is allegro good enough or should I buy finale?

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bj nick

Post by bj nick » Sun Nov 28, 2004 9:19 pm

I purchased allegro 2000 several years ago but never used it, as I had stopped doing a lot of composing by then. However, I am getting back into it and want to start using Allegro. Just for context, I am an expert musician and intermediate computer user, but I am a beginner with Allegro.


What I will be doing with the product is this: I will be writing 1) horn charts for small groups (3-6 horns plus rhythm), and also big band arrangements (17-piece group). I want to be able to write charts and print them out, hear them played back to check for errors, etc. (I don't expect terrific quality playback, only for checking for errors, etc.)

I will be entering notes with both the hand entry and also midi keyboard.

Here's my issue: I would obviously love to be using "the best," but at the moment I'd rather not have to spend several hundred dollars on upgrading to Finale. My understanding at the time was that Allegro would fulfill all my needs, and that the extras included with Finale were things I didn't need, such as a wide selection of fonts, styles, etc., that are required for professional copyists.

I am not averse to spending money to get what I truly need; I do not believe in saving a little money if it means I'm handicapped. But if Allegro will do the job, then I'd rather stick with it for the present time.

I would very much appreciate feedback on whether or not I truly need to consider upgrading to Finale 2005, or whether Allegro 2000 will be adequate for my needs.

Thanks very much,
BJ


Peter S.
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Post by Peter S. » Mon Nov 29, 2004 7:11 am

Hi,
I do not know Allegro, since I have always worked with Finale. What I would suggest for you is that you try out your Allegro 2000. If it works for your demands you can go on working with it. If not you can upgrade to Finale, and Finale will be able to read your files done with Allegro, you will not have to do the whole work again.

Peter

dr-fish
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Post by dr-fish » Sat Jan 20, 2007 10:38 am

I have purchased Allegro and Finalle 2007 and personally the extra benefits of Finale 07 are not needed. From what you're describing I suggest you just go for Finale Allegro becuase it has a ton of features and if you happen to need features that Allegro doesn't have to offer, then there is usually a workaround, even if it means only graphically (ie, not affecting playback).

Download a free trial of Finale 2007 and see for yourself if you're still not sure.
Dr Fish :-) - Gained a PHD in nothing!

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TWW
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Post by TWW » Mon Apr 13, 2009 9:26 pm

What you've described is pretty close to what I do with PrintMusic, which is a step below Allegro. Although you may want to upgrade to the latest Allegro for fun, I seriously doubt you will need Finale.
-Tom Williams
Finale 26.1, Finale 2012

Ziur
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Post by Ziur » Fri May 01, 2009 10:26 pm

I downloaded the demo for Allegro a couple of days ago and at first I was a bit frustrated because what I could write on paper I didn't know how to put it in the computer. Once I started to get the hang of it I started to like it so much and I had a lot of fun also (plus asking simply questions in the forum helped me out). After a couple of days with Allegro I had so much fun I decided to buy Finale and I don't regret it at all. It's soo much quicker than writing it out by hand and you can instantly get a play back. The Garritan sounds samples are amazing... if you tweak them a bit you can really make the audio playback sound excellent, which will give you a better ear for your compositions. That was the main reason I decided to purchase Finale.

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