Steinberg has released Dorico 5.1.60, a minor update to Dorico 5, with official support for macOS Sequoia, several more features, and more than 50 documented bug fixes to the software. This is the first update to Dorico since MakeMusic announced it was discontinuing development of Finale and partnered with Steinberg to offer its users a discounted crossgrade to Dorico Pro. The Dorico 5.1.60 update adds some support for Finale-like behavior during note input, and has improved upon MusicXML import by supporting system and frame breaks by default.
Among other improvements, condensing on larger flows has been made faster, and it is possible to paste lyrics in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean one ideograph at a time.
The version history documentation for this release thoroughly documents the improvements as well as the bug fixes.
Improvements
Here’s what’s new in Dorico 5.1.60, as provided by Steinberg.
Chord diagrams
Non-played strings in barre chords. It is now possible to indicate that a string in the middle of a barre chord is not played when editing a chord diagram. To achieve this, after creating the barre, click above the top of the chord diagram at the nut end of the displayed portion of the fretboard: the dot indicating the fingering on that string will be removed, but the barre will remain.
Engrave mode
Drag threshold. A new Drag threshold slider has been added to the Editing section of the Note Input and Editing page of Preferences. By default, when you drag an item with the mouse, you need to move the mouse a small distance before the item will start to move; this helps to prevent accidental moves. The threshold is scaled proportional to the zoom level, so the threshold feels larger at lower zoom levels. You can now reduce (or indeed increase) this threshold to change the distance you need to move the mouse before the item will begin to move.
Lyrics
Pasting lyrics. It is now possible to paste lyrics in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean one ideograph at a time. Copy the lyrics to the clipboard using a text editor, then select the note where the first lyric should appear, type Shift+L to open the lyrics popover, and then paste. Dorico takes the first character from the clipboard and pastes it into the popover, automatically advancing to the next note, so that you can paste again.
MusicXML import
Page formatting. Dorico now imports system and frame breaks from MusicXML files by default. If you want to disable this behavior, deactivate Import system and frame breaks on the MusicXML Import page of Preferences before importing your MusicXML file. Dorico does not yet import information about whether a staff is hidden in a specific system, so it is still possible for the resulting layout not to match the original file exactly.
Note input
Pitch before duration input. Pitch before duration input feels quite similar to Speedy Entry in Finale, especially if you are using a MIDI keyboard for note input. You can play notes and chords freely on your keyboard and Dorico will not input anything until you then specify the duration of the note or chord to be input by typing the appropriate number key for the chosen duration.
When using the computer keyboard, however, some long-term Finale users have become accustomed to moving the input pitch with the up/down arrow keys. In Dorico, these keys move the caret, rather than adjusting the pitch of the shadow note that specifies the pitch to be input.
To make it possible to match this Finale workflow, four new commands have been added to the Note Input category in the Key Commands page of Preferences: map Raise Shadow Note Pitch by Step to ↑, and map Lower Shadow Note Pitch by Step to ↓. We also recommend you map Move Up and Move Down (also in the Note Input category) to Alt+↑ and Alt+↓respectively, so that it is still possible to move the caret to different staves. You may also wish to map Raise Shadow Note Pitch by Octave and Lower Shadow Note Pitch by Octave.
Having made these changes, after activating note input with pitch before duration, you can use the up/down arrow keys to adjust the pitch of the shadow note.
Furthermore, a new option Play changes of shadow note pitch in pitch before duration input has been added to the Note Input and Editing page of Preferences. If you prefer only to hear the pitch of the note when you commit it to the score by hitting a duration key, deactivate this option.
Auditioning in mouse input. A new Play shadow note pitch option has been added to the Mouse Input section of the Note Input and Editing page of Preferences. When this option is enabled, Dorico will audition the pitch of the shadow note as you move your mouse pointer over the staff.
