Entering the correct MIDI note for unpitched percussion

Dorico
1

I’m trying to add finger snaps to a score. Here’re the steps I follow to fail at this task:

  1. Setup view - I add a solo player and assign “Finger Snaps”
  2. Play view - The instrument gets created but with no VST assinged
  3. I select the “HALion Sonic SE” VST, and map to a channel with “[GM 129] Stereo GM Kit”
  4. The percussion map from the VST’s Endpoint Setup is “Yamaha XG”
  5. The Yamaha MIDI has “Finger Snap” assigned (I think) to note 19, so that sound should exist

The sound that actually plays is some sort of wood stick.

Regardless of how much of the above is the correct way to achieve the right sound (though I’d like to know what is wrong), this highlights some confusion I have about unpitched percussion. Even with instruments that sound correct (e.g. snare, kick drum, hand clap) I can’t see how they are actually mapped to the correct MIDI note beyond perhaps name.

I hope this makes sense. Describing something you’re confused about can sometimes just sound… confusing.

Thanks so much for any help!

2

The fact that Dorico has a score definition for Finger snaps, doesn’t automatically mean that the actual sound of finger snaps are to be found. Dorico knows about many instruments for which there are no corresponding samples in Halion or HSO.

The YamahaXG percussion map does not reference finger snaps. Also, it seems impossible to add them because Dorico has no instrument playbackj definition for it. If you are sure about Midi Note 19 you could use another instrument and add that to the percussion map at note 19. This partly answers your general question - it’s the Percussion map that translates notation to their corresponding Midi Note slots. It’s sort of by name, but those names are internally defined in Dorico and sort of absolute references…

3

If you are sure about Midi Note 19

Well… I found it listed in a table online in a Yamaha document. So maybe 60% sure.

it’s the Percussion map that translates notation to their corresponding Midi Note slots. It’s sort of by name, but those names are internally defined in Dorico

This is helpful.

So I just have to trust the Setup view to add the appropriate program and mapping (e.g. “Snare Drum” and “Yamaha XG” or “General MIDI”) and it will automatically get the correct MIDI note in the percussion map (“38, Acoustic Snare, Snare Drum, Natural”)?

And when I add different playing techniques in the Setup view (“Rim”, “Cross Stick”, “Side Stick”) those will also automatically get the correct MIDI note (“34, Open Rim Shot, Snare Drum, Rim”, etc.)?

It’s the automatic-ness that threw me.

Thanks!

4

In principle that is correct, yes. It works because you choose from the same set of defined instruments/techniques both in setup and in the percussion map editor.

You’re free to route any technique to any Midi Note when working from scratch, it’s only automatic if you rely on Playback templates, e.g. containing a GM sound patch and a GM percussion map. There may be occasional techniques missing, which must be added manually… according to the same scheme. But you cannot add technques/instruments that Dorico does not know about. (that’s the politically correct version, anyway :slight_smile: )

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