I’m having trouble understanding how to use percussion instruments. There are some instruments that I want to use my own sample libraries for when I’m writing. For example, I want to write a part for Temple Block, and I want to use the temple block instrument in Spitfire’s Percussion library. I have the library loaded correctly as a VST and linked the Temple Block track to the library. When I input a note on the score, it seems to send the MIDI note B4 to the VST Kontakt plugin hosting Spitfire Percussion. Why does it default to this note? I checked around and didn’t seem to see any percussion kit assigned to it, and the expression map is listed as default. Further, how would I get it to send a different MIDI note to the VST? In the score, it only seems to accept one note.
I’ve tried watching the tutorials on percussion maps, expression maps, and other “maps”, but I don’t quite understand how this works in practice with using custom setups. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
Yes, a percussion map is mandatory, because it maps the MIDI notes to the instruments in Dorico, an expression map is only needed if there are playing techniques the VST supports, in case of temple/wood blocks for example rolls.
This is an example for three wood blocks using the free VSL Small Percussion library.
This is the key mapping, the three wood blocks are mapped to C3, F3 and A3
In the percussion map you have to specify the MIDI note, the attached instrument and the playback technique, the playback technique will be used in the expression map.
Now create a new percussion kit and add the three woodblock (low, medium, high) instruments.
Happy blocking
Anthony Hughes has recently published a new series of tutorials for playback templates including a comprehensive introduction to percussion and expression maps.
The EM for percussion instruments can also be used to switch beaters and mallets or even sometimes to a bow. In generally this works well using add-on messages in the EM + a mutual exclusion map with all beaters listed.
It can also be used in particular for VSL to chose between different sizes of instruments offered in the library all having the same percussion map. You do need user added “articulations” like small, medium, large to designate these in the EM.
