Install the demo, and find out.

I have installed the Dorico Pro trial and can't find any brass mutes within the instrument list. If this is the case Dorico is not much use for those of us writing big-band swing music. Also, the basic playback from my XML file is dire and would need a lot of work to get to a reasonable sound. First impression is that this program is a backward step for my needs.

Still having problems finding if brass mutes are available.

Please say Yes or No.

If yes how do I implement them into my score

Dorico comes with instruments but I don’t know about brass mutes. Steinberg sells additional HALion instrument libraries. If you have 3rd party VIs including Garritan for Finale, you can use them in Dorico. It’s not as easy to setup as in Finale but doable—they have a “whitelist” procedure that has to be followed for the Aria Player, for example. The Dorico forums are your friend for this.

Muting in Dorico would be done via Playing Techniques/Keyswitches.

What sound one gets depends on what VST one uses. Anyone who wants specifics can download the Dorico Pro Demo and check it out for oneself.

I recall using muted brass without any trouble when I needed it.

Thanks, Adrian. 

There are some third party libraries that I've used in Dorico that have mute support. The easiest is probably NotePerformer which simulates various mutes.

There's also the VST3 audio effect plugin Sordina 2 which simulates a few hundred brass mutes and string mutes as well. It is basically a fancy EQ with many built in presets for mutes. I use this plugin in cases where I'm not using NotePerformer and the library that I'm using doesn't have the mute that I need.

If you're using the Garritan JABB/COMB instruments, then you can keep using them.

MakeMusic could create Expression Maps and Playback Templates for Garritan Libraries.  Don't think they even considered that, though.

You can also create your own.  There are tutorials on how to do it on the Dorico YouTube channel.