Issues creating a custom ensemble from the build menu (trying to save preset)

I noticed in the ensemble build menu, there’s a button to save a preset.

However it’s a bit tricky to get what I’m looking to build, which is specifically a double woodwind section with a bass clarinet. Even more specifically, I would like to use bass clarinet with a bass clef (concert pitch) for my own personal writing sake.

It appears the normal shorthand for Bass Clarinet is b. cl (which will be in treble clef). However even with that, I cannot use the shorthand in the build menu like so:


However if I list out the abbreviations individually, it does appear to work kind of:

However I’m confused what the difference would be here, where the normal ensemble they are listed numerically by instrument (i.e., Flute 1 and Flute 2, Oboe 1 and 2 etc), whereas in this abbreviated build they are without numbers.

Is there a shorthand to invoke a Bass Clarinet in Bass Clef (concert pitch)? Or is it just not available from this menu since it’s perhaps less common? In my own writing I use it frequently so that’s why I’m trying to save a preset.

I’d also like to do this for a custom brass section – similarly, I can’t quite figure out how to add 2 trombones and 1 bass trombone, for example.

The ensemble Builder is pretty limited. To get the Bass Clef B. Clarinet, you will have to hand edit the userlibrary.xml file.

Save your ensemble with the given Bass Clarinet.
Open the userlibrary.xml file and look for the <EnsembleDefinition> section.
Modify the
<instrumentID>instrument.wind.clarinet.bass.bflat</instrumentID>
line to
<instrumentID>instrument.wind.clarinet.bass.bflat.bassclef</instrumentID>

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Thanks, that worked perfectly! I did go ahead and use the version where the instruments are listed numerically (flute 1, flute 2 etc.) In order to get there I had to build 3 clarinets instead (since the numerical build doesn’t appear to allow me to add b. cl as an abbreviation), and then I just swapped that third clarinet for the code you provided, and now everything is ordered and appearing just as I wanted. Off to writing, thanks again!

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