Keyswitches - How to handle them?

I am confused about how to handle keyswitches in Dorico I don´t get around this problem myself so I need some help! How do you manage a plug in - like Kontakt player and “The Orchestra” with keyswitch functions for different articulations without getting a sustained pedal tones in the bottom of the register? How do you manage keyswitches when you record into staff versus when you “write notes” onto staff? / Frans Mossberg (still in the dark…)

Hey Franz…

First you should create an expression map(s). (See Manual) It takes a little up front work, but afterwards you won’t have to write key switches in the actual score at all

In a map you essentially say “When I write Legato in the score, I want you to send the F#0 Keyswitch” on midi Chanel 1, or switch to midi channel 2 or whatever. “When I write a “spiccatto” mark, I want you to send Keyswitch G…” WITHOUT putting those notes in the staff itself.

The key switches ARE still being sent to the instrument - if you’re getting pedal tones it may somehow not be the right Keyswitch because they are supposed to be outside the audible range of the instrument. One reason might be a disagreement between plugins about which MIDI note (C3 or C4, or C5) is middle C and there is a place in an expression map to say which.

That’s not really a complete answer but I hope it points you in the right direction,
Greg

Thanks. I get your point, I think. I´ll explore into this direction anyway…

Hallo Franzmo,

Ditto what gdball said above ^^

See page 502 in the manual with regards to creating expression maps. You basically create a custom expression map in which you tell Dorico which playing techniques to associate with which key-switches.

And don’t forget to assign the playing technique you have created to your instrument under the end-point configuration in Play mode.

It’s a tricky process. I was fighting the same battle only one week ago!

Did you ever get it working? It beat the s**t out of me. I spoke to Spitfire Audio and they recommended using a DAW over something like Dorico as this kind of thing works better in a DAW.

I’m getting pedal tones on a piano no matter C3 C4 or C5 is selection. No mutes. KS is PLAYing rather than sending data.

You’ll hear the key switch note if it’s not the right key switch for the patch you’re using. Open the user interface of the plug-in you’re using, and check which pitch you should be sending: normally these are highlighted in a special colour in the keyboard interface element in the plug-in. You can then see which note is actually being played, and that will help you to adjust your expression map so that the correct pitch is sent.

Which (brand, product) piano is this? What note is the keyswitch, according to the instrument’s documentation?

Sample instruments don’t have key switches in the playable range of the instrument, so if it’s playing a note, it’s the wrong key.

For a piano, any keyswitches will have to be in the C-1 octave (at Middle C = C4), or at the other end, like C9. (Unless those ranges are playable!)

Chart I’m supposed to be working on is Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off. Kind of where I am right now…
Looks like KS are in the correct place. Not sure why every instrument but trumpet 1 plays a sax + piano sound



MUTE TRIALS.dorico (855.0 KB)

Because the Steinway Piano is set to play on Channel 1. (The grey “01” at the end.)
Screenshot

You can change it by clicking on the number.

Each of your Dorico Players/staves is on Channel 1 of a different ARIA Player VST, each of which is loaded with 16 instruments. Not sure why, but that’s confusing and wasteful of resources. Just put one instrument in the first slot of each ARIA player.

No: As I said, you need switches in the C-2 octave at C3.

You know, I just loaded what was there and tried to make adjustments to the dozens of pages flying blind. Piano says 16 in one spot, 1 in the window you mention. So one setting has nothing to do with the other. If I have an aria window with 16 different sounds and assign one to each voice that seems efficient somehow. I don’t know how to get different Aria pages and load just one sound in. I’ll keep trying.

I will say, most advice on these forums is more about how I did it wrong or researched it wrong.

Ok, trying again. Switches were set by the file I uploaded from you.
Thanks for your help

Switched theme all to c-2 octave at C3. No more piano grumbles. No mute sounds either.

Thanks

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