The most comfortable way to enjoy your samples from Vienna Symphonic Libray are Dorico playback templates. Find out how to create your own, customized playback templates with no more than a few clicks in our Dorico Wizard.
Important
Dorico 3.5 or higher is mandatory as VSL Expression Maps & Endpoint Configurations do not work with earlier versions.
Open the Vienna Assistant app and select Dorico Wizard in the side bar.
When you open the Dorico Wizard for the first time, you have the option to remove previously installed "VSL for Dorico" playback templates. We recommend doing so as it will have no negative impact on existing projects and their playback.
When opening such projects, a general warning is displayed - but the project can be edited as usual by loading a one of your new playback template.
Clicking individual libraries allows for a quick and easy selection of the instruments you wish to include in your template. For systems with a vast collection of installed libraries we recommend to use the search field (1), instrument groups (2), and filters (3) for installed products as well as low-resource products.
In case a playback template should offer multiple option for a single instrument (e.g. two different piano instruments) you can use drag & drop to move your desired default library above other libraries of the same instrument. By default, the larger products are placed higher in priority.
We recommend to set both a clear Template Name & Template Description to quickly identify and load your VSL custom playback templates inside Dorico. Use the two text fields at the bottom.
Once you are happy with your custom playback template, click the Save Template button. You can make adjustments to existing playback templates at any time and delete templates you no longer need via the dropdown menu and delete button on the top.
Using a VSL playback template will create a separate Vienna Synchron Player instance with the correct samples loaded for each instrument that you assign to a player in your Dorico score. You can set your VSL playback template as the Default Playback Template for every score in the Play preference menu.
macOS: Dorico > Preferences > Play > Playback TemplateWindows: File > Preferences > Play > Playback Template
It's also possible to apply any of your existing playback templates to an existing Dorico project by loading it first, then going to the PLAY view and opening the menu: Play > Playback Template ...
After selecting a VSL playback template from the list, it can be loaded with a click on Apply and Close.
To guarantee that the Vienna Synchron Player and VSL files can work as intended, please make sure to have installed the latest VSL sample players from your Vienna Assistant app.
The Expression Maps & Percussion Maps provided by VSL make sure that playing techniques (Legato, Staccato, Pizzicato etc.) and other instructions (like dynamics) always trigger the correct samples to give a realistic and believable sound-playback. The instruments can be accessed in the Dorico PLAY view.
The Vienna Synchron Player has a very light resource footprint and has been designed to load one instrument or instrument section per instance. Vienna Synchron Player instances can be accessed by clicking the "Edit Instrument" button in the "VST Instruments" list or the individual instrument track.
All VSL instrument parameters can be accessed here. Please find comprehensive and detailed information about the features and controls of the sample player in the Vienna Synchron Player online manual.
All essential parameters are directly influenced either by the score/track automation lanes (e.g. dynamic changes, articulation changes, etc.) or via MIDI CC (e.g. expression, volume, attack, filter, etc.). Initial setup of any parameter inside the Vienna Synchron Player is not necessary as the Expression Maps & Percussion Maps as well as the loaded Studio Special Edition presets provided by VSL already take care of that. Of course, situational adjustments can be made at any time if necessary.
Please find further information on how to use the automation lanes of Dorico instrument tracks in the Dorico Pro 3 online manual to use your Studio Special Edition samples to their fullest potential.
Most VSL users are familiar with the concept of Velocity XF (Vel.XF) to access different dynamic layers of VSL instruments. Once Vel.XF is activated, the user controls the level of intensity via a CC controller (MIDI CC2 by default with all VSL presets). This is very useful for a realistic sample playback of a gradual dynamic change (e.g. a crescendo) for a held note. The drawback here is that more sample voices are streamed simultaneously then. In very big arrangements this can put a substantial strain on the hardware.
If Vel.XF is deactivated, the different samples are triggered via the Dorico dynamic markers (= note velocity) on a "per-note" base. This approach is less demanding resource-wise than fading between different velocity layers - but does not allow gradual dynamic changes within a single note performance.
The use of Vel.XF can be automated in Dorico via the instrument track Midi CC lane by using CC28. The provided Expression Maps & Percussion Maps are programmed to work with both velocity & CC2.
All VSL legato patches are strictly monophonic by default. That means that notes, that are connected with a slur (= legato articulation) can only playback one voice.
If you wish to trigger multiple legato notes, you can change the Legato Mode for this instrument from "Mono" to "Poly" inside the corresponding Vienna Synchron Player instance under the PERFORM view. This step is also necessary for Dorico's "Divisi" function to work properly with legato passages.
