We often intermix plugin-based and sample-based instruments when composing tracks. However, when creating plugin instruments, we always hafta go back and de-assign the sample numbers from the sample map of those instruments that use plugins, so that we can just use the sample slots in order. This of course is unnecessarily time-consuming.
What we'd like to see is, when assigning plugins to instruments, the sample map automatically assigns the null sample to all notes in the sample map. Since some composers may not want the sample map erased when they assign a plugin to a sample-mapped instrument, there should be an alert to allow the user to opt out of de-assigning the sample designations (for those times when you create a sample map for an instrument, and then assign a VST to the instrument -- usually for audio FX). Even better, there should be a default setting to allow the alert to be bypassed when negating a sample map to a new plugin assignment.