Dorico won’t automatically adjust the page size and/or staff size for you. You’ll need to pick appropriate sizes in Library > Layout Options > Page Setup. You can also access Layout Options using the key command Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-L.
You can find useful topics about how to make your music look nice on the page in this chapter of the manual:
The VSL Expression Maps don’t have VelXF turned on by default. I’m not entirely sure why they chose this route as I would imagine most Dorico users will want this, but it’s a simple edit. At least for the VSL SYzd SE libraries this is on CC28 so you just need to activate it. In Dorico, you can simply add the following to the Init of any of those Expression Maps:
I’m not sure about other VSL libraries so just check what CC controls that.
I use my own maps in VSL but installed their latest version again just to see what’s what. As @FredGUnn says, it seems they still use the velocity patches with secondary controller CC2 (in the case of solo strings I’m looking at just now) but as CC2 allocated VelXF is disabled, this means the secondary controller’s ability to change the dynamic on the note is likewise disabled. Just one of many head-scratching oddities in their maps which make the ones I’ve tested at least completely unsatisfactory for my purposes but at least the CC28 entry will eliminate your immediate issue.
NotePerfomer definitely will perform hairpins on a single longer note as the volume dynamic (primary dynamic controller) in the map is CC11 so if it’s not working for some reason then I suggest you reapply the NotePerformer playback template in the first instance to try.
I’m a pretty big VSL fan, and still have a few hundred in vouchers to spend from the sale last fall, but they occasionally do have some pretty big headscratchers! Not understanding that users of notation software want to have all dynamics play back is certainly one of them.
I was sort of excited when I heard they were coming out with the new Synchon-ized Saxophone collection, but jeez, here’s the audio they lead with:
Cringe. For anyone who doesn’t know the original Charlie Parker recording they are trying to emulate, it’s this:
It’s not some obscure tune either, as virtually every alto saxophone student learns Blues For Alice around sophomore or junior year of high school. Complete headscratcher that they would lead off with such a poor rendition instead of using some original music that wouldn’t immediately draw any comparisons.
Thank you so very much, I first got lost and confused with all the LIBRARY options. But I suspected it had something to do with raster size, following your advice I firs changed page size , then in Layout options/ Page Setup/Rastral Size changed rastral size to 8 (3.7mm) which totally solved the problem.
Perhaps I should have followed the instructions under Changing the default staff size in the help, but the result is perhaps the same?
“In Dorico, you can simply add the following to the Init of any of those Expression Maps:” Seems a great solution, thank you, but I’m afraid I don’t know how to find " Init "to make the change you suggest.
I am ashamed to feel I must ask advice again so soon. I have relay tried but I can’t come up with a solution.
After importing the XLM score from Sibelius, In SETUP all instruments appear, as they do in PLAY and on the score, but as you can see in PLAY, in the VST Instruments list the Oboe, Baritone Oboe and the Bass Oboe are missing. So there are no SYNCHRON PLAYER Instances for these 3 instruments, although these instruments exist in my VSL. I need 3 more SYNCHRON PLAYER Instances, but since all instruments are in SETUP I don’t know what to do.
The Expression Maps live at Library / Expression Maps. Just click on the maps in use in your project and add that CC to the Init of each of them.
Hi, I suggest you to look at Preferences/MusicXML Import options. Personally I un-tick all of them and let Dorico do it’s interpretation of the file. You can experiment unticking some of them and see how the results are. You will find soon the options that best suites you.
Here a video with explanations: https://www.youtube.com/live/iiDD5eVSZUA?feature=share
I ve looked at Preferences/MusicXML Import* options. and the video.
Very important for me this suggestion of yours to acquire the necessary knowledge.
I have managed it but it is a lot of tedious work to get half decent results so not something I want to do very often.
Thank you very much.
No. So far it just doesn’t work for me, DORICO with NotePerformer and VSL Synchron ,very occasionally the velocity or dynamics do something, very little, most of the time the ff, pp do nothing at all. I’ve loaded the correct VSL expression maps. Right now, I’m totally frustrated after many hours of trying, I did follow your advice Init C4 control change 28 127 on several instruments but no change. I’ve been very excited about trying out the Vienna free instruments, but they seem to be on a different planet than DORICO so far. I seem to be totally derailed. I have asked for advice from VSL, hope they will come up with something.
Replying to yourself on a long thread is not very helpful.
What are you trying to achieve?
Assigning the VSL Expression maps while playing through NP4 sounds as if it is just asking for trouble. I would think one would use the NP Expression maps when playing through NP4.
I didn’t express myself properly to each vst its own map.
It looks like I was mistaken, VSL special edition and NOTEPERFORMER did work correctly with DORICO the last time I tried, I am not very technical and get very frustrated when I just try to write music and the software gets in the way. I apologise.
