Triggering VSL Tremolo In VSL For Dorico SY Strings ExMap

In the VSL for Dorico SY Strings Pro Expression Map there is a Playback Technique called Legato + Tremolo. But I cannot hit on what Playing Technique (in Write Mode) will trigger it. Any way to find out other than hunt and try until I happen to stumble upon it, or figure out on my own that there is none and I need to create my own.

Thanks for any help.

I think the “legato” playing technique will trigger the “legato” playback technique (as do ordinary slurs, depending on the instrument/playback template), and tremolo will be triggered by unmeasured tremolos (that depends on how many tremolo strokes you’ve set to be the threshold for unmeasured vs measured, I think).

If you go to the Edit Playing Techniques dialog, you can see there which playback technique is assigned to each playing technique, but you’re right there isn’t currently a display for the other way around. Part of this is because the same playback technique can be triggered by multiple playing techniques with different appearances for different situations.

Thanks, Lillie, for answering the question. I phrased it badly suggesting that my concern included “legato,” when it is the “tremolo” component that I’m trying to figure out.

Yeah, I kinda wondered if the problem might be multiple PT’s capable of triggering PBT’s. I am aware of the Edit Playing Techniques dialogue, and that it shows the assigned PBT for each.

With third party Expression Maps, this is problematic. Since I didn’t create the map myself, I have no way beyond educated guessing what the creator might have set up to trigger any particular PBT. After the first five or six “trials” in the “trial and error” approach in finding what you are looking for, you begin to wonder if you might spend an unsuccessful hour and come to the conclusion that the creator in fact did not include a triggering PT for the Tremolo PBT.

Thanks again for getting me an answer.

In this particular case, is it more the case that the EM includes provision for the situation where unmeasured tremolos are played underneath a slur, and therefore both the “legato” and “tremolo” playing techniques are required simultaneously, meaning a combined technique is required to allow that?

The tremolo playback technique is generally triggered by tremolos, rather than a playing technique, although you can of course create a playing technique that triggers the tremolo playback technique.

Lillie’s second post is the way forward, I think. You need to create a separate tremolo p.t and then put both legato and tremolo written p.t’s in the score at the same time (or immediately after). I can’t see any other way to get it to work. The separate tremolo technique, incidentally, gives you a better change of getting the problematic two note tremolos to work properly.

Thanks Lillie and dko22.

I hadn’t mentioned yet that what I’m really looking to trigger is just the VSL tremolo slot in the SY Player. Since there was no entry for tremolo alone in the VSL-generated ExMap, I was trying to make do with the entry for Legato + Tremolo.

So yes, it appears that I will have to create my own ExMap entry and PT for that. I was trying to avoid creating any modifications to the ExMap myself simply because it means I would have to redo them any time VSL comes out with an update. I guess that’s unavoidable.

Nonetheless, I really appreciate that VSL has provided these.

This is the initial bars of the excerpt from Brahms No. 1, Mvmt 4, rehearsal mark B that I am working on. I just need to figure out how best to trigger playback.

I suspect what Brahms is doing is something mentioned yesterday in another thread, training the players in the first half of the bar what he wants them to do in the following tremolos.

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That’s funny, now I look at the ExMap this morning and there IS a separate Tremolo only entry in the VSL map. Don 't know how I missed that yesterday.

there is an entry for Tremolo alone in the SY strings Pro. Take another look, remembering that the list is alphabetical. As expected, it has exactly the same switches as legato+tremolo.

Update – I see our posts have crossed!

Thanks, dko 22. Yesterday I did not notice this, I have no idea how I missed it. Must have been because yesterday it was mid-day and now it is 5am! Go figure.

Got it triggered now. Thanks all.

Now that I have triggered tremolo, my next need is some help with how to notate the Brahms excerpt in Dorico. It doesn’t help that I’m not well-versed in the ins and outs of tremolo notation.

glad things are now working! Incidentally, I don’t myself use this library but I installed the VSL maps so i could have a look in case there were queries on them and if I’d been a few minutes earlier, I would have been able to help you :grinning: For my own work, I use my own EM’s.

As for the tremolo notations, I’ll let one of the army of experts take over as such things tax my brain…

dko22,

You have always been most helpful and generous with your time, it’s appreciated.

For this exact excerpt, you’ll have to make sure force duration is on when you notate the dotted eighths and dotted quarters, then select them, shift-r and 32. Of course, you have to deal with the 6 thing and the 12 thing before — 6:4x tuplet and 12:8x should do the trick. Alas, those don’t play back as triplet tremolos so if playback is important, you might need to resort to a workaround (like notating the real music in an added hidden staff and turning the playback of the shown staff off). Sorry if this is not very clear, I am nowhere near my computer this week…
[Edit] I didn’t see there was another thread exactly on this subject. Apologies for responding here.

Thanks, Marc.