Get Your Finale Output to Look Like Dorico

[N Grossingink]

Well… not quite.

For my own amusement, I wanted to try the Fravura music font, the Finale-compatible version of Dorico's Bravura. I was very impressed. The dynamics and articulations are much nicer, to my eye, than Maestro. Overall, the font is very pleasing.

While I was at it, I wondered if it would be possible to make a faux Dorico file in Finale format. I've attached a zip file containing 2 files, set up with the Fravura music font as default. One file is set up with the "Academico" text font - you'll have this if you've downloaded the Dorico demo - it's Dorico's default text font. The other uses the Finale standard text font Times New Roman. The Fravura font is a free download available here:

http://musegraph.com/fravura-font-free/

The folks at Musegraph, no doubt in order to show us how technically ahead of the curve they are, have used a non-standard archiver to archive/unpack the font files that you download. Go ahead and download the "B1.org" archiver and install it. It works for me with no side effects that I can see.

The only aspect of Dorico's output that I did not try to replicate was the slur and tie contours which have poor settings as a default (contour is too flat; tips are too hooked). I've included more natural looking slurs and ties. A colleague of mine has purchased Dorico and assures me that Dorico's slurs and ties are adjustable in the document settings and better settings give excellent results.

Just thought some might be interested…

N.

[Knut]

The only aspect of Dorico's output that I did not try to replicate was the slur and tie contours which have poor settings as a default (contour is too flat; tips are too hooked). I've included more natural looking slurs and ties. A colleague of mine has purchased Dorico and assures me that Dorico's slurs and ties are adjustable in the document settings and better settings give excellent results.

Dorico's slurs are indeed customizable, and better settings do give better results than the default. However, I think it's important to note that Dorico draws it's core slur shapes quite differently from Finale, and in my personal opinion, however much you tweak the slur settings in dorico you won't ever get slurs as nice as what Finale can achieve. If you want special shapes like flat or multi-segment slurs, Dorico does have the clear upper hand, but the core shape is much nicer in Finale.

[BuonTempi]

Getting Finale to behave Like Dorico is one thing: getting Dorico to look like Finale is another! I've got pretty similar output in both programs for a few simple pieces, and I think each program (and the results) has good points and bad points.

[John Ruggero]

I will only switch to Dorico if I can make it look like Finale, which will require a SMuFL Maestro font. I am not holding my breath for a SMuFL Maestro font.

[Knut]

I will only switch to Dorico if I can make it look like Finale, which will require a SMuFL Maestro font. I am not holding my breath for a SMuFL Maestro font.

Actually, MakeMusic, or more precisely, Mark Adler, is already working on this as a prerequisite for SMuFL support in Finale.

[BuonTempi]

Yes, MM have been heavily involved in the SMuFL standard, with the intention of implementing it within Finale.

I'm now only purchasing fonts that can be used in both Dorico and Finale, e.g. November, MTF Cadence, etc.

[MikeHalloran]

Thanks for that. Looks interesting.