Are there plans to make importing audio into Dorico a real, usable feature in Dorico 4.0?
A good amount of my work involves creating arrangements on top of existing audio.
At the moment, the only way I can get audio into my project is by creating a “fake” video file that I can then import into Dorico. However, this method is cludgy and imprecise. While it is possible to adjust the timing of the “video” file within Dorico, it does NOT seem to be possible to make the video start SOONER than the beginning of the score (no negative numbers are allowed!) This IS NECESSARY however because there is a significant amount of latency in NotePerformer playback, so I end up needing to pad my video files with about 100ms of extra time at the top to get them to sync correctly. Inevitably, this involves repeatedly exporting the “video” until I stumble upon the amount of padding that will make it sound reasonably in time. How nice it would be if I could just do this in Dorico. For each project, this amounts to about 15 minutes of time that I would much rather spend working on music.
Thank you for the response. I understand that you and your team are working hard on other feature requests that may have a broader appeal to the general user base.
Much of my work is in the same vein as @schlagzeuger’s, so a big +1 for some simple audio sync features. I’ve converted more than a few friends from the other two “leading commercial scoring products” to Dorico, and when they inevitably come to me wondering how to import an audio file I can only respond with a sheepish
Sometimes the most practical working model for me is to work first with low load/low lag “draft” audio, then replace the sounds later. Without something like the Note Performer lag issue, converting audio to video is easier for me most of the time and has the best sync as you move around. I do have a VST that allows you to import and Play audio within Dorico, but it isn’t actually as convenient.
If anyone is interested and willing to install Python, the low drag method is to have a script that automatically does the conversion for you for any audio file that you might drop in a certain directory.
I’ve been using Bidule as a plugin for simple audio file syncs.
For bigger tracking projects with Dorico at the core, I now use this combo of software to sync Dorico up with Cubase. TXL Timecode plugin (host in Dorico to generate MTC for my DAW to sync up with)
ASIO Link Pro (Allowing me to route Dorico’s audio directly into Cubase)
The way Guitar Pro handles imported audio is a dream for transcribing. I guess I’ll still be using that app for transcribing, but hope some day Dorico can be my complete workflow.
Use a ‘sync extractor’ bidule to get the ASIO Sample Count from Dorico. From there, quite a few bidules have pins to sync to alternate sources (or you just right click it and choose the sync source). You can use simple addition/subtraction math bidules to create an ‘offset’ sample count for file players/recorders to sync with.
Ultimately, the idea is that using the information on that ASIO sample-count pin, you can sync D2D audio file playing/recording bidules at the exact ASIO sample-count that you desire. Bidule should be able to handle internal sample conversion when playing back audio files (and it probably offers options for the resampling method you prefer), though they might not sync as tightly as an uncompressed wav/aif at the same sample rate as the Dorico setup, it should still be quite useable.
If you want a ‘true’ sample for sample sync, take a minute to either convert your audio file(s) to the system sample rate, or change Dorico to use what the audio file needs (provided your audio interface can support it). Uncompressed wav or aif is even better if you can swing it (free up system resources that’d be used resampling for other things).
