I am not against the principle of Doricoising the Cubase Score editor. Unfortunately, I have hundreds of small Cubase scores in the old format, and would import scores via MusicXML. This is now all unavailable. Import from Dorico also not possible, obviously. If the old Score program had been left as a bolt-on that would have been exzellent, but I expect it would have been too difficult to implement both. I’ll continue using 13 Pro. It’s sad about the comments disparaging the old Score editor. Michael Michaelis and his team put a lot of effort into it. It was maybe not so suitable for large scores but its features worked fine for me, not least the ability to move notes and barlines sideways with click-and-drag. I am learning Dorico as well, but don’t see a way to transfer anything other than MIDI into Cubase; no direct Dorico import, obviously, and no MusicXML. I suppose it’s like decimalisation; it will all settle down in time.
I was always more concerned with .xml or .musicxml export, of which the track record for me wasn’t at all great and I had to use other applications to be able to convert from .mid files I had exported in the DAW.
The Cubase MusicXML implementation wasn’t as exhaustive as those in e.g. Musescore or Dorico, and produced sometimes odd results. Writing code to generate XML to exchange data with a public service organisation seemed to indicate that, although you can rigorously check self-consistency, the structure and sequence of the labels (and data of course) to be exported had to be coded character-by-character. I could find no automation programs to magically interpret or create the tags. Maybe it’s better now. I’ve just imported a MusicXML file to MuseScore and Dorico. Both are well-formed, but the MuseScore document was 9 pages long, the Dorico one 16. I’m going with MuseScore this time. But that’s off the subject, sorry, sorry.
I would love to be able to export MusicXML files, and have them read in another application, e.g., Guitar Pro, since I use .gp files on a website, which has a library called AlphaTab, that uses those files to render and playback a score but at this stage, it cannot interpret .xml files.
To do that, I currently export .mid files and import them into Forte Notation, which can properly generate Music XML, but it would be great to be able to avoid this step since it (forte) is not the most stable application around.
I’m afraid I’m not clear on what the issue is … Dorico and Cubase both export and import MusicXML (as does Guitar Pro, too).
Is the problem with scores that originated in the old Cubase Score Editor not able to transfer into the new (Dorico-style) Cubase Score Editor?
Thank you for your post, Mr Soundman. Cubase Pro 14 has no MusicXML import option. Up to 13, I could export MusicXML from e.g. Dorico and import it into Cubase, for example to create practice tracks for SATB singers. This is (for the moment) no longer available. There is no direct Dorico import, of course, as the version in Cubase is some sort of Lite. It’s a difficult situation for Steinberg, a rock and a hard place. I am really just playing Devil’s Advocate as it’s possible for me to work around the issues. Although I have purchased two Cubase 14 Pro upgrades, I have no plan to use them in the near future.
Apologies, I was still looking at Cubase 13 … I understand now!
The release notes for Cubase 14 (scroll down to " The new Score Editor built upon Dorico technology") mention that “MusicXML import is not supported yet, but it will be implemented in the future.”; also, in the Dorico blog on the subject, it states that “in future Cubase 14 maintenance updates, […] the team will be working to further improve the import of data from the legacy Score Editor in older projects.”
It would seem the issue is certainly on Steinberg’s radar, and that some kind of solution will appear during the lifetime of version 14. Here’s the Steinberg Help Article:
Thank you, Mr Soundman. I had seen the “…in the future…” assertion after investigating why the MusicXML Import option had disappeared from 14. I hadn’t got down to the remarks about import from the old Score editor. If XML import into Cubase 14+ were properly implemented (note the subjunctive) then transfer could be done that way, saving half-hearted attempts to build a procedure to do it internally; notwithstanding the convenience of such a shortcut, it would seem a forlorn hope that the programmers would devote serious time to such a goal. I don’t think the score side has been a major selling-point of Cubase.
I’m sure others appreciate this updated score editor, but getting good scores out of a DAW doesn’t even rate as a priority for me.
MusicXML Import was a primary reason why I settle on Cubase. A lot of DAWs lack this function.
It was basically Cubase, REAPER or Studio One via Notion 6 (which is hit or miss for import, due to being out of date).
IMO, it should have been left on the grill until it was finished. Dropping this feature made running this update a showstopper. Literally had to go back to 13 immediately upon opening it. If the patch notes were more clear about the function being ripped out completely, I would never have purchased the upgrade.
Less so the ability to create print-ready output and moreso the ability to import the MusicXML to create nuanced performances.
I suppose we have chewed the fat enough on this one. I’ll attempt to close it. Thanks to all for your feedback.
Please be assured that MusicXML import is a high priority item for us. We’re very aware of the areas of missing functionality that users are expecting and are working to address that.