Dorico 5.1.81 update is available [updated]

Steinberg has released Dorico 5.1.81, a minor update to Dorico 5, with improvements on how VST plug-ins are accounted for during the application launch sequence, as well as more than 40 bug fixes.

The version history documentation for this release thoroughly documents the improvements as well as the bug fixes.

Improvements

Here’s what’s new in Dorico 5.1.81, as provided by Steinberg.

Audio engine

VST plug-in scanning. When you run Dorico for the first time on your computer, when you install new or updated VST plug-ins on your computer, or when the audio engine included with Dorico is updated, Dorico scans every VST plug-in on your computer to check that it can be loaded correctly.

In previous versions, there was no visual feedback during this process, which could lead to confusion or frustration if one or more plug-ins takes longer than expected to scan. Plug-ins may not load correctly if, for example, they require an Internet connection for a license check, or if they require specific hardware or a USB license key to be connected to the computer. It is also possible for plug-ins to pop up a message or dialog, requiring some action from the user before the scan can be completed, and it is possible for these messages to appear behind other windows, making it appear that Dorico has frozen on the splash screen.

In this update, the name of each plug-in appears on the splash screen as it is scanned, so you can tell whether a plug-in is taking an unusually long time to respond. Dorico will also time out after 30 seconds, and automatically proceed to the next plug-in, blocking the unresponsive plug-in so it can not be loaded.

Clefs

Clefs hidden at the start of the system. When Clefs at start of systems following first system is set to Hide clefs on the Clefs page of Library > Notation Options, Dorico will now nevertheless show a clef at the start of the system if a clef change coincides with a system break.

Repeats

Tremolo with attack and release. In the Shift+R popover, it is now possible to type only a instead of att for a tremolo with attack (e.g. ///a) and r instead of rel for a tremolo with release (e.g. ///r), allowing you to save a couple of keystrokes.

Staff spacing

Measurement display. When adjusting staff spacing in Engrave mode, the read-out showing the distance between staves now uses two digits of precision when displayed in inches.

Bug fixes

The version history documentation for this release documents more than 40 bug fixes, including multiple items in the areas of instrument types, layouts, MusicXML, playback and playback templates, and the user interface.

Dorico 5.1.81, released on January 16, 2025, fixed a bug introduced in 5.1.80 that prevented the mute buttons in the Mixer from being functional.

Other news

eLicenser service ending soon

Steinberg is once again reminding its users that the old eLicenser technology is being mothballed and that its eLicenser servers will be shut down in May 2025. If you have Dorico 3.5 or earlier, once the eLicenser server is shut down, you will no longer be able to reactivate your Dorico license on a new computer, and nor will you be able to move your Dorico license from a Soft-eLicenser to a USB-eLicenser, according to Steinberg. Furthermore, after the eLicenser server is shut down, you will no longer be able to simply buy an update to the latest version of Dorico in the Steinberg online shop, because the update process requires that the system checks your existing license.

See this page on Steinberg’s web site for more information.

Dorico 4, released in January 2022, was the first Steinberg product to use the new Steinberg Licensing system.

Dorico 6 and Cubase 14

In his post today announcing the Dorico 5.1.80 update, Steinberg product marketing manager Daniel Spreadbury summarized the past year’s worth of Dorico updates and said, “Work is well underway on the next major version of Dorico, which will be released this year, and the team is also working on further improvements to the new Dorico-powered Score Editor introduced in Cubase 14 last November – look out for news about this update in the coming weeks.”

Availability

Dorico 5.1.81 for Windows and Mac desktop is a free update for current registered users of Dorico Pro 5, Dorico Elements 5 and Dorico SE 5 users, and is available now via the Steinberg Download Assistant.

For full coverage of Dorico 5, please read our reviews and news articles about Dorico 5.0, Dorico 5.1, Dorico 5.1.10, Dorico 5.1.21, Dorico 5.1.30, Dorico 5.1.50, Dorico 5.1.60, and Dorico 5.1.70.

Dorico 5.1.81 for iPad is available in the App Store. If your device hasn’t already automatically downloaded and installed the update, you can find it in the Updates section of the App Store app on your iPad.

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For the latest information about compatibility for Sibelius, Dorico, and MuseScore, as well as links to the latest news and reviews about product releases, please see the Scoring Notes Product Guide.