New Finale

[MIDI Life Crisis]

This is interesting...

Movie Window. The Movie Window has been removed with the introduction of ReWire.

Hmmm...

And the rest of the READ pertaining to features...

Interface Changes in Finale

• Reset All Preferences. Reset All Preferences button added to the Preferences dialog box.
• MusicXML Preferences. MusicXML Preferences added to File > Import and File > Export.
• Large Time Signatures. Large time signatures can be created easily with the new Time Signatures in Score and Time Signatures in Parts options in the Staff Attributes, Global Staff Attributes, and Staff Styles dialog boxes.
• Transposed Instrument Note Entry. Transpose Audio On Input option added under MIDI/Audio > Device Setup to help aid QWERTY and mouse entry for transposed instruments.
• Deprecated plug-ins. Classic Eighth Beams, Count Items, and Band-in-a-Box plug-ins have been removed.
• Mirror tool. This tool has been removed but the user will be prompted to convert their notes.
• Tempo tool. This tool has been removed. Users can still use some of the same functions with the MIDI Tool.
• Movie Window. The Movie Window has been removed with the introduction of ReWire.
• Garritan Ambience. Garritan Ambience has been removed. Garritan Convolution Reverb and Ambience can be added using the ARIA Player.
• Contoured Dashed Slurs. Contoured dashed slurs are now available in the Smart Shape Palette and under Tools > Smart Shape > Dashed Slur. The previous Dashed Slur Smart Shape has been renamed to Dashed Curve and is still available in the Smart Shape Palette and under Tools > Smart Shape > Dashed Curve.
• Scanning. The ability to import scanned documents has been removed from Finale.
• Printing. The Select Score and Parts for Printing dialog box has been incorporated into the Print dialog box.
• For more information regarding specific menu command changes, see Finale Interface Changes in the User Manual.


New Features in Finale

• 64-bit. Finale and plug-ins updated to 64-bit.
• CoreGraphics. Color and image handling updated to CoreGraphics.
• Partial measure selection. Utilities > Change > Chords now works on partial measure selections.
• Apple Java dependency. Finale no longer requires Apple Java 6.
• Increased Human Playback processing speed.
• MusicXML
⁃ Exported inserts from the text and expression tools quality improved.
⁃ MusicXML now supports note shape settings in staff styles for built-in key signatures.
⁃ Improved SmartShape export to MusicXML.
⁃ The Measure Tool's Always Show option in MusicXML Export has been improved.
⁃ MusicXML export supports default Percussion Noteheads font, Jazz font characters 150-157, 180, 202, 203, 204, 224, 248, 249 and Engraver character 238.
⁃ MusicXML exports laissez-vibrer tie shape expressions and tied notes followed by rests correctly.
⁃ MusicXML export filters exact duplicate articulation and slur assignments.
⁃ Expressions with executable shape playback do not export MusicXML sound elements for playback, for either shape or text expressions.
⁃ 7(+9), 7(+9b13), and 7(b9/b5) chord symbols now export to MusicXML.
⁃ MusicXML stitches together brackets on separate systems during export.
⁃ Finale remembers MusicXML batch import/export folder between sessions.
⁃ MusicXML recognizes custom lines as piano pedals.
⁃ MusicXML now exports lyrics attached to hidden rests.
⁃ Finale exports any arbitrary shape expression as a graphic within a compressed MusicXML file.
⁃ Articulation position accuracy has been improved for MusicXML imports.
⁃ Vertical glissandos maintain their position when exported to MusicXML.
⁃ MusicXML export respects when Show Suffix is deselected.
⁃ Chord symbols in percussion notation export correct root and bass to MusicXML.
• ReWire. Finale can now be used with 3rd party digital audio workstations via ReWire.
• Garritan Instruments for Finale. New additions include the Concert D Grand Piano from Garritan Personal Orchestra 5, recorders, dulcimer, didgeridoo, full choir, and many other sounds from the Garritan World Instruments and Instant Orchestra libraries.
• Percussion Note Types. Mark tree and snares off options available as percussion note types.

