Staccato not selected

[Paolo_T]

Hi,

Maybe the latest version of Dorico Pro can’t send Staccato messages?

I’m using Version 5.1.51.2153 on Mac Monterey. Synchron Player and Kontakt 7 (latest version) hosted on Vienna Ensemble Pro (latest version).

I’m trying with a staff playing a Synchron instrument, and one playing the same part on Kontakt. Each one has a dedicated expression map. The one for Synchron uses Keyswitches, the one for Kontakt a Keyswitch + Velocity (Spitfire UACC KS).

Staccato (as a dot over the note) is not playing. It falls back to Natural. If I try Staccatissimo, with the same data sent from the expression maps, it plays the Staccato articulation.

This happens in both instruments, with different players, expression maps, types of messages.

Something I’m doing wrong? The test score is super-easy:

Paolo

[benwiggy]

@Paolo_T

Staccato (as a dot over the note) is not playing. It falls back to Natural. If I try Staccatissimo, with the same data sent from the expression maps, it plays the Staccato articulation.

Have you checked the Expression Map, that the MIDI commands set for Staccato are the ones that should be?

[Paolo_T]

@benwiggy

Have you checked the Expression Map, that the MIDI commands set for Staccato are the ones that should be?

Yes, checked and re-checked.

But I also did the inverse: replacing the Staccato playback technique in the expression map’s item with Staccatissimo. This time it worked, even if no MIDI data was touched.

So, the MIDI sequence is correct, but there is something happening with the Staccato playback technique. All the others I’m checking seem to be working fine.

Paolo

[dspreadbury]

In general there’s no problem with sending the staccato playback technique. (You can verify this by starting a new project that uses Iconica Sketch and write a couple of notes for flute with staccato, and you’ll see that Dorico does indeed switch to staccato as it should for those notes.)

[Janus]

@Paolo_T

But I also did the inverse: replacing the Staccato playback technique in the expression map’s item with Staccatissimo. This time it worked, even if no MIDI data was touched.

So, the MIDI sequence is correct, but there is something happening with the Staccato playback technique. All the others I’m checking seem to be working fine.

Have you perchance changed the maximum duration for staccato technique option in Playback options>Timing… to a small value?

[Paolo_T]

@Janus

Have you perchance changed the maximum duration for staccato technique option in Playback options>Timing… to a small value?

That’s it! This option was set to quarter notes, and the missing staccato was from a quarter note. This didn’t happen with Staccatissimo, because that is supposedly expecting a shortened maximum value.

I admit I never noticed this, and even the test Daniel was suggesting wouldn’t have resulted in a fix. I have probably never used Staccato in such long notes, or Dorico adopts a mechanism that is so convincing to be unnoticed and sound natural.

Paolo