What does Finale Have?

The place for beginner Finale users. ("How do I...")

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ethandale
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2017 1:02 am
Finale Version: 25.6.0.92
Operating System: Windows

Post by ethandale » Fri Mar 03, 2017 2:40 am

Right now, I am on the fence between upgrading to Sibelius 8 for $90, or just giving MM my Sibelius license and purchasing Finale for $150...what I want to know beforehand, is, what all does Finale offer that Sibelius doesn't? I have yet to find a feature or notation in Finale that is not easier to manage or find in Sibelius, and Sibelius 8 also offers 4K support, which is critical for my laptop...I mean, if I got Finale, I could just switch my resolution and restart my computer every time I wanted to use it, but that's not very practical. So tell me, why do you think I should get Finale over Sibelius? I don't want to start a riot, I just want to know what it can do that Sibelius can't. Sell me on it, so to speak..

Thanks!

Ethan

EDIT: How the program's playback sounds is not a factor in this. I just need something that helps me write music quickly, as I have access to a full orchestra that will record whatever I hand them.
Last edited by ethandale on Sat Mar 04, 2017 9:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.


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michelp
Posts: 2045
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 3:35 pm
Finale Version: 27.4.1,26.3.1, Mont.
Operating System: Mac

Post by michelp » Fri Mar 03, 2017 12:56 pm

4K is a high screen resolution.
To add to Ronald's comments :
1) Finale allows more customization of many elements, and if you like to control every detail, Finale has better records.
2) The future of Sibelius may look uncertain since the whole original team (London based) was fired and replaced by a new team (from Ukraine ?).
Michel
MacOsX 12.7.4, Finale 27.4.1 & 26.3.1, Mac Mini Intel Dual Core i7 3Ghz, 16 Go Ram. Azerty kb. MOTU Midi Express XT USB, Roland Sound Canvas SC-88vl, MOTU Audio Express. 2 monitors (27"' pivot, 24'"), JW Lua, RGP Lua

ethandale
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2017 1:02 am
Finale Version: 25.6.0.92
Operating System: Windows

Post by ethandale » Sat Mar 04, 2017 9:54 pm

Ronald J Brown wrote:I think the primary difference is a matter of taste. I cannot abide Sibelius. It is completely unintuitive, clunky, and impossibly obtuse in its interface. Yet, I know many people who swear by it and I respect that it works for them. So, I can only suggest you try the demos for each and give them a good work out, then decide what feels most comfortable for you.

In more than 15 years of heavy Finale use I have never encountered a situation that it could not handle, but, then, maybe that's because I am "in tune" with Finale.

I have no idea what you mean by Sibelius offers 4K support. Support of what? Finale 25 is a full-blown 64-bit application, so can address more RAM that you could ever imagine stuffing inside a box. Why are you restarting your computer every time you want to use it? I do not understand this at all. I have never had to restart my computer before using Finale.
No, I have to restart my computer because my display is 4K, but Finale doesn't support that, so when I'm creating documents, for instance, the time signatures all appear blank, the play button is actually the stop button, the skip to end button is actually the record button...That's what I mean by that. And you mentioned that Sibelius's interface was clunky. I only tried the demo of finale for a bit, but there were many features that I couldn't find...if I do go the finale route, how do you recommend I find many of these settings? Finale's user manual was a bit lacking...maybe I just need to get as much experience as you? Thanks for the detailed reply by the way! :)

Ethan

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MikeHalloran
Posts: 706
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2017 2:56 am
Finale Version: 27
Operating System: Mac

Post by MikeHalloran » Sun Mar 05, 2017 1:39 am

Don't pay $150. Many resellers have it for less. Guitar Center and Musicians Friend have it for $119. Same price for version upgrades, too.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/search?type ... Ntt=Finale

You'll get an activation code and instructions on how to use this to create a user profile at MakeMusic.com. This will create your serial number and let you download the full version including Aria/Garritan Instruments (there are two installers in the downloaded file and you need to run them both).

