While attempting to create my first expression map for Berlin Symphonic Strings I’m finding it difficult to match the expression map options to the playing technique notations displayed in Write mode. Has anyone tried to map between the two or is it simply a matter of trial and error?
If you hover over the playing techniques in the panel in Write mode, you’ll see in the tool tip the playback technique that will be triggered for that symbol or text item. That should help you to develop a correlation between the two. You can also, of course, refer to the Playback technique field in the Engrave > Playing Techniques dialog.
Ah, I didn’t realise that, thank you. Through trial and error and monitoring the SINE performance window I eventually managed to get BSS articulations working sufficiently well but I’ll review what I created in light of your advice. The most advanced BSS legato techniques will probably be more difficult to match but the basic legato is all I wanted to cover anyway. I’ve now successfully created expression maps for all the BSS instruments and a dedicated BSS playback template. Staccato flumoxed me to begin with until I realise I needed to use dotted notes in my notation. It worked perfectly after that. I still have a much to learn but the support of the Dorico team is much appreciated.
This is a great feature I either didn’t know or at some point just forgot.
For me it raises the question, is there a corresponding way to see what playing technique calls a particular playback technique?
I’d open the playing technique editor to see whether there’s a playback technique attributed to it. If there’s not, you can add it, and add a line to the expression map to trigger the appropriate sound in your library!
Right, thanks Marc, aware of that. The question is not so much how to do it but if there is a quicker way to start with a desired playback technique and find out any playing techniques linked to it. It’s a matter of speed and ease.
No doubt the potential many to one relationship would make this harder to implement.
When using or modifying third party ExMaps this would beat having to guess or look it up if the provider included a reference.
It would also be a tool to warn someone in the planning stages of creating an expression map when a particular playing technique is already linked to something else.
Again, the matter has to do with where one starts. When one starts with a playing technique, Daniel’s tip is invaluable. What can one do when one starts with a playback technique in mind?
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Still confused by the relationship between expression maps and the playback template, Take BBCSO Pro as an example. When I click on the cog the expression maps show for each instrument with the individual name at the top. Then I go to the BBCSO template and I only find collective names for brass, strings etc. If in an endpoint set up I choose a common name, say brass, at the top and have previously used that name, it asks me if I want to overwite. Is this where the collective name in the collective name in the playback template is created because I’m confused?
Yes, the collective names in the playback template come from the endpoint configurations that have been assembled into the template.
I’ve now found where to put the collective endpoint name. Maybe in version 4 it should be made a bit more obvious as I mistakenly thought it was a download option.