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Just got this from MakeMusic:
Introducing the New Finale
The new Finale is here. Now a full 64-bit application, it incorporates new features, bug fixes, and under-the-hood enhancements to provide you with improved performance and a streamlined workflow.

With the new Finale you'll begin noticing a difference as you enter notes. As you write for transposing instruments, you'll hear the transposed pitch on entry as well as during playback. The feature that makes your music sound like humans are performing it now responds instantly when you press play. You can now synchronize playback with other pro-level audio applications via ReWire.

And playback will sound incredible. More than 100 additional Garritan sounds have been added. Plus, a new ARIA Player makes it quick and easy to select those sounds and fine-tune the included convoluted reverb to produce breathtaking results.

With the new Finale, the choice is yours: how you prefer to work, how your music will look, and how your music will sound.

It's a paid upgrade and from what I can tell, except for the 64 bit bit, it's mostly bug fixes. Seems like a lousy deal.

Phil

Perhaps... from the What's New page...

“ReWire will also benefit anyone writing for film as it also allows you to synchronize with the video support found in programs like Digital Performer, ProTools and Logic.”

We'll see. ReWire support doesn't seem like a $150 upgrade to me. I was hoping for a little more than that. I suppose if it's something you've been really waiting for, then it's worth it. But I still suspect it will just feel like a bug fix update to me (IF they've actually fixed some bugs). Let's see if they have a demo.

Phil

Phil O wrote:
With the new Finale you'll begin noticing a difference as you enter notes. As you write for transposing instruments, you'll hear the transposed pitch on entry as well as during playback.

I did a double-take when I saw that. I remember bitching about this maybe 10 years ago. Can't believe that's only being fixed now. Hilarious.

Got the email a bit ago but haven't really had a chance to read it in detail yet, as our internet has been hosed for most of the day.

I don't remember seeing anything about upgrade price, so maybe this is free at least to those who paid for the most recent ".5" update.

Oh, looks like others are saying it's a paid $150 update. I don't use ReWire so I may skip it -- especially with the new Steinberg Doric(?) app coming soon (and looking to have some truly innovative features).

This is the 64bit version that we were promised with 2014 but didn't get. No, I'm not overjoyed at paying twice for the same upgrade. 2011 was working ok for me if HP was turned off but I upgraded to 2014 anyway.



The problem is that, if you don't do the upgrade, you're stuck with the old Finale.

Lots of moaning and groaning that SmartScore Lite will no longer be included. This was after they announced a new, improved scan/import tool and then dropped that when someone complained it would make it easier to violate copyrights. OK... while I understand the point, is Sibelius going to be crippled the same way? I somehow doubt it.

Having upgraded to SmartScore X2 Pro a few years back, I'm not affected—especially knowing that Michael Good and his team are hard at work on MusicXML 3.1. I definitely understand how some are upset by this.

Transposing clefs being fixed... yea it's about time but the old workaround never bothered me. I suppose it would if I did real time entry.

Oh boy, dashed slurs at last yippee! Having seen how many do not know how to use these, it never bothered me that Finale hadn't had them. I shall contain my enthusiasm.

Tall time signatures, to me, are a solution to a problem no one was having. Still, as my eyes get older, I can see the practicality. Prediction: after dotted slurs, this will be the most overused feature.

I may skip it -- especially with the new Steinberg Doric(?) app coming soon (and looking to have some truly innovative features)

Haven't seen anything in Doric that excites me and it won't be able to do a simple lead sheet. Wake me up when it is as good as Music Time Plus.

Hmmm... I have two upgradable Finale licences and a half dozen others eligible for crossgrade. Doesn't matter what I do, gonna cost me $149. Decisions...

Sweetwater and AudioDeluxe are still showing the older upgrade and crossgrade prices with discounts at AD.

I think I'm a-gonna wait a few days and see what happens.

mikehalloran wrote: Tall time signatures, to me, are a solution to a problem no one was having.[/i]

Some conductors working live to picture with a full symphony (think: Chicago, Atlanta, etc.) often use large meter fonts (as well as color coding the score) to keep track of it all and not have their heads in the score. So there is truly a value there (maybe $10 or so) at least for this composer. If I can make the conductor's life easier he's a happier collaborator to deal with (that's worth another $5, at least!)

As for Rewire not being "worth $150" I agree to some degree. If I can sync DP's control panel with my score in Finale and have it locate it for editing and playback in both programs simultaneously, that's a pretty cool feature and might coax me to use DP in the composition process when writing for real musicians to playback a written score. Presently I do the entire score for print in Finale. I can already bridge the instruments (VIs) thru IAC (or whatever that acronym was) but sync was not something IAC would do - only access instruments, which is more easily accomplished with a program like Plogue Bidule. I want to see the demo and what the Rewire advantage is before dismissing it entirely.

Other problems are being reported but that is nothing new in a new release of any software. Add to that the Finale User Forum was dysfunctional and you have a recipe for mistrust and misinformation. Yeah, I'll hold off on the purchase, but I will certainly take a look at the demo version.

I don't disagree on large meter fonts. It will be the new toy and every new work will have them including choral works and I will find them more distracting than useful... and will cringe a little the first time my daughter uses them. If it makes film scores more readable, then great. Go! Be! Do! They won't be as distracting as dotted slurs and ties in anything other than a study score.

I have explored other notation software. MuseScore is free and worth every penny, IMO. They spend more time justifying why it isn't better than making it better—absolutely not ready for prime time. Did I mention it's free? Yikes!

I've never liked Finale for quick down and dirty work like lead sheets, 4-part choral and worship scores or even my Christmas book. I've been using Encore and would pay for an upgrade if it supported a later version of MusicXML than 1.ancient but I don't expect that to ever happen.

Sonic Scores Overture holds a little promise to replace Encore—same developer as was the original Opcode version. v.5 just doesn't work. I'll ask for an extension on my demo when the next build comes out but I'm not holding my breath. $99 intro price if I like it... if it works... has some of what I like about Encore.

Can't get warm to Sibelius. Just can't—still.

And the Steinberg has an app that can't put chords on a lead sheet. I'll stick with Finale. F25? Maybe. Maybe not. Time will tell. As for the large time sig, it looks better that a sharpie on my printer conductor's score.

A nice overview of Finale 25 including speed comparisons with 2012c, 2014d and 2014.5.

http://www.sibeliusblog.com/news/makemu ... of-finale/

So the large fonts for meter we're all nite red for film conductors and musicians. Who knew? Lol

New large font time signatures??

I don't get it... I used them and abused them during my college days, last century, for every film scoring assignment. I made them huge... (and with a "cut" score)
How is this a new feature?

FMiguelez wrote:New large font time signatures??

I don't get it... I used them and abused them during my college days, last century, for every film scoring assignment. I made them huge... (and with a "cut" score)
How is this a new feature?

It's more of an "enhanced" feature and they say as much. It takes less time to create them. I just bought the update and will put it thru some paces as I work on a piece for an 18 piece jazz band in New York in the next few days. The reports on the Finale forum are mixed, but given I have the latest machine and almost the latest OS (10.11.5) it's worth a try. The ONLY thing stopping me from going to 10.11.6 is the loss of earlier version of Finale (which I can always access on my 8-core backup under 10.10.5). So if this works, I'll update the OS on the trash can and then start botching about the long wait for DP 9000 (I hear it's code name is HAL).

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 can understand folks being more frugal with their dollars if they have to. OTOH, for all I bi-otch and moan, I want these guys to stay in business.