I’m trying to make a playback template so I can use Garritan Jazz & Blues library. I’ve made expression maps so that I get the different brass mutes. When I create the different endpoint configurations I’m at loss how to do with instrument doublings. I’ve made a playback template for brass sections, trumpets and trombones.
For instance, the trumpet section doubles on Flugelhorn, Bass Trombone doubles on Tuba. The woodwind section doubles on various clarinets, flutes, saxes. What’s the best way of doing a playback template with the common instrument doublings for big band?
There are combination instruments in the Garritan Jazz & Blues library using key switch to change between different mutes, but also combination instruments where you can switch between alto sax, flute, soprano sax using key switch. I haven’t got a clue how to set that up. Is there anyone that managed to get that to work?
I would put each of the doubled instruments on a different Aria/MIDI channel and send each of those channels to the appropriate Expression Map (w/ the appropriate configuration of mutes). Even if Garritan gives you the means to change instruments via key switch, that doesn’t mean you have to use it if it is not the simplest way to implement that sounds your want.
I’ve tried that several times and I can’t get it to work. Mutes don’t play despite using a expression that works, instrument in the woodwind section doesn’t play and so forth. I’ve tried many times and it must be something in the process that I’m doing wrong, but I can’t figure what. If I start up a project with only brass and use my playback template all is good, mutes work. If a start using instrument doublings, for instance two of the
Trumpets play Flugelhorn, mutes stops playing on the other two Trumpets. Things like this happens and I don’t understand why.
If you’'re trying to drive multiple channels/slots in ARIA from a single staff or player in Dorico, I think you’re going to run into problems. Dorico expects there to be only a single endpoint (or set of endpoints, if you choose to route each voice belonging to the player to an independent channel), using a single expression map, and driving a single set of patches.
Also, from Dorico’s point of view, using a combined patch that has sounds for different doubling combinations isn’t going to be practical. You should use separate patches for each instrument, so that you can work with the way Dorico approaches doublings.
You can assign different slots in ARIA to the same MIDI channel.
You need two things: firstly, custom Playing Techniques to mark in the score where the changes happen; secondly, something in the expression map that maps the technique to the key switch.
Daniel, I’ve set up end point figurations so that every instrument used in the score have a unique slot. Even so I Dorico can’t figure out to load the right sound/instrument.
I’ll try to use key switch the way you describe it Ben. But if I create a playing technique that means switching from alto sax to flute, how does that work with Doricos way with instrument doubling?
Am I right in thinking you’ve got one stave line for more than one instrument? The Dorico way would be to duplicate the player and condense the two in the score. Then you can have separate playback for each instrument and only one stave in the score.
Regarding set up in Dorico I use the system for instrument doubling used. In play mode I assign one unique instrument per slot in aria player. All instruments on separat channels. This seem to be the way to do it. Or am I wrong?
When you use the Dorico system of doubling (multiple instruments on separate staves for a given player in Galley mode) then these connect to sound slots on different (MIDI) channels, whether in HALion or Aria. Each of these channel numbers needs to be assigned to a corresponding Expression Map slot for that instrument in that instance of the Aria Player, and the Expression Map setting needs to be appropriate to the instrument.
Without actually seeing (a sample section of) your .dorico file, we cannot be sure we are talking about the same things.
An example of separate ExMap settings for different instruments. The concept would be similar if you are using Aria.
I’ve finally managed to get things to work the way it should. I started the whole process all over and did endpoint configuration of one group of instruments at a time. I’m not really sure what went wrong last time. Anyhow, now it works. Thanks for your suggestions! Most helpful!
One question remains. Panning in the Aria Mixer doesn’t seem to be saved in the endpoint configuration, is that right?
Dorico saves whatever information each VST instrument saves when it’s requested to save its state. I think you might need to ask the boys at Plogue (who develop the ARIA Player) whether pan should be part of that saved state.