It might happen that certain samples sound "too loud" for a given dynamic level. To keep the dynamic instructions inside the Dorico score intact, a quick and useful workaround can be to utilize the CC11 (Expression) value of the VSL instruments.
Expression is simply a percentage value of a given volume output withCC11 = 0 playing back with 0% of the instrument volume and with CC11 = 127 playing back with 100% of the instrument volume. By default, all instruments are set to CC11 = 127. A relative reduction of the instrument volume can be achieved quickly by drawing in an automation line, as shown in the screenshot below.
The score changes from pianissimo (pp) samples to fortissimo (ff) samples - but the triggered samples for ff are reduced in volume (to ~80%). Expression can also be used to finetune gradual dynamic changes.
All "Studio" instruments are placed in their respective position by default - like musicians would be seated in an orchestral session. The Vienna Synchron Player offers a convenient and quick way to change the sonic impression of the samples with the following Mixer Presets:
- Close
- Classic (intermediate)
- Distant
Depending on the project, it can be a good idea to experiment with combinations for different orchestral instruments. To make the VSL instruments available to as many people as possible, all VSL Expression Maps for Dorico load with the included, more resource-friendly "nonConv" presets:
- shortRev noCon
- longRev noCon
Certain articulations are not accessible via an existing Playing Technique in Dorico. Below a list of custom Playing Techniques that can be used in your scores:
- "portato" - Special Editions, SYzd Woodwinds, Synchron Woodwinds, Synchron Brass, Synchron Elite Strings & Synchron Strings Pro
- "cresc. 1s/2s/4s" - pre-recorded, work with a few SYzd SE percussion instruments, Synchron Brass, Synchron Elite Strings & Synchron Strings Pro
- "soft attack" - only available for Synchron Elite Strings & Synchron Strings Pro
- "soft release" - only available for Synchron Elite Strings & Synchron Strings Pro
- "flutes (organ)" - only available for the SYzd SE organ
- "full plenum (organ)" - only available for the SYzd SE organ
Tip
Studio Woodwinds & Single Packs: All Studio Woodwinds playback templates also support the individual instruments of the Studio Single Woodwinds Package. For the Studio Clarinet (Eb), Dorico does not distinguish between instruments in different tunings in playback templates. Therefor, loading the correct instrument preset inside the Vienna Synchron Player is necessary.
Tip
Synchron Brass: For long notes & legato, the expression maps for Synchron Brass will default to Con fortissimo rather than Regular as Con fortissimo does offer a wider range of dynamic possibilities. The Sforzatissimo samples can be triggered by writing a "sfz" mark in the score in combination with a Marcato or Accent mark.
Tip
Synchron Strings Pro: Kindly note that in Dorico, new Playing Techniques during (!) a legato phrase are interpreted as legato phrase end. As a "soft release" playing technique command would often be used for the last note of a legato phrase, it's necessary to manually "fix" the legato line in Dorico PLAY view (by overlapping the notes again).
Tip
Synchron Harp: The Synchron Harp Player is a very powerful platform that comes with two play modes: Chromatic Mode & Pedal Mode. Due to the nature of Dorico being a notation software, it is necessary to use Chromatic Mode, exclusively. Nevertheless, we highly recommend to learn more about the features in our "Synchron Harp: Deep Walkthrough" on our YouTube channel here.
Certain situations might require the user to load different instrument presets. Presets can be loaded via the PRESET tab on the right side of the Vienna Synchron Player. Single articulations via the PATCH tab. The following examples show some of the possibilities:
- Divisi passages: For most situations it's more practical to work with the number of players the project asks for. As an example: Two solo flute players in the Dorico Setup view are loaded with two Vienna Synchron Player instances (both loaded with a Solo Flute). Both divisi & unison can then be created with Dorico and the engine will either play one or two voices as expected.
For patches with multiple musicians (the string sections, ensembles), divisi passages present the user with a challenge. Loading a 1st violin section in Dorico is a good example: As defined in the VSL Expression Maps, such a section will always load with the "Orchestral Strings > 1st Violins 14" preset. The one exception here being the "VSL SYzd Special Edition Vol 1-7 PLUS (Dimension instruments)" playback template. More information can be found in the section about the use of Studio Special Edition Volume 5 here.
Writing in divisi for the 1st violin section will effectively double the number of players from 14 to 28 musicians - generally a not desired side effect. A simple solution for this behavior is to reduce the volume for both player instances via CC during the divisi section.
