Thanks for the questions.
1. You are correct in your assertion that the control software for aurora makes the output look like any other midi device, so any software that wants to use the midi software will just see a midi device, per your midi yoke settings.
2. Regarding the top panel, we decided to use a silkscreen for several reasons. As the guy who designed the layout, I do agree that the engraved look is very nice, but it has some drawbacks. The primary problem is price: We were looking at a very steep increase in cost as compared to the silkscreen, which even for small quantities is much more affordable. We wanted to pass on as good a price to you (we are barely getting price breaks as it is).
Beyond that, while I was happy with the accuracy of the engravings, they are not terribly reflective, and don't show up well in low light. The large pen width also muddled some of the graphics (its hard to see in the pictures). The recessed button holes will still be machined as show. Epoxy silkscreens are tough, so there should not be a durability issue, and, done correctly, are very sharp.
The company making the panels works primarily in aerospace and other precision stuff. They are really doing this as a favor. I expect the quality to be very good. I will also be sending them a sample of the entire device (they are doing both top and bottom panels) to make sure they see what we are trying to accomplish. Below is a very early rendering of aurora I did which shows what a silkscreen would look like. (Apologies in advance for the fader caps, this was done before we realized we couldn't buy them.)
only to figure that I missed out like usual.
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