Dan...I have started to use DxO Pure Raw...and I think this is what you are using out of the PL package? It is by far, much better than Topaz Denoise with no artifacts. However, as you mentioned, now I have a step (and additional files) in front of import into LR. Ugh. So far, I have only used it for my birds and mammals in high ISO situations. My work flow has been to import keepers into LR. Determine which ones are worth the DxO effort, pull them from a raw keeper external HD, import into DxO and then import them back into LR (I use date plus location for organization) and add DxO after location so they sit right below the original file in LR. What a lot of work! But worth it when needed. Do you have any tips to share about managing this behemoth of a process?
Yes I use the "deep prime NR" and lens profile corrections in PL. I tested the free trial of Pure RAW when it first came out. I could do the same thing in PL and Pure RAW wasn't integrated quite as well with LR. Not sure if anything has changed since then. It is definitely designed to be the first step in editing. Not sure if they've now changed it to be a plug-in. You might want to make sure whether that's an option because if so it would be simpler than the workflow that you describe. One thing to keep in mind though is that no matter what external NR software is used you end up with an additional file(tiff, dng, or psd). IMO it's worth it when you need it.
Integrating DxO PL into an LR based workflow as a plug-in is a bit simpler(I'll explain the following in case you discover that Pure RAW can be used as a plug-in). Of course DxO PL has to be set up as a plug-in for LR with the LR plug-in manager. It also needs to be set up to stack the dng with the original when it goes back to LR. I believe you do this in LR preferences/external editing/toggle "stack with original".
Within PL I have set up presets for each of my cameras with the features that I want to use. I turn off everything other than auto vignetting(with DxO optics module), color rendering(with specific camera color profile selected), chromatic aberration, Pure Raw, lens sharpness, and distortion(with DxO optics module). NOTE: I do not do any cropping or horizon adjustment in PL.
When jumping out of LR to PL it is the base RAW file the PL uses without any adjustments that have already been made in LR. HOWEVER, when the dng comes back to LR(via "export to LR" from PL) it can then synch the develop settings from the RAW file and preserve any editing already done in LR including cropping, spot removal, etc. Subject masking will not synch and has to be re-generated on the dng(due to slight geometry adjustments that were done in PL). I point this out because this means that it is not necessary to make the export to DxO as the first step in the workflow. Edits can be made in LR and then only export to DxO the images that you plan to do something with rather than end up with duplicate dng files for every RAW file in the library.
My typical workflow:
1) Import RAW files into LR. I apply a basic preset of adjustments and input basic keywords during import
2) Flag obvious culls as "rejected" and then in bulk "delete rejected/delete from disk"
3) Go back through and flag those that look worthy of additional work on first pass
4) Make some basic lighting adjustments, spot removal, etc. and decide which files warrant additional processing
5) Select multiple files that need NR applied and then "file/plug-in extras/export to DxO PL"
6) in PL photolibrary module select all of the files, apply my preset for the particular camera, export to LR in bulk. Go make some coffee while Deep Prime NR crunches the files.
7) now the dng files with NR and lens corrections are back in LR(stacked with the RAW file) for further editing, export to PS, etc.
NOTE: Historically I have not kept the dng files indefinitely in LR. I make sure that the development settings are synched with the RAW file then after exporting for further editing in PS etc I retain the generated TIFF/PSD file and delete the dng. This because at that point the NR etc is "baked into" the TIFF/PSD and any LR development settings remain with the RAW file(because I've synched it). If I ever need to start again with a base file it is easy enough to run the DxO PL routine again and recreate the dng and synch it back to the develop settings retained with the RAW file. HOWEVER, with the new masking features in LR the dng may now be my "master" file because in many cases there's no need to use levels, content aware cloning, etc. So now depending on how much work I've invested in masking and/or if the dng is my final product I may retain the dng. In those cases I rename it as a cue to myself that is it now the "master" file.