I just installed Dorico 5 SE to try it out. The user experience isn’t great out of the box (first launch tells me to install Halion this and that). So I installed Halion Sonic 7 Instrument. But it also tells me to install “Halion Sonic 3 - Content”. But that’s a whooping 30GBs! Surely there must be a way for Dorico to simply use a midi fallback? Right now I hear nothing.
Also (if someone from Steinberg reads this) in some user dialogues during the guided tour for note entry there was a mix of English and German (my localization). Specifically #3 “Music area” is in English.
After following and believing the hype from the Sibelius exodus to “Dorico cares about every little detail” for many years I do feel let down a bit now. Surely the rest will be great but my start seemed rough.
Thanks for any ideas how to get Dorico to play my simple music without 30GBs wasted.
Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear you’re having issues. An expert from the team will be around to help you as soon as possible. I’m just another user but I do know that you can run Dorico without a 30 GB download so there is definitely something amiss in your system.
Hope you can get sorted as the “hype” that Dorico cares about every detail is actually true and the development team has proven repeatedly that they care to help every individual.
Maybe I’m looking in the wrong place. But please check out the attached screenshots, from opening Dorico (which explicitly asks for v3) and then from the Download Manager.
In fact, my Download Manager never even shows your options. There is no “HALion Sonic Selection” at 912MB anywhere. I have six red icons with “HALion” in the name. None includes a “Selection”. Some have a “Collection” in them, weighing in at 30GB each time. Curious and curiouser!
Yes, this is the case. The installation process is the weakest UX aspect of Dorico, IMO. The actual software itself is a daily pleasant experience for me.
Everything you need to download will be found under Dorico > Dorico SE 5. This is what you see in benwiggy’s screenshot. You are looking in the wrong place.
You are attempting to download a different Steinberg product altogether! (As mentioned above, the same download manager is used for all Steinberg products)
You only need to open the Dorico section of the Download Manager.
Indeed, now it works. I guess it’s another point for my observation that the installation process seems quite rough - why would Dorico still ask for an old version of “HALion Sonic SE 3” that is nowhere to be found?
We used to use 1.44 MB floppies you know? Just as encouragement I’ve been running on “Big Boss” and ignoring my laptop for a while. (Several versions behind) So today I had to do a major upgrade - which was everything you did with content, plus an extra steinberg product. I’m familiar with it though, and it was just press “update all” in a couple of areas and walk away.
It was a lot more attention, individual downloads and button presses for my non-steinberg stuff.
you know? 
Just as encouragement I’ve been running on “Big Boss” and ignoring my laptop for a while. (Several versions behind) So today I had to do a major upgrade - which was everything you did with content, plus an extra steinberg product. I’m familiar with it though, and it was just press “update all” in a couple of areas and walk away.