So Dorico Is Coming Soon ... And ...

Cubase
1

To begin, let me say that I love Steinberg. It is the reason why I have stayed with Cubase since 1999, and when an upgrade occurs, I’m there.
Over the years we have had our ups and downs - I recall my frustration shortly after the Cubase 8 rollout when my PC, which is by no means a lightweight, struggled to play even a few tracks. However, thanks to a couple of Cubasers who had been where I was, they gave me the info I needed to bring it back to speed. The Cubase community has been no less than kind and helpful to me - and they, above and beyond the product itself, play a great part in my staying with what I consider to the best multitrack software available!
Okay, I’ve said that - it’s time to put away the sugar bowl.

This afternoon after my nap, I logged on to see the announcement that the Dorico notation software is coming during Q4 2016. Lots of nice features, it looks like … perhaps I might be able to preserve my scores in the way they were always meant to be written. Well, almost.
Then I saw the price. :astonished:
I’m sure that Dorico will be a very fine product, based on the high standards and reputation I have expected from Steinberg; however at €579 (or $654.99 US), it’s priced way beyond my budget. Perhaps if I get a deal in the future that provides some development money, I can set that aside easily - but I doubt that is going to happen. :frowning:
And so for all of the hours that Steinberg invested to get it right - and I’m certain that they did - I will continue to write my scores the old-fashioned way: with my pen and score paper. :neutral_face:

2

It’s around the same price as its competitors, Sibelius and Finale. I don’t think it’s unreasonable for a professional score editing program. Maybe there’ll be an artist/elements version eventually. There’s also a discount for users of competing products.

3

I’m aware that it’s in the same price ballpark as Sibelius and Finale. It’s also why I don’t own either of those products.

Don’t get me wrong - I’m not a composer who needs a notation program that could keep up with the nuances of, say, a Frank Zappa piece, and I never will be. However, it would be nice to have something that will make it easier to commit our tunes to paper without going broke or having to make do with the limitations of the more affordable programs.

On the other side of the coin - maybe it’s me, but if some of this technology would help the Cubase Score Editor function better, that might be a nice side benefit…

In the end, though, I appreciate the opportunity to rant a little bit at least … as I said, I’m sure it’s a great program.