At the moment, playback routing is essentially tied to the instrument/player endpoint, and playing techniques are mainly used to switch articulations or sounds within the same playback device through expression maps. Because of this, it is difficult or impossible to let a single player use one playback engine normally, and automatically switch to a different VST for only specific playing techniques.
Example:
Instrument: Flute
Default playback: NotePerformer
Specific extended techniques: UVI Workstation
What I would like is the ability for one player/instrument to remain assigned to its normal playback setup, but for selected playing techniques to trigger a different VST/instrument endpoint automatically.
I am not asking Dorico to load or unload plugins dynamically for each technique. In many practical cases, the relevant VST instruments are already loaded in memory and active. What seems to be missing is simply the ability to decide which active VSTi should receive playback for a given playing technique.
This would be especially useful for:
extended techniques not covered well by the main playback engine
combining NotePerformer with specialty libraries
avoiding duplicate hidden staves/players solely for playback purposes
keeping notation clean while improving realism in playback
Currently, the main workarounds are:
Using the “Enable independent playback” option to assign different VSTi instruments to separate voices within a single player. While this avoids duplicating players, it comes with a significant drawback: changing the voice assignment can disrupt the score layout and notation in ways that are difficult to control.
Duplicating the instrument/player and assigning the second one to another VST, then routing only those passages there.
Both approaches add complexity and make projects harder to manage.
Suggested implementation ideas:
Allow a playing technique to switch not only the expression-map entry, but also the playback endpoint/device.
Allow endpoint layering or conditional playback overrides for selected techniques.
Add a per-technique playback override in Play mode.
This would make Dorico much more flexible for hybrid playback workflows.
I agree! I would also really like to be able to route to a different VST via playing technique. Here’s my current use case:
I’m composing for 7-string guitar with some extended techniques
My guitar plug-in VST (Ample Sound) is excellent but doesn’t have a low 7th string
I can route the 7th string to a different VST guitar by using a different voice - BUT I don’t want a separate voice - it often destroys beaming.
An invisible playing technique would solve this issue.
Ample Guitar also lacks some extended techniques which may be covered by other VSTs. Playing technique assignments would automatically route to another VST.
As @prko mentioned, the workarounds are cumbersome. I’d like to hear the playback as I compose - not have to set up a duplicate instrument for 7th string notes.
Are there other workarounds for the 7-string guitar issue that I may not have considered? I don’t think I can trick Ample Guitar L into playing below Drop-D on String 6.
Is there some way to make voices hide within the staff? Or be able to beam together?
you can easily obtain what you describe, using Vienna Ensemble Pro.
Into the same Instance of VEP you can load different plugins, each assigned to a different midi channel (different libraries and different players), and then with a custom expression map you can switch the midi channel for the various base switches items that you define, so you can have at least 16 different plugins for player/instance, and much more playing techniques assigned to them combining midi channel and key switches in the expression map.
Here an example where I play SCC Celli long and CSS Cellos Legato, both on Kontakt, from the same Dorico Player (and actually the same Instrument), just using normal and legato switches.
EDIT:
And here an example using different VST players (but the same Player in Dorico): Spitfire Audio BBC Discover with their dedicated player, and CSS on Kontakt:
I think the problem may be a consequence of the separation of Dorico from the Audio Engine. If the instruments are hosted by a single VST, you can easily hop betwen them - eg. any instrument that uses Kontakt. What is not possible is switching between different VST hosts (eg between Kontakt and Spitfire Audio)
Unless you use VEP. (I added a second video example in my previous post).
(Sorry if I miss something…)
EDIT:
After more thinking: unfortunately you cannot load Note Performer into VEP. And in the Edit Playback Template dialogue, even loading an Endpoint for a particular VST/Playing-technique, you have only Family and Instrument overrides, but no Playing Technique overrides (which would be a more granular level of control and would make possible to let Dorico switch to another Endpoint), so it is not doable in conjunction with NP.