Writing score for an entire orchestra will always be a complex and time-consuming job, and when it comes to modern composition, it can take some time to get all of the MIDI data and stacked virtual instruments on paper so that, when it's played by real musicians, the score reflects the sound that's in your head. While there are plenty of programmes designed to make the whole process quicker and more streamlined, Steinberg Dorico still remains one of the biggest and most trusted. Just like every other version of Dorico that came before it, this software bears outstanding visual quality. The way Dorico is able to create the feel of a hand-scribed manuscript on a computer screen is still impressive. So, rather than creating a score that computer programmers would be proud of, you're able to create score that really displays the craft of classical notation. And that's another point: the clear legibility of the notation, which is in the small details like the width of a crotchet, the note placement, the thickness of a legato curve and even the font selection, all of which will only make a piece easier to play. What's New with Dorico 5? Besides a few smaller additions and bug fixes, Dorico 5 Elements now features the Groove Agent SE, meaning that drums can now be added to your orchestration. Another useful tweak is the MIDI trigger regions, meaning that not every note in the composition has to translate into a note in the score. Take that to the drum section, and you can tell your percussionist: "this is a sketch of the beat, so I want something like this. Start drumming!" Basically, while your MIDI mock-up might be packed with ghost-notes and other nuances to enhance the realism, there's no need to add them in the score, because the drummer will fill all of that in naturally. Your ensemble can now be expanded to any size you want - a big step up from the 24-musician limit, and now there's support for MusicXML, so import and export from other applications is possible. A few other tweaks include font selection, something that was previously exclusive to the Pro-version. Essentially, if you're seeking the very best of the best, Steinberg Dorico is still it.