Dorico Expression maps are of vital necessity.

[ShikiSuen]

Currently, VSL offers expression maps (xmaps) for Cubase.

However, such xmaps for Cubase are not directly usable in Dorico without a problem.

For non-synchronized version of Vienna Special Edition, its Cubase xmap cannot function well in Dorico Pro 2.2.20, causing lacks of certain notes and dynamic playbacks (also affecting audio mixdown, audio stems output, and midi files output):

https://steinberg.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=246&t=163364&p=875544&hilit=vsl#p875544

Daniel stated: "I don't think the people at VSL consider the VST Expression Maps they publish to be targeted at Dorico; they're specifically for Cubase."

Hence my expection of VSL official xmaps for Dorico.

[Bill]

Expression maps in Dorico are only partially implimented. I imagine that will change once Dorica is up to speed in that area.

[bbelius]

https://www.vsl.co.at/community/posts/m286259-Synchronized-Special-Edition#post286259

[Michael Edwin]

I am about to buy the crossgrade to DORICO PRO 2 from SIBELIUS FIRST but from what I am reading in this forum would I be best to buy the full blown version and get SIBELIUS ULTIMATE?

Because I am new to both notation software packages I am now confused as to what I should purchase to begin with so can someone please advise me as to where I should start first?

[Pieman1560]

Hi Michael.

If your new to both notation packages, if it was my choice i'd stick with Sibelius and upgrade to Ultimate.

VSL have worked wonders in my opinion with there sound sets and there libraries, and everything works wonderfully well. So well in fact that i really dont use logic pro anymore, and do all my writing in Sibelius with VSL's libraries.

As far as i can tell, for every library VSL bring out, they also work on a sound set so it works in Sibelius (and they are currently working on a new one for the Special Editions 5, so if you've bought those they'll work as well)

I've toyed with changing to Dorico myself and have tried the demos availabe, but to me, its not as accomplished as Sibelius and as everything works with VSL i'm sticking firmly with Sibelius.

As a side note, as VSL works with Sibelius, so to do there other software, VE PRO7, VI PRO etc, so your mockups can sound exceptionally good, so you get the wonderful engraving of Sibelius, and the killer sounds of VSL...perfect really!

Sibelius ultimate has been updated a lot lately, so if your considering getting it, you may want to subscribe to it as i do, rather than purchase it...but that is of course completley up to you!

Good luck mate, 

Kindest regards

Paul

[Michael Edwin]

Dear Paul,

Thank you for responding to my concerns.  Because I have not used either Sibelius or Dorico extensively at first glance my initial reaction was that Sibelius was poorly designed graphically a nightmare with the placement of things that you really need in the wrong place and that you have to go digging around to find what should have been obviously there to start with.  Dorico seemed more logical and a far better designed interface graphically. I can not speak for it's technicalities at this stage.

On the other hand I completely understand that Dorico is not up to speed with VSL and it's libraries and even though I completely favour Dorico over Sibelius I would go to Sibelius not because I like it but because it will integrate with the VSL libraries and I can see that for VSL and Dorico to work on their integration is going to take quite some time when VSL have already made the start with Sibelius.

Or I could simply just buy both and track the progress of each into the future. I can also see the sense in purchasing the native instruments 88 keys controller for my projects as this keyboard appears to work quite nicely with VSL out of the box so I am making enquiries about this now for use with the SYNCHRON-ized SPECIAL EDITION Volume 1 that I have just purchased and not been able to use yet as the USB key has yet to arrive.

Anyway thanks again as I really appreciated the advice and opinion of someone who actually knows the two work together so thank you for responding to help me make a choice.

Kind regards and Ciao,

Michael Edwin