Playback in Dorico 6.2

@Ulf, I have resolved the difficulties with my La Mer file and hope my discoveries prove useful to you and other users who also had files that failed to load and playback and then required Dorico to be force quit. Apart from these problems, the most noticeable factor was the large number of instrument files for string instruments for which independent voice playback had been initiated.

Most of my Dorico files have involved smaller instrumental forces and this file was an early attempt at using Dorico for orchestral scores and in particular, for inputting string instrument divisi in galley view. I delighted in creating the appropriate number of staves to accommodate divisi but foolishly neglected to input all music in each stave into the default voice (upstem 1). As a result, most of my divisi staves originally included music in two voices and when I elected to activate independent voice playback for each of my strings, the number of instrument tracks was in all cases higher and in some cases twice what was required for the music. This undoubtedly impaired Dorico’s ability to assign a single appropriate instrument to each divisi track. (I had also mistakenly added an unneeded cue staff for 1st violins but neglected to delete it.)

My initial attempt at a remedy with the file you rescued for me involved highlighting the music in each divisi staff and changing it all to upstem voice 1 in the hope this would get rid of the excess instrument tracks. However, this didn’t work—the number of instrument tracks remained the same even though many were empty of music.

I then created a duplicate section player for each of my string instruments and adjusted the number of divisi staves at each point and then copied and pasted in the music which was already solely in upstem voice 1 as noted in the above paragraph. This did successfully reduce the number of instrument tracks. I’m not sure why but it also meant that my solo violin and solo cello parts were no longed assigned to section instruments as they had been, something I assume was a related problem. (No changes were made to any playback templates. These were not the cause of this problem.)

Ultimately, this has been a valuable learning experience for me and I will be delighted if it also helps a long-standing issue for you involving files that fail to load and playback and then require Dorico to be force quit. I realize there may be other factors relating the requirement to force quit but the fact that my changes to the divisi staves means that solo instruments are no longer assigned to section instruments (which appears on the surface to be unrelated) gives me hope that the problems you mentioned might also relate to problematic note entry into divisi staves.

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Hi Mike, thanks so much for sharing and explaining. I’m not sure how applicable your advice is for other users/cases, but let’s hope so and see. The future will tell.
But of course also good for you that you’ve found a solution yourself.

And I appreciate very much your effort in writing down this lots of info. Thanks so much.

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I was wrong about everything being OK with the La Mer file. As noted in my preceding post I worked on the file on which you stripped the audio engine data and got the VST instances and instrument tracks down to what they should be and this somehow resulted in the solo violin being correctly assigned to a single rather than section player. Playback was initially trouble-free but after several playthroughs produced sound only through the right hand side. I checked playback on other apps and other Dorico files too and found they played fine through both sides so a faulty speaker or interface weren’t causing the problem. However, after restarting my Mac mini M1 the playback was once again normal and playing through both left and right speakers. All was not well, though, as when I restarted Dorico later sound was once again playing through the right speaker only. I then closed Dorico and reopened the file but this time the vst instruments never loaded, there was no playback, and the file had to be force quit. This was the same file on which you deleted the audio engine data for me so the problem seems to be a recurring one. I also have the same problem with the file for the second movement of La Mer (that started life as flow 2 of the original file). However, other Dorico files play back without problems although I haven’t really been working on those so can’t comment on whether the problem might be more widespread, but I don’t think so.

I have attached a new Diagnostic Report and will send the two problem Dorico files via email as there isn’t enough room to include them here:

Dorico Diagnostics.zip (2.5 MB)

I realize this is the Easter weekend and music is a hobby for me (albeit one I am passionate about) so personal deadlines are not a factor and I will be happy to receive a response in the new week.

Hi Mike, sorry, I worked whole afternoon in the garden and now I’m completely exhausted and almost fall asleep.

Hopefully tomorrow I come back with more…

Sorry again

Ulf

Thanks, Ulf. I also just finished working in the garden! Please don’t worry about looking into my continuing problems until the long weekend is over and you are back at work. I am inputting the third movement of the same work and have plenty to keep me busy until we get this sorted. Your dedication to helping users is much appreciated!