[Elektroakoustika]

I have been faithful to Finale for 13 years, but I am extremely underwhelmed by this release. From the posts on Facebook and the MakeMusic blog, I was expecting more.

I really think Dorico (the new Steinberg notation program) is the future of notation programs. While I can't imagine it will be able to replicate everything Finale can do upon it's release this Fall, the workflow looks to be much more intuitive and the programming was made for the 21st Century. Can't wait for it to come out. I think in about 2 years time, Dorico could lay waste to Finale and Sibelius.

Sorry Finale. I've given you a chance, but I'm over your crashes, bugs, and underwhelming releases.

[mikehalloran]

I really think Dorico (the new Steinberg notation program) is the future of notation programs. While I can't imagine it will be able to replicate everything Finale can do upon it's release this Fall,

like the ability do a simple guitar/vocal lead sheet?

I think in about 2 years time, Dorico could lay waste to Finale and Sibelius.

Two years is a long ways away when you have projects to do. The first release is so limited that two years may be extremely optimistic — or not. Time will tell.

I have been buying and using Finale alternatives for many years—still do—but have never found its equal for large projects. I may finally get into it for the small stuff that I normally do in Encore. It might be as fast once I get into the workflow. I really like Finale till I find that one little thing that takes all the time in the world to figure out, ya know?

ps - I routinely purchase updates early (at least from MOTU and Make Music) as I want to support their efforts in developing the software and staying in business. ... I want these guys to stay in business

Yep. Me, too. I'll be buying it in a day or two. I never received the announcement with the $125 upgrade that many on the user boards talk about. Instead, marketing sent me an email encouraging me to upgrade my site license ?!?!? Ok... I've acquired three licenses over the years because cross-grade is often a lot less expensive than upgrade (insert marketing department rant here).

I see that Guitar Center / Musicians Friend listed Finale 25 today with upgrade/crossgrade options. Sweetwater removed Finale 2014 pricing today so it's safe to assume that the F25 prices will be up there tomorrow or Friday. Because they help sponsor this board, I give them the business when I can. AudioDeluxe should be updating their site soon...

I am a little chagrinned to see that the Garritan Harps library I bought three weeks ago for $69 is included with Finale 25. I'm not going to feel guilty going through a reseller.

[mhschmieder]

The instrument list for Finale 25 is interesting. I can't tell if it includes whole libraries or not, but am shocked at what was missing before as much of it seems essential (especially Timpani, for crying out loud!).

There are now World Instruments, at least part of the Pipe Organs library, and possibly the Harps in full (as Mike mentions, but I'm not positive it isn't a subset).

As for Dorica, the video is stupid and looks like a bunch of self-satisfied arrogant hipster posers that are incapable of listening or learning from experienced people or interested customers, but I hope I'm wrong.

Having just bought the full edition of Cubase last week for $175 due to stacked incentives, I must say that I am quite impressed by its notation, which has come a long ways since I last tried Cubase at Version 4. In fact, it's beyond what DP offers, which I never thought I'd see happen as DP has consistently been on top of the DAW's for notation stuff.

Cubase may be the only non-standalone notation tool to support full cleanup decoupled from changes to the underlying MIDI. Absolutely critical!

[mikehalloran]

I bit the bullet yesterday. I would have bought from the sponsor but they haven't listed Finale 25 yet.

I've posted the long version of each of these in the new user forum (yech!). Here's the Readers Digest:

I had issues authorizing my upgrade. Firefox worked.

Found a few bugs and confirmed others. The only deal breaker so far is that changing Preferences doesn't work. MakeMusic gets a phone call on that one tomorrow morning.

There's a printer bug but I don't know if it affects everybody or only HP and Canon owners—a workaround exists.

