: Is there a way in Lilypond to omit entire staffs from the pdf layout but listen to them in MIDI? I'm using Lilypond to compile music for my church choir. I've recently discovered the use of midiMaximumVolume and midiMininumVolume

I've decided to accept user48549's answer, and in response to Carl Witthoft's comment, I'm going to show how I implemented the suggestion in my own workflow below:

First I set up the musical notations:

%% MUSIC %%

global = {
tempo 4 = 88
time 4/4
numericTimeSignature
compressFullBarRests
key c major
s1*4 bar "|."
}
pianoUpper = {
new Staff <<
global
clef treble
relative c' {
c4 c c c | c c c c | c c c c | c c c c | c c c c |
}
>>
}
pianoLower = {
new Staff <<
global
clef bass
relative c {
c4 c c c | c c c c | c c c c | c c c c | c c c c |
}
>>
}
sopranoMusic = {
<<
global
clef treble
relative c'' {
c4 c c c | c c c c | c c c c | c c c c | c c c c |
}
>>
}
altoMusic = {
<<
global
clef treble
relative c' {
c4 c c c | c c c c | c c c c | c c c c | c c c c |
}
>>
}
tenorMusic = {
<<
global
clef "treble_8"
relative c' {
c4 c c c | c c c c | c c c c | c c c c | c c c c |
}
>>
}
bassMusic = {
<<
global
clef bass
relative c {
c4 c c c | c c c c | c c c c | c c c c | c c c c |
}
>>
}

And the lyrics:

%% LYRICS %%

commonLyrics = lyricmode {
la la la la
la la la la
la la la la
la la la la
la la la
}
sopranoLyrics = lyricmode {
commonLyrics ooh
}
altoLyrics = lyricmode {
commonLyrics aah
}
tenorLyrics = lyricmode {
commonLyrics eh
}
bassLyrics = lyricmode {
commonLyrics hmm
}

Then I set up the parts:

%% PARTS %%

% Normal Volume Parts

piano = {
new PianoStaff with {
instrumentName = #"Piano"
shortInstrumentName = #"Pno."
} <<
pianoUpper
pianoLower
>>
}

soprano = {
new Staff with {
instrumentName = #"Soprano"
shortInstrumentname = #"S"
} {
sopranoMusic
}
addlyrics sopranoLyrics
}

alto = {
new Staff with {
instrumentName = #"Alto"
shortInstrumentname = #"A"
} {
altoMusic
}
addlyrics altoLyrics
}

tenor = {
new Staff with {
instrumentName = #"Tenor"
shortInstrumentname = #"T"
} {
tenorMusic
}
addlyrics tenorLyrics
}

bass = {
new Staff with {
instrumentName = #"Bass"
shortInstrumentname = #"B"
} {
bassMusic
}
addlyrics bassLyrics
}

Then I add additional parts for Loud and Soft versions. I can omit the lyrics and the instrument name since these parts are only rendered in MIDI.

% Soft Volume Parts

pianoSoft = {
new PianoStaff with {
midiMinimumVolume = #0 .2
midiMaximumVolume = #0 .4
} <<
pianoUpper
pianoLower
>>
}

sopranoSoft = {
new Staff with {
midiMinimumVolume = #0 .2
midiMaximumVolume = #0.4
} {
sopranoMusic
}
}

altoSoft = {
new Staff with {
midiMinimumVolume = #0.2
midiMaximumVolume = #0.4
} {
altoMusic
}
}

tenorSoft = {
new Staff with {
midiMinimumVolume = #0.2
midiMaximumVolume = #0.4
} {
tenorMusic
}
}

bassSoft = {
new Staff with {
midiMinimumVolume = #0.2
midiMaximumVolume = #0.4
} {
bassMusic
}
}

% Loud Volume Parts

sopranoLoud = {
new Staff with {
midiMinimumVolume = #0.6
midiMaximumVolume = #0.9
} {
sopranoMusic
}
}

altoLoud = {
new Staff with {
midiMinimumVolume = #0.6
midiMaximumVolume = #0.9
} {
altoMusic
}
}

tenorLoud = {
new Staff with {
midiMinimumVolume = #0.6
midiMaximumVolume = #0.9
} {
tenorMusic
}
}

bassLoud = {
new Staff with {
midiMinimumVolume = #0.6
midiMaximumVolume = #0.9
} {
bassMusic
}
}

Then with every book that I want to isolate a part for I can add two scores, one with the layout {} block and the other with the midi {} block:

%% BOOKS %%

% All Parts (No Isolation)
book {
header {
title = #"My Song"
instrument = #"All Parts"
}

bookOutputSuffix "All-Parts"

score {
<<
new ChoirStaff <<
soprano
alto
tenor
bass
>>
piano
>>

layout{}
midi{}
}
}

% Soprano (Soprano Part Isolated)
book {
header {
title = #"My Song"
instrument = #"Soprano"
}

bookOutputSuffix "Soprano"

score {
<<
new ChoirStaff <<
soprano
>>
>>
layout{}
}

score {
<<
new ChoirStaff <<
sopranoLoud
altoSoft
tenorSoft
bassSoft
>>
pianoSoft
>>
midi{}
}

% Other parts omitted but similar to Soprano above.

The final output of those two books, if the file name is "My-Song.ly" should generate:

My-Song-All-Parts.midi (playing each part normally)
My-Song-All-Parts.pdf (containing all staves)
My-Song-Soprano.midi (Soprano part plays loudly, and all other parts softly)
My-Song-Soprano.pdf (containing only the Soprano staff)

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RemoveEmptyStaves or RemoveAllEmptyStaves should work. See Hiding Staves in the documentation.

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You can always create separate score blocks for layout and midi. Using tag (and keepWithTag and removeWithTag) to organize your source helps in avoiding duplication of most material.

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