Heads up: The Chrome browser doesn't work with these upgrades—still. Firefox, Safari, I.E. do. Normal downloads are ok in Chrome, it's just the upgrade process that hangs.
Mike Halloran

Finale 27.3, SmartScore X2 Pro, GPO5 & World Instruments
MacOS Ventura 13.2.1; 2017 iMac Pro 18 Core, 128G RAM, 4TB; 2021 MBAir M1
NotePerformer3, Dorico 4, Overture, Notion 6, DP 11, Logic Pro

ethandale
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2017 1:02 am
Finale Version: 25.6.0.92
Operating System: Windows

Post by ethandale » Sun Mar 05, 2017 2:52 am

Ronald J Brown wrote:Which specific features can't you find? Finale is a very complex application. It does come with several "quick start" videos and tutorial guides. I suggest you go through those and if you still have questions, post them here.

Seems to me that your system must be deficient if you have to reboot to use Finale. I still have no idea what this 4k business is. Maybe it's a Mac thing? (I'm on Windows.) In 15 years of Finale use and having gone through many computers I have not encountered this.
No, I abhor Macs heavily. I'm on a Windows machine (a Dell laptop, which has caused me no end of trouble) that has a certain amount of pixels per inch of space on the screen. Some programs are coded to use all of that space, but Finale does not have the coding to support that yet, so I have to lower my screen resolution so that it shows less pixels per inch. It's not a problem that can be fixed until MakeMusic updates their software...I would definitely say that my system is highly deficient however, and I regret buying it, but it's unfortunately what I am stuck with. When I say that I cannot find features, it's more that I don't know how to use it properly. On Sibelius, you could go in and out of note entering mode just by pressing the N key, but on Finale, there are lots of buttons at the top, and clicking almost anywhere on the screen causes something to happen. Sibelius had a HUGE amount of buttons, with a lot less of those "shortcuts" finale has, but maybe it's just a learning curve thing that I need to get past..

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MikeHalloran
Posts: 706
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2017 2:56 am
Finale Version: 27
Operating System: Mac

Post by MikeHalloran » Sun Mar 05, 2017 3:15 am

The learning curve in Finale isn't that bad till you get to many of the advanced features. The tutorials help big time, I'm told (25 year user so I rarely go there).

Like anything, you'll learn what you need to know.

You're correct that Finale doesn't support 4K on the Windows side yet. Mac 5k screens work fine but that's due to Apple rather than MakeMusic. There are lots of issues on the Win side that don't affect Mac users and a few vise versa.

That said, the majority of users have very few problems with either platform once they get up and running.
I abhor Macs heavily...
How I feel about Windows and my work machines were on that platform for over 15 years including when I did tech support for a software firm. I feel the same about Sibelius, MuseScore, LilyPad and Dorico.

Otoh, I have current licenses for Finale 25, Encore 5.0,7, Overture 5 and Notion 6. Each has their strengths and I use the tools necessary for the job. Trying to make a living...
Mike Halloran

Finale 27.3, SmartScore X2 Pro, GPO5 & World Instruments
MacOS Ventura 13.2.1; 2017 iMac Pro 18 Core, 128G RAM, 4TB; 2021 MBAir M1
NotePerformer3, Dorico 4, Overture, Notion 6, DP 11, Logic Pro

heinzfan
Posts: 193
Joined: Sun Dec 25, 2016 8:42 pm
Finale Version: 27
Operating System: Windows

Post by heinzfan » Mon Mar 06, 2017 12:34 am

ethandale wrote:
Ronald J Brown wrote:I have no idea what you mean by Sibelius offers 4K support. Support of what? Finale 25 is a full-blown 64-bit application, so can address more RAM that you could ever imagine stuffing inside a box. Why are you restarting your computer every time you want to use it? I do not understand this at all. I have never had to restart my computer before using Finale.
No, I have to restart my computer because my display is 4K, but Finale doesn't support that, so when I'm creating documents, for instance, the time signatures all appear blank, the play button is actually the stop button, the skip to end button is actually the record button...That's what I mean by that. And you mentioned that Sibelius's interface was clunky. I only tried the demo of finale for a bit, but there were many features that I couldn't find...if I do go the finale route, how do you recommend I find many of these settings? Finale's user manual was a bit lacking...maybe I just need to get as much experience as you? Thanks for the detailed reply by the way! :)

Ethan
I can't understand why you need to restart your PC after changing the screen resolution. In any Windows PC I've used the screen resolution can be changed on the fly in the Windows Control Panel/Display/Change Screen Resolution, without the need to reboot.
Finale 27, Windows 10, VST: Vienna Instruments/Ensemble/Synchron, Cubase, Kontakt 5

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