Changes at GVOX. Warning: Encore content

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mikehalloran
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Changes at GVOX. Warning: Encore content

Post by mikehalloran »

Yesterday, I was poking around the support forums at the GVOX web site and found a couple of Encore questions to which I knew the answer. I found that, though I was logged in properly, I could not reply to answer the user questions - neither was there a way for me to post about this. Weird...

So I got out of there and noticed a fresh email dated August 1, 2013:

Dear Mike Halloran,

August 1, 2013 - Lawrenceville NJ

Passport Music Software, LLC has acquired Passport DesignsTM intellectual property including software products; Encore® music notation, MusicTime Deluxe® music notation and MasterTracks® Pro MIDI sequencing as well as other assets from Lyrrus, Inc, dba Gvox.

About Passport Music Software, LLC
Passport Music Software LLC is a privately held company dedicated towards advancing the Passport Designs™ product line.

We are in the process of putting together a new website with improved customer communications options for support and sales.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.

Richard Hotchkiss
President
Passport Music Software, LLC
hotch@passportmusic.com


I don't know what this means since Richard was the president of GVOX before. I guess that, if I hadn't logged into the support site, this never would have been sent.

I don't really need Encore to be better since I rarely use it anymore but, as long as it works on a Mac, I will be in-house tech support for my wife. As much as I'd like to say they'll never see any more of my money, I'll probably upgrade two of my licenses when the time comes just so I can keep it working on her Macs.
Last edited by mikehalloran on Sun Sep 08, 2013 10:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
DP 11.31; 828mkII FW, micro lite, M4, MTP/AV USB Firmware 2.0.1
2023 Mac Studio M2 8TB, 192GB RAM, OS Sonoma 14.4, USB4 8TB external, M-Audio AIR 192|14, Mackie ProFxv3 6/10/12; 2012 MBPs Catalina, Mojave
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Hotch
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Re: Changes at GVOX. Warning: Encore content - apathy alert!

Post by Hotch »

Hi,

Apathy is NOT what's going on over here in the Passport Camp.

After running Gvox for almost 10 years and getting them through chapter 11, I was still not able to fund the development of Encore and MasterTracks Pro. So I bought the products in order to repair/replace the old codes.

I have hired a development company and hired additional support staff, all of whom use our products and have for 20 years +. We are in the process of making a new website and have already initiated a new support system through zendesk, http://passportmusic.zendesk.com , that is so much more efficient than what we had done in the past.

With the new site pending and the new support system, I have temporarily made the forum read-only with the hope that we can back it up and import it into the new system. However, it is large and might cause more problems if we convert it so it may become a searchable archive.

You can read more about our plans here: http://www.gvox.com/gvox_news . As you can tell, the transition is still in progress.

Best,
Richard Hotchkiss
President
Passport Music Software, LLC
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mikehalloran
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Re: Changes at GVOX. Warning: Encore content - apathy alert!

Post by mikehalloran »

Hi, Hotch,

I was referring to the fact that, to my knowledge, only one other regular poster to this thread is an Encore user like myself. Normally, this corner of MOTU Nation is in the neutral zone between the Finale vs Sibelius camps. That was my apathy remark.

When I was a church music director, Encore was my notation program of choice. Those days are over and not likely to come back for me. From installation to printing, it is hands down the fastest way for me to get notes on paper - always has been, I'll give it that.

Due to a handicap that has left my dominant arm and hand useless, I keep it on a thumb drive for those rare times when I am engineering in another studio and someone needs a quick part written out - faster for me than finding a piece of paper and writing the part with the wrong hand - I can get it done while the argument is still going on between the leader and the sideman.

If the new versions retain that agility, I'm still in. If it's still easy for my wife to use, ditto.

Me? I'd like to see Encore on my iPad.

I'm ok using Finale for the heavy lifting.

Best of luck to the new endeavor.

Mike
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Hotch
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Re: Changes at GVOX. Warning: Encore content - apathy alert!

Post by Hotch »

Hi Mike,
If the new versions retain that agility, I'm still in. If it's still easy for my wife to use, ditto.

Me? I'd like to see Encore on my iPad.

I'm ok using Finale for the heavy lifting.
That's the plan in a nutshell. Keep the same basic interface but on a new framework, this isn't light work, which will enable us to make an iOS/Android product. We'll get out bug fixes for the current product along the way.

Finale is a very good product when you need to do the heavy lifting. Our plan includes a much more robust use of MusicXML so you'll be able to use both products freely. Michael Good created a solid sharable codebase that has become the standard for sharing music notation products.

Hotch
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mhschmieder
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Re: Changes at GVOX. Warning: Encore content - apathy alert!

Post by mhschmieder »

BTW Michael is a former colleague and also was a MOTUnation member for a long time, if not still (there are those who have neither the time nor inclination to post but do follow threads).
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Re: Changes at GVOX. Warning: Encore content

Post by mikehalloran »

This all sounds good...

I am for anything that keeps me from having to teach my wife how to use Finale.

My daughter (the taller one on the left) is a dyed in the wool Finale, Logic and GarageBand user. Even thought she has watched me blaze through her projects in DP, she has never wanted to learn it.

No problem - different strokes.

But, when I asked her to teach her mother Finale, she gave me the 'I'm married and moved out..." argument. Children!
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2023 Mac Studio M2 8TB, 192GB RAM, OS Sonoma 14.4, USB4 8TB external, M-Audio AIR 192|14, Mackie ProFxv3 6/10/12; 2012 MBPs Catalina, Mojave
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Re: Changes at GVOX. Warning: Encore content

Post by mikehalloran »

Supposedly, the latest release has some improvements. If I ever get version 5.07 working, I'll post here. I can enter my serial number but cannot save nor print.

The installer is buggy and that's being kind. That it installs the wrong ReadMe and a manual that doesn't work is icing on the cake. Fortunately, those are available on the web site for download. I put in my first support request on 3/1 and have yet to hear back. This is not good.
DP 11.31; 828mkII FW, micro lite, M4, MTP/AV USB Firmware 2.0.1
2023 Mac Studio M2 8TB, 192GB RAM, OS Sonoma 14.4, USB4 8TB external, M-Audio AIR 192|14, Mackie ProFxv3 6/10/12; 2012 MBPs Catalina, Mojave
IK-NI-Izotope-PSP-Garritan-Antares, LogicPro X, Finale 27.4, Dorico 5.2, Notion 6, Overture 5, TwistedWave, DSP-Q 5, SmartScore64 Pro, Toast 20 Pro
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mikehalloran
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Re: Changes at GVOX. Warning: Encore content

Post by mikehalloran »

Today, I was sent a new installer for 5.0.7 Mac that fixed many of my problems - especially the issue with being unable to save and print. Interestingly, it did not ask for my serial number (indicating that was never the issue).

The new installer also includes the correct ReadMe.

The manual, while correct, does not allow you open it. Neither can one trash it. If you know how to add privileges using Get Info, this fixes it. Otherwise, download a working manual from the web site.
DP 11.31; 828mkII FW, micro lite, M4, MTP/AV USB Firmware 2.0.1
2023 Mac Studio M2 8TB, 192GB RAM, OS Sonoma 14.4, USB4 8TB external, M-Audio AIR 192|14, Mackie ProFxv3 6/10/12; 2012 MBPs Catalina, Mojave
IK-NI-Izotope-PSP-Garritan-Antares, LogicPro X, Finale 27.4, Dorico 5.2, Notion 6, Overture 5, TwistedWave, DSP-Q 5, SmartScore64 Pro, Toast 20 Pro
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