Split point for grand staff

I cannot find the option for setting the MIDI Split Point for what I play - sure there’s one apparently available when importing MIDI. Searched the online manual too.

Arrghh -some so simple is yet again wasting my time.

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Scroll down to import options>Interpretation, you can set the splitpoint as automatic or fixed. Hope it helps.
Note that this is for MIDI import, not for recording directly into Dorico (as I understand now you’ve already figured out).

I am not opening a MIDI file - I’m inputting notes from my MIDI keyboard. Trying to access the options via File>Import just leads to browsing for a file.

I don’t believe it exists. However, your assumption is that everyone’s MIDI keyboard input is heading to a grand staff piano. That might not be true for others. For example, if you have string quartet, set the caret across all four instruments, and play a 4-note chord, Dorico cleverly assigns one note to each instrument, irrespective of tessitura. The concept of split point is meaningless in this context.

You’ll find options relating to MIDI recording in Preferences > Play.

Dorico 4 brought changes in this area: Dorico now does various clever stuff that detects contrapuntal music during MIDI recording, and will therefore the split point can vary according to the requirements of the music.

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The only way to resolve this ist using LogicPro or similar.
→ Splitpoint in Logic
→ Record your stuff
→ Check it!
→ Export as xml or mid file
→ Import to Dorico
→ Make some adjustments
→ Ready!

According to Dorico’s YouTube video, Real time MIDI Recording in Dorico | New Features in Dorico 2.2 The ability to change the split point for midi recording used to be a feature found in Preferences but now it is mysteriously missing and can only be found in the MIDI Import Options dialogue. I hope they add this feature back in!

Welcome to the forum, @thewisebard. Dorico 4 introduced a new, automatic voice separation algorithm that by its nature needs to use a floating split point. This will normally give you the best possible results.

Where can I read more about this algorithm? Suppose I want to enter four-note chords on a grand staff, using a MIDI keyboard (but not in real time), and have each chord split so that it has two notes in the upper staff and two in the lower. Is that possible?

There’s no option for always allocating two notes to one staff and two notes to the other; during step-time input (if I remember correctly) Dorico will always use a fixed split point.

Is there a way to temporary change the split point AFTER a MIDI import?
For example, in a section there might be some medium-low chords played by the right hand (so a split point around G3 is needed) and later, we may want to have back a “standard C4” split point.
There is a very efficient plug-in Sibelius “Change Split Point” that allows to apply a split point on selected bars.
Is there some functionality like that in Dorico 5?
Thanks by advance!

No, there’s nothing like that, I’m afraid. It would be a neat addition to the feature set, but it’s not something that Dorico can do right now.

Well it seems to me that Split Point is simply not working as expected, in my case at least, this is the result I’m getting after recording a simple part. I have corrected the two first bars (option M), the other bars shows the default result from Dorico, I am clearly expecting a different output :

Did you start recording with the caret showing on just the top staff? If so, that would explain the result you’re getting. Instead, select just a note or rest on the top staff before you start recording. Dorico will then distribute the notes you play between both staves.

Hi Daniel,

Following your advice I have run a few tests with 2 different custom instruments and found the result quite interesting :

  • Both were keyboards
  • The acoustic piano had Split Point working great
  • The Electric Piano still had Split Point uneffective as in my previous post
  • After looking closely at the instruments definitions the only difference was that the Electric Piano belonged to two families (Keybords and Electronics) while the Acoustic Piano only belonged to “Keyboards”
  • Removing the “Electronics” family on the Electric Piano completely solved the problem !
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Something is wrong with the new “intelligent” splitpoint:
This is steptime midi input.


I might have changed a setting somewhere, but can’t remember where…

What to do ?

Hello, this is still a total mystery for me.

I’d like to input a keyboard part, but no matter what I do, or what help menu I search, I cannot see any way to get Dorico to distribute my played in notes over two staves. It all ends up on one staff.

I’m not recording in real-time, I’m simply trying to input notes (pitch before duration). There’s nothing in Preferences I can find to change this.

I’d really appreciate some guidance. Thank you!

If you extend the caret across both staves (start note input on the right-hand staff, then use Shift+ to extend the caret to the left-hand staff), when you play chords in step-time input, the chords you input will automatically be split at middle C (MIDI note 60). As far as I can remember, there’s no option to specify where this split point should fall.