I’m quite new to Dorico. Am I doing something wrong or is it true that I can’t use different VST’s for different instruments IN THE SAME SCORE? For example, a saxophone from Helion SE and a violin ensemble from Philharmonik 2. When I try to set the Philharmonik for the violins, for example, the already set Helion for the sax changes to Philharmonik automatically. So it looks like it’s either one or the other for that score.
What you desire is possible. Make sure you align VST synths and MIDI channels on both your instrument and synth.
lcrodrigues,
Are you trying to bounce among sounds from a single stave? I.E. For articulation changes?
Currently, as Derrek pointed out, unless I’ve missed something with recent Dorico updates now supporting stave ‘instrument changes’, each stave in Dorico can use any single VSTi plugin and channel, but it cannot yet ‘bounce’ channels or instances from a single stave.
I.E. Currently you cannot do something like run an arco violin sound on channel 1 in HALion and then bounce to channel 1 in ARIA for a staccato articulation within the same stave. Nor can you ‘channel bounce’ within the same stave/plugin (I.E. An arco violin in channel 1 of ARIA, and pizzicato in channel 2).
The immediate work around is to use a key-switching (KS) or PC/CC changing instrument if possible within a single plugin. Most of the orchestral libraries these days will have key-switching instruments available that will provide a variety of articulation types over a single channel. Dorico can be taught to send the proper key-switch using an expressionmap, which in turn is triggered by playing techniques that you place on the score.
If you are trying to use a plugin that does not have KS or PC patches, then you can use separate staves for each sound you need. Dorico is pretty good about hiding empty staves in page mode, so it often works out pretty well for things like an arco/pizzicato swap.
I.E. An Arco stave assigned to whatever plugin/channel plays this, a separate pizzicato stave connected to its instrument, etc.
Another immediate possibility is using third party software such as Bidule, which would allow you to host any collection of plugins you like and create methods to bounce among them. One could build a setup that would accept key-switches or program changes from a single stave in order to bounce around to any plugin/channel you like (using Dorico Techniques and expressionmaps).
If registered Bidule can run as a VST, or VSTi plugin. In the VST/i mode one would load it like any other instrument plugin, but then host and connect any collection of plugins desired inside the Bidule instance.
To try out the Free Standalone Bidule Demo with Dorico, one would need to set up virtual MIDI ports (For PC: loopMIDI, For Mac: core audio), and do the mixing through Bidule, or make Dorico a Rewire Master by installing Rewire VST. Right now the Demo posted runs out tomorrow, but I’d image they will put a new one up with a later date soon.