This is probably user error as I’m not that experienced with creating Percussion Maps, but I’m a little confused why Dorico will allow me to add some instruments in Edit Percussion Kit, but then they are not available to be defined in Percussion Maps. Specifically I’m trying to make a comprehensive map for VSL Jazz Drums which includes fingersnaps and footstomps, neither of which seem selectable for a Percussion Map. (Dorico doesn’t even have a stick click either, as far as I can tell.) For example, I can add a Stomp to my Percussion Kit
I can always add it as another instrument I suppose, but I’m a little confused as to why some percussion instruments can be added to a Percussion Kit, but then can’t be defined in a Percussion Map. User error somewhere? A bug? Just curious what I’m doing wrong here. Is there a way to add them to the list of selectable instruments in the Percussion Map dialog?
I know that bit, but what I need to do is add an instrument. I can add Stomp to my Percussion Kit, but then I can’t define that in my Percussion Map as it’s not in the list. How can I add an instrument to the list?
The catch is that Fingersnaps in VSL Jazz Drums are F8 and Footstomps are F#8. I can’t seem to add either of those to my Percussion Map even though they are both in my Percussion Kit. When I click Instrument to add them in the Drum Kit Note Map they aren’t there! Do I need to manually add them somehow? I’m not sure why they can be added to a Percussion Kit but then can’t be selected to be defined in a Drum Kit Note Map.
So not user error then, thanks for confirming! This seems like a bug then, right? Why would Dorico let a user add an instrument to their kit, but then not let it be defined in a Percussion Map?
There are a few xml files relating to percussion and drum issues. I’m wondering if instruments can be manually added if Dorico is reading from one of these files to make the list of selectable instruments.
I checked the xml and stomp is there, as you already know since you could add it to the kit. Wonder where the instruments in the percussion map is stored? Must be a separate place I guess.
I think I’ve figured out that the issue here is that Dorico will let you add any instrument from the Gamelan Percussion, Orff Instruments, or Unpitched Percussion categories to a Percussion Kit, but only Unpitched Percussion instruments can be given a definition in the Percussion Map. It’s a bug where they forgot to include those other two categories. There is a lot of overlap between Orff and Unpitched as both have Bongos and Congas high and low for example, so this wasn’t immediately obvious. I think for anything not contained in Unpitched Percussion, the user is just out of luck. Bummer.
Well, this looks like a thread I opened two weeks ago… Use a totally different instrument you’re not going to use for your perc map in F8 and F#8 (but that you can access in the perc map editor) and use it in your percussion kit (and edit the name accordingly to your library and the sound it makes). Cumbersome but works.
Just reading your thread now, but I’m a little confused though. You mentioned adding Stomp. Can you add Stomp to your Percussion Kit and define it in your Percussion Map. I can’t seem to be able to define that in my Percussion Map. I’m on Windows if that makes a difference.
Daniel’s suggestion of just repurposing instruments seems the way to go, but I’m still curious if the ability to add an instrument to a Kit but not to a Map is just a bug.
In my case, Congas were available in one list but not in the other (as well as Toms, for instance) because if you add them to a player, he receives a set of congas or toms. I think it’s not “normal” to find discrepancies like these, but until we have a proper instrument editor, we’re stuck with what is on the list…
I can confirm that there is a mismatch between the families from which you can add instruments in the Edit Percussion Kit dialog and the Percussion Maps dialog: it’s only the Orff instruments family that’s missing from the Percussion Maps dialog, but it is indeed missing. Thanks for spotting this. I’ll make sure this is fixed in the next version.
I would love to be able to tell you that a full instrument editor will be included in the next major version, but I’m afraid I think that is unlikely. It’s definitely something we want to add, but it’s really quite a big job and it’s not currently at the top of our list of things to work on. It’s not impossible that it will be included, but it’s not massively likely. Sorry in advance for the disappointment caused.
Oh well, thanks for the update. In addition to having fingersnaps and stomps added to the Maps dialog, adding a Sticks instrument to Dorico would be useful too. There are lots of examples of drummers playing on sticks for a count-off, and sticks are supported by several percussion VSTs. (The stick “break” in Chucho’s Ponle la Clave still gets me. Clave in 7!)
