Feature Request: Condensing Workflow

Dorico
1

Hi Team,

Big Dorico fan!

I’d like to submit a feature request that I know might be difficult if the current architecture makes hard, but I’d LOVE to see in the Engraving page, some quick condensing options in the inspector.
Such as things like voices of condensed parts. The amalgamation doesn’t always quite work so I might have for example, Clarinet 1 and 2 playing melody and harmony, same rhythms except for 1 bar in the middle of a page that has say running eighth in the 1st, and a quarter note for one beat in the 2nd.
I’d love if there could be a toggle in the engraving inspector to just select that note and choose “down-stem.”
Right now, I’d have to create a condensing change, make a manual condensing option where I select Clarinet 1, set it as default up stem, then select Clarinet 2, set it as default down stem. THEN, I’d have to go a beat after that to reset it (which in Dorico’s current state often means I’d have to make ANOTHER manual condensing setting to get it to behave the way I want, same voice amalgamated).
Here’s a similar situation for trumpet in a piece I’m working on. I have the trumpet set to manual with 1 and 2 as up stem in order to get a2. Sometimes this works fine without the manual adjustment, but I find it unreliable and in this case had to force it with a manual adjustment. But that means for that one bar in 103 to be correct, now I have to make 2 condensing changes.

So a way to choose if an instrument is up stem or down stem in the inspector right away would save a lot of clicks that pile up over time, and also potentially aide in getting proper a2 behaviour.

Screenshot 2026-09-01 at 3.38.53 PM
Screenshot 2026-09-01 at 3.38.53 PM1098×398 50.2 KB

2

Sounds like a good idea.

However, did you examine the example you are giving? If you have settings to not allow mid-phrase unisons, it is usually enough to just set an empty condensing change to separate the phrases, and you will get the proper a 2 marking. Personally that is the condensing action I use most aside from hiding superfluos 1, 2, and a 2 markings.

So in this particular case, no need for manual condensing.

3

Yeah, I do fiddle with the settings, but, I don’t know if it’s just me, but there are a lot of situations where it doesn’t collapse into a2 no matter what mid phrase unison setting etc I choose, until I force it into the same voice with manual condensing.
Though it’s important to note that the example given is just to illustrate my point, not necessarily the only situation I’m talking about.

I find the default condensing settings leaves a lot of manual tweaking to do because every situation is different. Hence why the developers thought of condensing changes, but I’m just hoping for a more microscopic level for faster workflow.

4

Happens to me also from time to time, but not so often. If you have a short excerpt from a problematic passage, post it if you like − I or someone else can take a look.