A more "natural" approach could be to simply create two 1st violin sections and replace the loaded "Orchestral Strings" (14 player) with the "Chamber Strings" (6 players) - reducing the total of players from 28 to 12.
Tip
If the "Orchestral Strings" sections are too "small", then the "Appassionata Strings" presets (Volume 3) with 20 1st/2nd violins, 14 violas, 12 cellos & 10 double basses might be an interesting alternative.
- Con Sordino passages: Users of the Special Edition Volume 3 & 5 do have access to muted strings (con sordino). For the Orchestral Strings & Dimension Strings presets no adjustments are necessary as the Expression Maps trigger natural & con sordino correctly by default.
The situation is a bit more complex for Solo Strings, Chamber Strings & Appassionata Strings. These Studio Special Edition instruments come with separate presets for muted strings. If a project requires a playing technique change "natural <> con sordino" while using any of these instruments, then the user can:
a) add a duplicate of that section (one loaded with natural & the other with con sordino) and alternate between the two
b) manually extend the loaded Studio Special Edition presets by adding con sordino patches and adjust the Expression Maps accordingly. Additional information can be found here:
Vienna Synchron Player online manual - Browser
Dorico Pro 3 online manual - Expression Maps
Important
The Studio Special Edition presets for Solo-, Chamber- & Appassionata Strings load either natural strings or muted strings by default.
- Additional articulations: Owner of additional "Studio" libraries can replace loaded articulations or add new articulations from the PATCH tab in the browser. Simply move a patch from the list into an existing slot or create a new slot inside the Dimension Tree with the "+" icon below the slots.
Below an example with a Flute 1 - Flutter Tongue articulation - borrowed from the "Studio Woodwinds" and triggered with the Dorico Playing Technique "Flutter Tongue". The articulation has been loaded into a new, empty slot in the group of the Long notes into the existing "Flutes 1 Plus" preset.
Important
Using custom-added articulations may require adjusting to the active Expression Map accordingly. All Expression Maps can be accessed via the Dorico Play view (Play > Expression Maps ...).
Owners of Volume 5 & 6 have the option to select the "VSL SYzd Special Edition Vol 1-7 PLUS (Dimension instruments)" playback template. All strings & brass instruments in the Dorico score will then load with the Dimension Strings & Dimension Brass presets and depending on the number of sections, the correct number of players are active. These are the accessible & individual players:
Dimension Strings (Volume 5):
- (8) 1st Violin Players
- (8) 2nd Violin Players
- (6) Viola Players
- (6) Cello Players
- (4) Double Bass Players
Dimension Brass (Volume 6):
- (4) Trumpet Players
- (4) Horns Players
- (4) Tenor Trombones Players
- (1) Bass Trombone Players
- (4) Wagner Tuba Players
- (1) Bass Tuba Players
- All players (full)
- Groups (half)
- Desks (two)
- Player # (one)
In case a user only has either Volume 5 or Volume 6 licenses/installed the "missing" volume will cause empty Vienna Synchron Player instances. It is necessary to manually load the correct Studio Special Edition presets for these instruments. Additionally, select the correct Expression Map in the Endpoint Setup under Play view as described in the Dorico manual.
One advantage of loading the Dimension Strings (Volume 5) instead of the regular orchestral strings is the direct access to individual players, which can be utilized especially well for elegant divisi passages. Please keep in mind that the following steps are just guidelines as this concept is not so trivial anymore and far beyond a basic "load and play" setup.
Setup: Creating a divisi passage for a string section in the score (step 1), does allow to activate the "Enable independent playback of voices" function for this string section under PLAY view (step 2). Doing so will automatically create an additional instance of Vienna Synchron Player loading the same Dimension Strings section. Assign then the individual voices to the correct Vienna Synchron Player instances (step 3). The correct groups are assigned automatically. Now you can write for divisi (a2) and unison parts and playback will trigger the correct string players automatically.
Tip
It's also possible to create higher splits. In that case it's important to adjust your Presets inside the Vienna Synchron Player accordingly by selecting desks or load/unload players as necessary.
On this page
- Creating Playback Templates in Dorico Wizard
- 1. Library Selection
- 2. Rearranging Priority
- 3. Name & Description
- 4. Save Template
- Setup
- The Synchron Player plug-in in Dorico
- Optimization tips
- Controlling dynamic layers effectively
- Monophonic patches
- Volume balancing of instruments using CC11
- Mixer Presets
- Custom Playing Techniques & library-specific information
- Exchanging VSL instrument patches/presets
- Use of Studio Special Editions Vol. 5 & 6 [Dimension Libraries]
- Using divisi with Studio Special Editions Vol. 5