In that case I’d recommend watching the videos on Playback Templates as these show some of the higher level concepts in Dorico and how Playing Technique objects in the score affect playback. Obviously I’d also recommend watching some of the many excellent videos on getting started in Dorico.
If you are wanting to playback through VSL then this is a rather advanced topic, so I think it’s good to get familiar with the concepts using HALion Sonic and Iconica Sketch Playback Templates that come with Dorico, before jumping in with VSL. There are a lot of VSL users on the forum who will give advice
This Playback Templates video is a good starting point:
and then this one is a much longer walkthrough that goes into a lot more detail:
I’m pretty experienced and capable of using VSL in Cubase. I wonder if accessing the VSL articulations in Cubase is radically different than in Dorico. I suspect and hope it’s rather comparable, in which case this would be something I would quickly be able to apply in Dorico as well. What do you think, Paul?..
Have you tried installing the maps & templates via Vienna Assistant > Dorico Wizard? They are free with your VSL products and it should at least allow you to see how they compare for you.
As for access of articulations, the methodology will be a bit different between any DAW and scorewriting program – in Cubase for example, you typically access different articulations through manually writing in keyswitches or CC data in your key editor / automation lanes etc; or you parse each articulation out onto different tracks when needed for separation;
whereas in Dorico, you will access these articulations immediately in the score itself using playing techniques: simply add pizz, sul pont, slur markings, tremolo etc right on your score, and with the maps installed Dorico will handle the switching (or combining) of the necessary patches in the background for you.
Having a good knowledge of VSL is also very important (lots of users do just jump in on day one without having the experience). However, Dorico’s design is very different to Cubase’s. Dorico’s playback concepts are higher level. It is possible to use plugins in a Cubase-like way, by loading into the rack, but to get the benefits from Dorico then it’s better to embrace Playback Templates and Playing Techniques.
If you like to work directly from the score, then that’s exactly how Dorico is designed to work, where the dynamics, articulations and legato are driven from items in the score. The Expression Maps will take care of using either note velocity or the correct CC to control dynamics. The Expression Maps will trigger the keyswitches for the technique changes and resolve the mutual exclusions (eg senza vib will cancel molto vib, arco cancels pizz). The Dorico Expression Maps were inspired by the Cubase expression maps, but we’ve developed them quite extensively. There are rules which allow you to select different articulations for short notes.
I suggested to try out using the supplied HALion and Iconica Sketch sounds first just to get used to how the playback concepts work. Try to avoid the temptation to load sounds into the rack manually if there is already a playback template for a plugin!
At least for now both Dorico and Cubase work in a different way when it comes to Expression / Percussion Maps system. No doubt that Cubase must adopt the Dorico’s system, it’s by far the superior one. So, you can’t use, directly, the Expression Maps sets created for Cubase, you could import them, but you’ll need to tweak them afterwords.
I don’t know which VSL libraries you are using, but you could check for NotePerformer + NPPE. There are Playback Engines for some VSL libraries.
About the Paul’s proposal on Iconica Sketch, I would definitely recommend it to give it a try, but through NotePerformer. The library sounds much better that way.
There is another way to deal with large projects:
Score it in Dorico by using just Iconica Sketch, or the native NotePerformer sounds.
Export the project into MIDI
Just before the export be sure that you’ve switched from NP (in case you are using it), to Silent, or HSSE Playback template. Otherwise you could end-up with many unwanted CC leftovers.
Import it into Cubase for additional work, mixing and mastering
In case the music is going to be performed by real orchestra, you even don’t need hi-end libraries. Iconica Sketch and NP are more than enough for providing acceptable sounding demo, if someone needs to hear the music.
First, thank you so much, Paul, for taking the time to inform me!
To be honest, not everything that you tell me is absolutely clear right away. But I quite understand the concept. I will indeed look into those instruction video’s and follow the path that you indicate. I’m confident that everything will become clear gradually.
Knowing which path to follow was exactly the reason for me launching this topic. You made a lot clear. But maybe (probably) I will have a few additional questions, as I move further on. I hope I can come back to you, if this would be the case. Is that OK? But first, I have some work to do!
Oh yes, I was particularly pleased to hear you say that in Dorico the expression maps were developed further extensively. Although already offering a lot of fine nuances (IMO, VSL scores significantly better than Iconica - I worked a lot with Iconica and really wanted more, hence VSL), on a regular basis I experienced the need for even further nuance possibilities. So I really hope that the Dorico Expression Maps will offer just that.
Not sure how much more you were left wanting… I can imagine things have probably gone as far as they can, given what was actually recorded (as articulations/techniques/nuance etc…) at the time the Iconica library was created.
Any more significant ‘enhancements’ of course means a brand new recording session being booked - perhaps giving library ‘add-on’ package options for purchase…
