Am I missing something; is mute not implemented in Vienna Symphonic Library Synchron Brass?
If not, would anyone who’s added it kindly suggest how I might do so, please?
Dorico Pro 6.1.10.6078 (Oct 8 2025)
TIA…
Most sample libraries tend to put muted instruments in separate libraries. Looks like VSL Synchron has muted trumpets which can be purchased individually (Synchron Brass Overview - Vienna Symphonic Library). I don’t see any other muted brass in their current Synchron offerings.
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I don’t know if this is something that could be useful. Maybe you could use a host like Vienna Ensemble Pro to automate it on and off:
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Sordina is fantastic. It might not be the real thing, but it works in a credible way. And is fantastically versatile.
Paolo
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Many thanks, Scott!
Of course, you’re right: mutes aren’t included - presumably because to do so would require every musician to play and record every note of ever instrument at potentially every articulation… twice!
At the time I posted last night the products pages of VSL were unavailable. Now I can see.
But, if so, I’d have to load a totally separate instrument (for trumpet mute), rather than indicate Mute (SHIFT + P) in Dorico, wouldn’t I?
Much appreciated 
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Thanks very much, @Major81!
Yes, I’ve seen nothing but positive feedback about Sordina. I must investigate.
As I understand it, Sordina can be (used as) an FX (VST, for us in Dorico) plugin; your suggestion of VEP8 would allow me to send the required CC from Dorico, then, wouldn’t it?
Thanks, @Paolo_T; Yes, I see. Have you actually had Sordina working with Dorico and the VST Synchron brass library?
That’s how I understand it. I personally use other instruments and effects with VEP7 and even send CC data via Expression Maps.
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Thanks again, @Major81; shall investigate !
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Of course, you can also load Sordina directly in Dorico. But I’m not sure if you can automate it there—no point buying VEP if you don’t actually need it
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@Major81 - by ‘automate’ you’re referring to having Dorico indicate the technique in the score (SHIFT + P), aren’t you?
Yes, I’ve used it and it worked fine.
Sordina can be remotely controlled by assignable CCs. These messages can bypass it, or choose one of the available mute options.
In Dorico, you can assign these CC to items in the expression map.
Paolo
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Yes. Unless you program a custom preset (or VSL adds it, as done other times) including a switch between the normal and muted versions.
I don’t have any mute brass from the Synchron series, so I don’t know. With Duality Strings, they provided these extended presets.
Paolo
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Great. Thanks, Paolo. I’ve written to David (and got a reply, already - which really bodes well) at Libre Wave.
Time to experiment, I think.
I haven’t built my own Expression Maps at all; now is as good a time to learn this as any, wouldn’t you say?
Thanks again !
Actually, what I meant was the ability to “draw in” any parameter of the effect (e.g., Dry/Wet, Bypass, or Wah-Wah) directly in Dorico’s MIDI editor. Alternatively, you can also build (or expand) an Expression Map to trigger the command.
So, the following should be possible:
- You define which CC command the MIX control should respond to (e.g., CC 4).
- In the Expression Maps, you create an entry so that when you type “mute”, it sends CC 4 with a value of 127 (100%).
(I’m not sure right now how to ensure it resets to 1 when you enter “nat.”—that might need an additional rule.) - Then, when you press Shift+P and enter “mute”, the effect should activate.
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Once again, extremely helpful, @Major81!
Presumably I would append the relevant CC command(s) to the Playback Template and its EM(s) as supplied by VSL, wouldn’t I?
Many thanks .
I’m not entirely sure, but it should be possible to set up just an “add-on”, and then it would automatically apply to all articulations.
Maybe @dspreadbury can explain in more detail how to configure it so that it turns on and off reliably.
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Thanks, @Major81; not having created my own EM or PT yet, I need to learn that first, I’d say… at this juncture, I can’t easily see how to tell Dorico that I’m using both the VSL one generated by their Wizard and whatever parameters I need to bring in for indicating CC mutes by LibeWave.
I’m not sure if I understand you correctly. But in the VSL Expression Map, you could open it and—if possible—click on the puzzle piece icon to add an extra playing instruction.
A few months or years ago, I built a relatively complex Expression Map for my SWAM instruments. I fought my way through some kind of plan and ended up succeeding. Here’s a screenshot of how it looks for me.
For example the sul tasto and so on are triggered by such an „additional instruction“ (I don’t know how it’s really called in English). In SWAM it is not an external effect but a setting in the instrument. You can set an „on event“ and an „of event“ value. So in my case a tremolo is set to cc8. On note on I set the value to 127 and on note off to 1.
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@Major81 - Yes, you do understand (and if I’m not clear, that’s my fault, not yours… still learning EMs etc).
I did a brief trial with Sordina just now; after installation it appears in the FX channel of the Mixer with its own browser etc. So I’m hopeful that I can indeed use ‘add-on’ (what I think might be ‘Zusatz‘ in your screenshot?).
Thanks!
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