop working with velocity
The import of Dorico projects is at an early stage. The initial priority was to get the substantial notes and notation data carried across. This will be a longer term goal to improve the import. It was a huge effort to get this far.
Dynamics from Dorico or the score editor do not currently appear in the dynamics lane. This is because in the old score editor, dynamics had a dual personality where they could be either cosmetic or connected to the dynamics lane, and you had two different parts of the interface to create them. We have yet to work out the best way of handling this in the new score editor so that we don’t break the playback of existing projects (if users don’t want the score dynamics connected to the playback then this will change the playback behaviour).
The effort you’re putting in is already yielding great results, and if you keep going, you’ll be able to give us the perfect ecosystem!
Alright, I got it!
So, for now, what we get from Dorico in Cubase is mostly “cosmetic”: once imported, the programming needs to be redone.
Well, let’s say it’s still useful if we start working in Dorico as if it were “a sheet of paper” and then do the MIDI programming in Cubase.
After all, Dorico now offers great programming possibilities, so we can also use the audio played directly in Dorico and the exported as stems.
I’m not an expert in music software development, but could it be an idea to equip symbols with a “playback” or “MIDI” switch that allows you to toggle between the two functions of the graphical symbol?
A bit like what happens now with markers, where you can choose whether to display them in the score editor (a great feature! ).
Yes, currently the cosmetic properties have been the main priority. However, note positions and velocities are also imported from Dorico, so that part of the performance will be maintained.
This is the kind of thing I have in mind, as there are some users who don’t want tempo changes to show in the score, and there will be others who want to add dynamics to the score without affecting the playback.
Ok and thanks for your response. Regarding the fact, that Cubase doesn’t yet play the repeats at the moment I tried to use the arranger track in Cubase. There I create items like “start” “1. Bracket” und “2. Bracket” and use the arranger track to play those items in the intended sequence. Works for the moment…
