# Taking a fully notated Orchestral Piece from Sibelius into Pro Tools/ other DAW



## edwindizer (Nov 25, 2018)

Hi Everyone,

I've been wondering for a while now what the best way to transfer an orchestral score from Sibelius into PT would be? Many people seem to have asked the reverse (i.e. how to transfer MIDI performances from PT into Sibelius), but I actually prefer writing things out in full score and find it faster.

At the moment, I am aware of export MIDI, but that loses all the dynamics and certain other bits of information that have been written into the score. It takes a long time to write these back in, and that's a shame because they are already there.

Is there a better way to transfer a score into PT MIDI so that I can benefit from the sound of much better instrument libraries for mockups?

Does another DAW do this better? The score editor in PT is, frankly, awful compared to Sibelius and I don't want to use it. 

I noticed there Sibelius also exports XML, but despite PT and Sibelius both being made by Avid, PT can't use XML. Is there middleware that lets the XML 'speak' to PT?

Thanks in advance for any answers!


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## Saxer (Nov 25, 2018)

I tried Sibelius export to Logic via MusicXML but is was full of mistakes. Even notes were wrong. Exporting MusicXML from Dorico to Logic was much better so I think Sibelius has real problems with the export. I'm still on Sibelius7 so they might improved it. Midi export from Sibelius is no problem.


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## edwindizer (Nov 25, 2018)

@Saxer Thank you for the answer.

Yes Sibelius Midi export has worked for me and was accurate for notes and pitches (except occasionally for effects like timpani rolls). Just missing all the other details! I'll look into Dorico - I've never heard of it.


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## Chr!s (Nov 25, 2018)

edwindizer said:


> Is there a better way to transfer a score into PT MIDI so that I can benefit from the sound of much better instrument libraries for mockups?



Play it into Protools with a MIDI controller keyboard is the best way


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## Dave Connor (Nov 26, 2018)

You would have to have not just identical samples in both notation program and DAW but also controller information in the former that is exactly as it should be in the latter. So mf followed by a crescendo would have to be represented identically before and after export. I don’t think Notation programs quite work that way. 

Perhaps someone here can confirm that or explain just how dissimilar the two programs are or are not.


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## Steve Martin (Nov 27, 2018)

When you export the midi file from Sibelius, one important thing to do is to correct the panning when you open the midi file in your daw. I discovered this, when doing a customers CD, when nearly all of the digital orchestral scoring was done in sibelius, then exported to Cubase. I was having trouble with some of the instruments and their panning settings. For example, when I was editing tracks that I was using LASS strings for, I would notice the panning kept going back to a setting that was not neutral as LASS does not need panning as it was recorded in the positions. I would set it back to the middle or neutral setting on the cubase track, and then it would jump back to this other setting. I couldn't work out what was wrong until I went into the controller lane, and found there was a panning setting there. I suddenly realized the Sibelius had been panning these instruments automatically while playing back in the score, and when I exported the score as a midi file, it also exported the panning settings as well. I had to go into the tracks that used LASS and use the mouse to scrub the panning settings in the pan/controller lane back to zero. Once that was done, the panning was fine or where I wanted it - a zero setting in the panning controller lane in Cubase. Just thought I would mention this.

Hope that's helpful for someone else.


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