I like to work out orchestrations in a score layout without having to worry about sounds/articulations.
Is there a VST that interprets midi from the score editor, including basic articulation and dynamic markings, and plays back with rhythmic accuracy, and with minimal setup? Similar to notation software playback?
After writing in the score editor. I would copy the midi to tracks with good sounding virtual instruments and add ccs and articulations from there.
Thanks all!
Hi,
I would recommed to have a look to Dorico.
I should have explained that I have Dorico. I just would love to live in cubase for as long as possible before exporting to Dorico. I end up with a lot of differences between score and DAW project that could be avoided
Have used Cubase 14 yet?
I think the best way in Cubase would be to spend the time on creating a good template with all the sounds that you need. Then you can use that as a starting point for any future project.
I have templates. I simply write much faster for traditional orchestra using notation. When inputting into a DAW, your CCs need to be set correctly, there might be 3-4 articulations that need to be set on a single musical line, notes might need to be nudged to be rhythmically accurate. With notation, and notation style playback (rhythmically accurate, balanced, doesn’t need to sound good) I can focus only on the musical choices, with no adjustments needed.
Writing the piano demo on the DAW and orchestrating in notation software is a very fast process for me. What I find cumbersome is exporting the MIDI from the notation software into the DAW and cleaning up unnesseary MIDI data. If I could work in a score mode in the DAW, ideally I would just need to copy and paste the MIDI data down to the “real” sample libraries and make fewer adjustments from there.
What I’m trying to glean is: Is there a playback vst that interprets basic articulation and dynamics from the score editor, and plays it back clearly and accurately without needing to tweak anything, or minimal tweaking? This would be only for playback while writing, and doesn’t need to sound “good”, just clear and accurate.
Why do you think that using a template keeps you from writing in the score editor?
It doesn’t. I just am looking for a no-nonsense playback VST to add to my template, one that I don’t have to tweak (ccs, articulations, dynamics) while writing.
It does sound like what you’re describing is what many others achieve with Dorico + NotePerformer. If you want articulations to be played from markings the score without needing to worry about manually creating CCs or lots of manual setup then this is what it’s designed to do. However, that would mean having a slightly different workflow from what you are suggesting.
That’s what I’m doing currently. Exporting MIDI back and forth is time consuming and error prone and I’m trying to find a way to avoid it.
I’m wondering if a workflow is possible to notate music with Dorico-like playback, inside of Cubase.
My guess is that there will be some kind of playback sync between Cubase and Dorico before articulation/dynamic playback would be supported in Cubase Score Editor.
I actually favor this as Dorico’s playback is a lot more intuitive for composers than Cubase expression maps anyway IMHO.
PLUS Dorico can set a delay per articulation which is so freakin’ useful!
My $0.02…
EDIT: It’s my understanding that aside from note data, most of the additional markings (dynamics, articulations, etc.) do not have any actions associated with them that a VST could pick up and interpret anyway. They’re literally just markings on paper and only apply to printing the sheet music. I defer to Paul W. of course in case I am not correct…