In the Endpoint Setup you can only add an expression/percussion map to an instrument/channel at once. This can become a very repetitive and fatiguing task.
It would be much quicker and easier if one could Cmd-click a number of channels to select them, and apply a map to all of them at once.
Also, since the list of maps is probably very long for many of us, it would be nice to have the pop-up menu opening when clicking in the map field be longer and wider. At the moment, I have names like “PT VSL BBO Andromeda XF” or “PT VSL VI Dim. Strings Vni II a” cut. Going for a more compact naming style would simply increase confusion when looking for items.
As the VST playback and expression map capabilities of Dorico expand, hopefully the user interface for implementing them can adjust to the fact that long lists of PT’s, PBT’s, EM’s, etc. are part and parcel of that implementation. The ability to organize them and to assign them needs to expand along with the capabilities.
The actual use of these wonderful capabilities can make their implementation incredibly daunting for any but the most dogged of pioneers.
Working with the complex capabilities is tedious enough by it’s very nature. This tedium is dictated by current virtual instrument technology and design. Making the GUI interface better and better will avoid putting a just-as-tedious layer on top of that.
I imagine the Dorico team is already somewhat attuned to these considerations. They have come far in a relatively short time in comparison to their entrenched and now perhaps ossified competitors. Unfortunately, progress in one area often uncovers the need for progress in further areas. Alas, efforts must be balanced with other priorities.
One of the problems that has plagued Cubase is the introduction of valuable and creative capabilities that never get refined. From a marketing perspective selling upgrades requires the constant piling on of new capabilities, so there is little development room for refinement. Expression Maps in Cubase is a great example. They were a fantastic introduction to the DAW world. But the interface has never been improved to remove needless tedium. The same is true for the Score interface in Cubase. Very capable, but hardly user friendly.
So we’re thankful for the improved capabilities, and hopeful for as much refinement as we can get.
Another place where a need for a longer and wider pop-up menu is the selection of playing techniques. Typing a few characters not always fits every result in it, and some names may be long enough not to fit in it.
