Playback - the green line

I’m just testing Dorico 1.2 and found a strange issue I can’t explain: When I play a score, I see a green line which moves along the notes. What is it for? At first I thought, it shows which notes are currently played, but this is not the case. It moves much faster as the music. Also strange: when this green line arrives at the end of the score, the music stops, but this is before the end because the line moves faster. Is it possible to change this?

I use Dorico 1.2 and Mac OS 10.12.6

The green line SHOULD follow playback.

Your problem sounds a bit like this: Playback and score following at widely different tempi - #3 by PaulWalmsley - Dorico - Steinberg Forums

though I understand you’re on 1.2. Check whether your sample rate matches your sound driver’s sample rate.

I don’t understand where and how to check which sample rate and what it is. Is it possible to explain his for a non specialist?

I am not sure if it has to do with any sample rate. This problem of the playback line not following the notes should habe been solved in version 1.2 (I think i read about this at least) but I also experience this problem still from time to time. It is not completely solved at least not on Mac. Quite annoying.

When the green line is not in sync with the playback, then the reason is that Dorico and the audio engine disagree over the currently used sample rate. This can happen if another program or outside of Dorico the sample rate of the audio device gets modified.

If it happens to you that the green playback line does not match the actual playback, then choose from the main menu Edit > Device Setup. In the dialog choose the drop down box labelled ‘Sample Rate’ and change it to some other value and then back to as it was before. Do this slowly, as it might take a second or two for the sample rate change to actually take effect.
Then close the dialog and everything should be fine again.

Aha. Thank you. This worked. But which application changes what? I don’t understand. Anyway: does this mean that I have to do this always when I use Dorico?

I think I had problems related to this the other day when I was running Encore briefly (to remind myself of the usefulness or otherwise of real-time MIDI input). It’s fine now.

Other applications that also use the sound device.
And they may change the current sample rate.

Does this mean that I have to do this always when I use Dorico?

Only if the green playback line is out of sync with playback.
I would expect this to happen only very rarely, so please keep an eye on and if you need to do it frequently, then let us know and we’ll try figure out what is actually changing the sample rate in the background.

OK. That worked. Now I have the problem that I hear no sound at all. This happened after I had the problem that I couldn’t add lyrics. After rebooting the Mac, it works. But now there is no sound. No other program has the slightest problem to play sounds on this Mac. What can it be?

Please choose from the main menu Help > Create Diagnostic Report. That will create a zip file on your desktop, please send it to u dot stoermer at steinberg dot de and I will have a look at the contained log data.

I’ll do this next time when the problem appears. For the moment it works.

Yes, it’s begun to reappear for me too, alas.

I’ve tried slowly resetting my Sample Rate (perhaps 19,200 is too high?).

But the scrolling bug is still evident… the playhead/green line moves off the page to the right without the score following.

What’s more, I can often solve this by switching Modes (away from Write - to Engrave, Play or Print etc) back and forth - as previously.

Would any more details be helpful in tracking this down?

TIA!

Yes that’s what I meant. The problem of the playback line not following the music is still there. It has become better since the former versions but is unfortunately still there.

Thanks, ReiRei - Yes, much better. But still present.

Until now we have had no reports of the score not following the playback line. Are you sure you have the relevant preference setting, i.e. ‘Follow playhead during playback’, set, at the bottom of the General page of Preferences?

Yes the preferences are set correctly. I encountered the problem in galley view (landscape view). When transcribing a song and switching between the 2 apps Dorico failed following the green line.

I just double checked and, Yes - that ‘follow’ setting is as it should be.

The phenomenon happens far, far less often than before - but I do get it still, I’m afraid. Sorry!

Well, it’s not the same issue, Mark, as the problem where the playback line and the transport would freeze up, clearly. What you’re saying now is that the playback line continues to move, but the score doesn’t move in time to follow it when it scrolls out of view.

Daniel,

Yes - that’s right. Thanks. Sorry. I assumed they had the same root cause. Glad that they don’t - that is, that the first one has in fact been fixed :slight_smile:

I need more evidence of this new problem before I can ask the team to do anything about it, since it’s not something we’ve ever seen, and nor have I ever seen it reported by anybody until today. So please capture a video showing the problem in action so I can see it for myself.