MakeMusic

Well here we are again, Finale. I don't know why I expected better of you because you never deliver. Too be honest I only even have this software so that I can still look at work I did in University, where Finale was the program we all had to use in class. I'm pretty sure most of the professors had been using it since version 1 and simply were too stubborn to change. Perhaps that's also a testament to how long it takes to work with this well enough to not feel like giving up anymore. Occasionally I have a job where the client uses Finale and therefore I keep the updated version handy. I find myself generally spending more time online searching forums to figure out how the hell to do something simple than actually using the program. It's a really buggy program and I can't even count anymore how many times it has crashed on me. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE It works but not well. I struggle constantly to enter music into the score with any other function than the single note entry and that simply takes ages when you're talking about scoring orchestra or big band. The playback functions don't work very well. Human playback is very buggy and often ends up with strange and unwanted tempo fluctuations and the audio/visual gets out of sync. Bouncing down your score to parts is still a very time-consuming and soul-draining process. That mixed with these constant crashes that occur at least once or twice every time I am working with it.... OVERALL OPINION I've used Finale since 2007 and I've almost never met a person who had been working with Finale less than 10 years who enjoyed working with this program. From what I've seen and heard, this update is actually a step back from the previous version. So, if you already have Finale and were thinking of updating, I'd wait it out and see if they can fix things first. If you're looking for new music notation software, I would recommend Sibelius. It's simply a nicer working experience. It also doesn't leave you crying and ripping your hair out just to do some simple scoring procedure.

MakeMusic Finale 2007 software wasn't hard to install as I didn't have any compatibility issues or any other problems upon installation. While there is a lot going on because there is a lot that you can do with the software, the interface of the software is pretty user friendly and it didn't take me too long to understand exactly what everything does. The typical functions are easily located and even the harder stuff is made as easy as possible. The manual for Finale 2007 is pretty help and thorough and if you are new to music notation software in general I would suggest having it around. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE I can't recall any times that I've had any problems running Finale 2007 . I currently run it on a Mac Book Pro that has a 2.2 Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB of RAM, and on this machine it runs pretty flawlessly. While it really depends on your system, it doesn't take up too much processing power and I would imagine that those with less sufficient machines than the one I previously mentioned shouldn't have too many issues either, although it is hard to say until you try it yourself. I have always been able to run as many MIDI instruments with notation as I'd like and have done as many as twenty or more at once at times. OVERALL OPINION I only use this software every once in a while because I don't deal too often with music notation. Finale 2007 is pretty much as good as it gets when it comes to music notation software and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great piece of music notation software. Also check into the website I think you can get a free trial version to see if you like it. I know they did a few years ago, not too sure now but its worth a shot to try to before you buy it.

Make Music Finale 2004 is a music notation software. The general setup of Finale is pretty simple, especially with a MIDI keyboard. The typical functions are pretty easily accessible; more complex functions are somewhat more difficult to get used to but still pretty easy overall. The manual explains everything sufficiently, but it's really tedious and full of information that most people won't find relevant. You'll find yourself leafing through it far too often. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE My software has never had a problem performing well. It always responds to my MIDI keyboard and it is pretty realistic in terms of response time. I have been using it for two years and haven't had any serious problems with it. I've never had a problem with the gear slowing down or taking a while to play. OVERALL OPINION I think that the best thing about Finale, at least at first, is its simplicity. It isn't very difficult to write notes, assign a note value, or notate in real time. However, if you are really trying to write a score, and you need rehearsal, dynamic, and other types of marks, it gets a little bit more confusing. It's still, however, much more enjoyable and less tedious than Finale or other programs. In all honesty, it makes other programs look pretty bad in comparison. It's a shame that so many universities are still using a bunch of other softwares, when Finale feel so much more natural to a musician who's used to writing music by hand. The sound certainly leaves much to be desired, as most MIDI programs tend to do. But I can't say it's that much better or worse than any other music program. Finale's MIDI sounds are almost the same, unless you get one of the better plug-ins. I don't know about Finale plug-ins, because I haven't felt the need to purchase any. I find that for people who want to notate easily and with little stress, this program is probably the best way to do it. It's definitely not too overpriced, and will pay for itself if you do this for a living.