Changing the inversion of chords. If you want to change the inversion of an existing chord – for example to make a root position triad into a second inversion triad by transposing the top note down an octave, or to make a triad in first inversion into a second inversion triad by transposing the bottom note up an octave – this can now be done via the Shift+I note tools popover. Type t top -8 to transpose the top notes of the selected chords down by an octave, or type t bottom 8 to transpose the bottom notes of the selected chords up by an octave.
Hiding noteheads. A new Toggle Hide Notehead command has been added. You can trigger this via the jump bar, or assign a custom key command in Preferences.
Percussion
Open hi-hat. When using Shift+Alt+↑/↓ to cycle through playing techniques for the selected note on a hi-hat instrument in a percussion kit, the open playing technique is now included.
Platform support
macOS 15 Sequoia. Dorico 5.1.60 is now officially supported on macOS 15 Sequoia, and introduces updated Quick Look and Finder thumbnail app extensions that work on macOS 12 and later.
If you find that Quick Look is not operable on your Mac, in System Settings, go to the Login Items & Extensions pane, and in the Extensions list, find Quick Look. Click the i button at the right-hand side to see which applications on your Mac have registered Quick Look extensions. You should see Dorico 5 listed there, with DoricoQuickLookExtensionMac and DoricoThumbnailExtensionMac both enabled; if either is disabled, activate the switch to enable them.
Dorico for iPad. A few minor improvements have been made to Dorico for iPad:
- Propagate Properties now appears in the contextual menu in the secondary toolbar.
- The Delete button in the secondary toolbar is now enabled when a note spacing or staff spacing handle is selected in Engrave mode, allowing you to remove a spacing override.
- The Save Endpoint Configuration button no longer incorrectly appears in the Endpoint Setup dialog.
Properties
Properties scope. When changing the Set local properties option, either directly in the Properties panel toolbar in the lower zone, or using the command Toggle Set Properties Scope, the scope is now updated in all project windows belonging to the active project.
Repeat markers
Repeat markers. When the caret is visible, repeat markers (such as segno and coda) created using the Shift+R popover will appear at the caret’s position, not the position of any music that may be selected.
User interface
Checking for updates. Help > Check For Updates now shows a dialog that informs you directly whether an update is available for Dorico, instead of directing you to the Steinberg web site. This requires an active Internet connection.
Moving between layouts. The default shortcuts for Window > Previous/Next Layout have been changed to Shift+Alt+,/. when using a German keyboard.
Bug fixes
The version history documentation for this release documents more than 50 bug fixes; among them is one pertaining to condensing, where editing towards the end of long flows where condensing is enabled is now considerably faster. Steinberg says that edits like inputting or repitching notes, adding dynamics, tempos, rehearsal marks, etc. should cause projects to respond more quickly, although the need for further refinement in this area is acknowledged.
Availability
Dorico 5.1.60 for Windows and Mac desktop is a free update for current registered users of Dorico Pro 5, Dorico Elements 5 and Dorico SE 5 users, and is available now via the Steinberg Download Assistant.
For full coverage of Dorico 5, please read our comprehensive reviews of Dorico 5.0, Dorico 5.1, Dorico 5.1.10, Dorico 5.1.21, Dorico 5.1.30, and Dorico 5.1.50.
Dorico 5.1.60 for iPad is available in the App Store. If your device hasn’t already automatically downloaded and installed the update, you can find it in the Updates section of the App Store app on your iPad.
For the latest information about compatibility for Finale, Sibelius, Dorico, and MuseScore, as well as links to the latest news and reviews about product releases, please see the Scoring Notes Product Guide.
Aaron Sherber
The Pulitzer for Best Change Log Entry goes to: ‘Hold on to your bald eagles, folks! The colonial, tea-sipping limey spelling of “minimise” has been corrected to the true, freedom-loving, stars-and-stripes-approved “minimize.”’ This follows on a *very* long thread in the forum in which someone complained that “minimise” was a spelling error and an indication of poor quality in Dorico.
Philip Rothman
A colourful and humourous entry, indeed. I thought about putting that one front and centre, but I didn’t want to put a spanner in the works.
Aaron Sherber
(I see what you did there!)