Today we are pleased to release Dorico 6.2.30, a further free maintenance update for Dorico 6. This update includes several useful new features and improvements, alongside more than 40 bug fixes and enhancements across many areas of the application.
Improved Cantai support
Following the introduction of support for Cantai in Dorico 6.2.20, this update adds support for independent voice playback. You can now enable independent voice playback for instruments routed to Cantai directly from the Track Inspector in Play mode. When using the Cantai playback template, Dorico automatically loads and assigns the required additional instances of Cantai for each voice; if you’re managing your own playback configuration, you can assign separate Cantai instances manually.
This update also includes a number of fixes and refinements for Cantai playback, including improved handling of lyrics, support for projects with pre-roll enabled, and better treatment of player names.
Glissando lines
Dorico 6.2.30 introduces greater flexibility for wiggly glissando lines. A new option on the Glissando Lines page of Engraving Options allows you to choose whether wiggly glissandi are drawn using the traditional trill wiggle glyph or any line style from your project. In addition, a new Line style property allows the appearance of individual glissando lines to be overridden on a case-by-case basis.
MusicXML export improvements
We’ve continued to improve Dorico’s MusicXML interoperability. This release adds support for exporting sustain and sostenuto pedal lines, improves handling of hidden notes, and ensures that tuplet brackets and numbers hidden by engraving options are exported correctly.
Several MusicXML import and export issues have also been addressed, including a rare problem that could result in exported MusicXML files containing no musical material.
Workflow and usability enhancements
A couple of smaller but welcome quality-of-life improvements are included in this update:
- The Default output level control on the Play page of Preferences now includes a value field, allowing you to enter an exact dB value directly.
- A new engraving option allows you to control the spacing between a circa indication and an approximate metronome mark, accommodating different publisher house styles.
Fixes across the application
Dorico 6.2.30 resolves a wide range of issues reported by users, including improvements in:
- Dynamics editing and messa di voce appearance
- Guitar bends, harmonics, and guitar techniques
- Repeat structures and cautionary items
- Engrave mode workflows in projects with multiple music frame chains
- MIDI export of alternating time signatures
- Mixer synchronisation when muting and soloing tracks
- Percussion kit handling in Play mode
- User interface consistency and sorting behaviour
- Localisation improvements in several languages
For a complete list of fixes and improvements, please refer to the Dorico 6.2.30 Version History PDF.
Installing the update
Dorico 6.2.30 is a free update for existing Dorico Pro 6, Dorico Elements 6 and Dorico SE 6 users. If you are currently running Dorico Pro 5 or Dorico Elements 5 or earlier, you can buy an update to Dorico Pro 6 or Dorico Elements 6 from the Steinberg online shop.
Assuming you already have Dorico 6 installed, you can update to Dorico 6.2.30 free of charge. First, quit Dorico and any other Steinberg application that you are running on your computer. We recommend that you run Steinberg Download Assistant, which will automatically update Steinberg Activation Manager to the latest version, along with any other elements of the Steinberg run-time environment (including Steinberg Library Manager, MediaBay, and on Windows the Steinberg Built-in ASIO Driver) that may be outdated on your computer.
Once Steinberg Download Manager has finished updating any required components, go to My Product Downloads in the left-hand list, where you will find Dorico Pro 6, Dorico Elements 6, or Dorico SE 6, depending on which product you have installed. Select this, and on the right-hand side you will see Dorico 6.2.30 Application Installer. Click the Install button immediately to the right. This will download and run the Dorico 6.2.30 installer.
If for any reason you cannot use Steinberg Download Assistant, you can find all the installers you require here.
If you already have Dorico for iPad installed, it will probably update automatically, but if you need to update it manually, you can do so following these steps provided by Apple.
That’s it for now
We would like to thank everybody who has taken the time to report issues and provide feedback since the release of Dorico 6. Your input continues to help us improve the software with every update.
Have Dorico but never have used it. I’m ‘old’ and never really learned to use Finale properly, so how can I learn Dorico? I will update Dorico just in case the brain fog goes away…
Hello,
Worth to try.
I had Finale, unused for years, but this work like…Maestro, (mini tool for mobilephone), but has plentyb more options.
The included tutorials and the materials that pop up on the front page when you open the app are really quite good, I’d start there.
There is never too late. Best option is to get used to total basics by writing something down from paper and using google. You know then what you really need to get used to
Dorico is not Finale and does not require any familiarity with Finale. I used Finale since its beginning and my experience with Finale has not helped me with Dorico. I’ve been using Dorico for about a year and a half and like it very much. Although I’m still in a learning curve, I’ve cranked out many scores and recordings with Dorico. It’s excellent! I’m 81 years old, by the way.
Hi Greg. I suggest starting with the First Steps guide, here: https://blog.dorico.com/resources/
We also ran some specific sessions last fall on switching from Finale, with all the details and links to each session here: https://blog.dorico.com/session-materials/
Please let us know if you get stuck.
We need ties to 2nd ending
Yeah, I really need ties to 2nd ending too. Writing a lot of marchmusic with lots of 2nd endings.
+1
I will eat a broom once this day comes.
I use a Mac. Is there going to be a way for me to update Dorico without the Steinberg Library Manager? How do I update to an Apple Silicon version?
@Andrea: At the moment, Steinberg Download Assistant and Steinberg Library Manager are not available as universal apps that natively support both Intel- and ARM-based Macs. Apple has announced that Rosetta will continue to be supported in both the current macOS 26 and this year’s forthcoming macOS 27, so there is no reason not to install the current versions of SDA and SLM on your computer today. You can get by without SDA, but you do need SLM in order to ensure that the content for Dorico is correctly registered. We will of course release native Apple Silicon versions of these important tools in future, but there is absolutely no problem with using them under Rosetta in the short to medium term.
Thank you for this update!
Overall I am very pleased with Dorico!
There is just one thing I am struggling with and that’s the vertical spacing:
Please, if you may consider for the next update a possibility to fix the vertical spacing in a way that there is an option to activate that vertical spacing doesn’t get lost anymore once it has been adjusted manually.
Sometimes it is necessary to include something new at the very end, after having already done all the manual engraving (for example an additional flow in the middle of a project for a new extended edition of an already existing project) and it is very annoying that you have to do the whole vertical spacing that has been done manually once again.
Many thanks in advance!
Thank you, Dorico Team, thank you, Daniel! One more time I am so happy to have invested in Dorico! You are really superb guys!!!