How would one use an iOS library such as iSymphony with Dorico-for-iPad? Dorico doesn’t seem to be compatible with AudioBus and I can’t see any way to select a different output from within Dorico.
Any insights would be very much appreciated.
I am also interested to know if others have found a way to make Dorico for iPad work with more faithful orchestral samples than are included in the app by default. However, from what I have read Dorico for iPad will only make use of external samples in AU v3 (audio units, version 3) format and many otherwise reasonable iPad sound collections are in an older format. Another problem is that many iPad apps include only ensemble sounds for large groups of instruments and this is of limited use if you are writing for specific instruments. Also, Dorico for iPad does not make use of expression maps, at least at present. I hope the state of things wrt sound samples will improve in the future and expect it will but in the meantime I am happy to be able to use Dorico on the iPad virtually anywhere even if the available sounds are not great.
iSymphony comes with three formats, if the web-site can be believed:
" This app supports Apple’s Audio Unit v3 plugin standard, Audiobus , Apple’s Inter-App Audio system, as well as Bluetooth LE MIDI devices� !"
I am a total newbie wrt sound libraries on the iPad but from what Daniel said earlier somehow the Audio Unit V3 format should be supported in Dorico on the iPad. But I can’t see any way to assign outputs to different libraries. I’ve started iSymphony and then started Dorico but still can’t see how to get them to work together. I even placed them both in the icon tray and can open them both simultaneously but can’t see how to make things work. I’ll keep digging though.
Actually, using iSymphony with Dorico for iPad seems very easy – in Play mode under “Routing” what shows by default is “microsonics.” If you tap the down-pointer next to that you’ll see a list of possible libraries to use. Select iSymphonic (or whatever other sound source you may have – Sunrizer, Model D and Module Pro all show up in my list). Changing patches is easy, too – Tap the slanting lower case “e” and the options for choosing an instrument and whatever effect you want are right there, easy to use.
I am very psyched about this!
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Well, thanks for the heads-up! I had looked at iSymphonic Orchestra in the past and dismissed it because it wasn’t AU v3. However, either I was mistaken or iSO has since been translated into that format and, in either case, I am delighted.
Edit: I’m sure I dismissed iSO based on my review of online lists of instruments for iOS that were available in AU v3 format and as I didn’t find iSO or other full orchestra apps on the list, didn’t look further—in retrospect, a clear mistake. Audiomodeling.com also sells various SWAM instruments in AU v3 format and they seem quite good although the double bass is the only one I have at present.
Amy News on this? I’m also interested in better sounds for iPad. I saw isymphony but I wonder of any of you got it working. Grt Jan
I’ve got it working – it’s not quite as automatic as NotePerformer or Halion on the desktop but it works just fine. You need to go into the Play dialog and then click on the slanted lower-case e and assign your own sounds from iSymphony for each of the instruments in your score. If you put out the money to buy the entire iSymphony library you’ve got lots to choose from. It’s actually easy to use although I haven’t investigated special effects like muted trumpets or pizzicato strings yet. But it’s worlds better than the sound library that installs with Dorico for iPad.
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Thanks and good to hear! As I understand it, iSymphony is not reacting to playingtechnics. What about accents en dynamics?
I haven’t paid that much attention yet – I’ve used it just enough to make sure it works and is an improvement.
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Hi friends! I’ve been waiting for a good library for use in Dorico for iPad (I use the desktop version with NotePerformer). iSymphonic sounds great based on the App Store demo. Is there an existing expression map for this library? Having great sounds is wonderful; however, the sounds need to respond to different playing techniques and dynamics. Thanks!
There’s no expression map for iSymphonic at the moment. If somebody can point me at the documentation for the library so that I can see what controllers etc. need to be used, we can look into it.
I don’t see in that documentation any specific information about the capabilities of individual sounds, key switches, MIDI controllers, and so on. Am I wrong?
I came to the same conclusion.