The irksome thing is that there is no user manual. It's now an online Help center and it sucks. Same stupid mistake that Apple made with Logic 9 and fixed a few weeks later. Anything that complex needs a searchable .pdf file. To put this in context, I ordered the Finale 2009 print manual—it was 4x the size the DP combined manuals at the time. Worse was that it was printed 4-up to a page and couldn't be read without a magnifying glass—useless.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

There should be a downloadable PDF manual link somewhere. I hate the online ver as well.

[Phil O]

Wow, did they get anything right?

[mikehalloran]

There should be a downloadable PDF manual link somewhere. I hate the online ver as well.

Unfortunately, there isn't — at least yet. I'm waging a polite war with MakeMusic support on the issue with concrete examples of why this isn't very good. My request now has a support case# assigned to it. Hopefully, others will pile on.

My Preferences issue has been resolved with a workaround but still needs to be fixed (it may just get documented for now). Others have different issues but many of the 2014 problems have been addressed.

Many have printing issues. Apparently, I was the first to point out that F25 only prints one copy, at least on HP printers. Others need to test this and log a complaint if it affects them, too. Print multiple copies of a test page—mine prints one only. 2-sided and multiple-page printing are fine as long as you want only one copy. I gave them plenty of screen shots and detailed descriptions plus a copy of my 3 page test file.

I have some MusicXML questions but will ask those of Michael Good when he gets back from vacation.

[mikehalloran]

Wow, did they get anything right?

Yes, they did but there are many growing pains. Far more for Windows than Mac as far as I can tell.

I wouldn't want to be a new customer right now and start with 25. Fortunately, I can fall back on 2014.5 or even 2011 if I need (works with HP turned off, my default anyway).

I voted with my pocketbook eyes wide open. The best thing we early adopters can do is to find the issues and log support cases. Yea, yea, we're beta testers in a way but I'm not interested in that conversation. It will get better.

My goal is to use Finale only and get away from Encore except to be my wife's in house tech support. We'll see how that works out.

[Phil O]

I'm torn. Don't know if I want to bite the bullet or not. I have such a love-hate relationship with Finale. It would be such a great product if they could get a handle on their quality control. I've been using it for years, but I struggle over just about every update.

Phil

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I bought F25 and I'm sorry I did. No more movie window and no more TIFF imports for OCR. It's a doorstop in my studio, or worse, a work stop! Unless these features are restored I'm done with that app. I don't say that lightly. I was their featured composer twice (1996 and 2011). It's the stupidest thing to happen to an app since Gibson took over Opcode.

[mikehalloran]

No more movie window and no more TIFF imports for OCR

I understand their reasons and, frankly, they flat out don't matter. It just makes more customers for Sibelius who, apparently, are not going to be as stupid.

If I didn't already have SmartScore X2 Pro, I never would have bought the upgrade to Finale 25. SS's output to MusicXML is very good even if the user guide is stuck at OS 10.5. So, I have pretty much the same scanning functionality.

When Adaptec disabled the ability to burn iTunes in Toast, it nearly put them under — oh wait, it did. Let's see, copy protection on CDs and cassettes... how well have those turned out? Stopping progress because there is potential for abuse just doesn't work.

It's the stupidest thing to happen to an app since Gibson took over Opcode.

Don is over at Sonic Scores working on Overture 5. Even if he ever gets v.5 working, it's so far behind the times it may as well be stillborn.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I'll be requesting my refund from Make Music tomorrow.

[mikehalloran]

I'll be requesting my refund from Make Music tomorrow.

As you should.

I'm not ready yet but I'm getting there.

I received a workaround on my printing issue. It turns out that some developer wants us to learn a convoluted, most un-Mac new way to print—I'm not even going to post the solution. Like the Preference issue I have, this was done on purpose

Of course, neither is documented either in the new No Help Center nor the nonexistent .pdf file.

[toodamnhip]

Off topic, but what’s the best program to make fake book style jazz charts or simple charts/lead sheets? I don’t just mean between these two leaders in software, but any program that just makes decent lead sheets that cn enter via MIDI? ( and a program Above the level of DP)

Sorry to hear of your frustrations