Importing scanned score

[n7wry]

Scan preview looks fine, as does the final scan. However, when the score is imported, some clefs are changed and notes are missing. In fact, entire measures are missing. Also, the staves on these lines are not connected by a bar or brace, but I cannot figure out how to add one. I noticed small clef signs at the ends of a couple of lines, just before the errors, but I can't figure out how to delete these. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[miker]

This is the sort of problem that happens with the Lite version of SmartScore, that used to come packaged with Finale.

If you plan on doing a lot of scanning, I would recommend buying the full version from musitek.com. That sill let you do a lot of editing before you import the xml, and you will get much better results. As a Finale user, you can get SmartScore Pro for 50% off of the price.

[ebiggs1]

The better you original the better your results. A rough looking original will never scan 100% even if the scan itself looks good.

[MikeHalloran]

This is the sort of problem that happens with the Lite version of SmartScore, that used to come packaged with Finale.

If you plan on doing a lot of scanning, I would recommend buying the full version from musitek.com. That sill let you do a lot of editing before you import the xml, and you will get much better results. As a Finale user, you can get SmartScore Pro for 50% off of the price.

In addition, SmartScore X2 Pro lets you edit your scans before you export them to Finale.

[robertstiffler]

I am an old duffer musician and retired electrical engineer. I was designing OCR readers to read electric bills in 1965. Started using Finale about 1995. I have not used the later scanning programs. I have used Sharpeye for many years and scanned hundreds of lead sheets, lots of piano scores and an occasional symphony conductor scores. When Sharpeye makes a mistake (yea, it's not perfect) my closer inspection of the mis-read character usually justifys the Sharpeye mis-reading. The product has served me well for a lot of years.
Now, I have a bit of advice.
1. I scan at about 300 dpi. I use a HP 7640 (all in one printer).
2. Before sending your scanned image to your OCR reader program you must crop the image you send very carefully. i.e. leave off titles, copyright and anything other that that your OCR reading program could be confused by. The image you send to the OCR reading program should only have staff lines, with notes, lyrics, and articulation etc. You should make a very tight "cropping" square around what you want the OCR program to read.
3. After you open the image on your OCR reading program make all the corrections to the score (using the OCR reading program's editing tools) before saving the XML or midi file you are sending to Finale. I.e. send Finale the cleanest file you can send.

Scanning scores into Finale using Sharpeye has saved me hundreds of hours over the last many years.

Bob Stiffler

[miker]

Substitute SmartScore (what I use) for Sharpeye, and what Bob says is 100% on the money. Even before the scan recognition, SmartScore offers an Image Editor where you can deskew the scans, fill in missing lines and brackets, and so forth. When I go to the recognition process, I tell it not to look for text or chords. Then, I do almost all of my editing, before going to Finale.

No short cuts, no magic bullets, but once you learn the program, it's great.

[John Ruggero]

I too have saved tremendous amounts of time by using SmartScore. I find that after scanning, some editing is best done in SmartScore (mainly rhythmic) and some editing best done in Finale. In other cases, it is quickest to erase the contents of problematic scanned measures and enter directly in Finale. You will learn what works best for you by doing it. It is definitely worth it.

[Christopher Smith]

Wow, all these posts from people I know are smart, talented Finale users about scanning is giving me hope!

Mike or John (or anyone, really!) who has success with this, is there a guide published anywhere beyond what you've shared here? I have never been able to save time at all over manual entry, even on individual parts entered for transposition.

[MikeHalloran]

SmartScore X2 has a 30 day demo.

https://www.musitek.com/demos.html

Download the Professional Edition. Not only is that the full-featured version but it’s the one that is half-price through the MakeMusic store.

[John Ruggero]

There has always been sharp divide between Finale users who swear by scanning and those who hate it.

Some people look at an older home and think it just needs a little fixing up to look brand new. Others see it as an old dump and would rather buy new. One may need a fix-er-upper mindset to be happy with music scanning.

[miker]

As well, most of the people who swear against scanning have never tried anything except the Lite version. But if you are willing to spend the money and time on learning the new program, you will come over to our side!!

Musitek also has a users' forum at http://bsmartscoreusertechresources.runboard.com/

[MikeHalloran]

There has always been sharp divide between Finale users who swear by scanning and those who hate it.

I think it’s possible to embrace and hate it simultaneously. Before SS X2 Pro, I found scanning to be useless.

Some people look at an older home and think it just needs a little fixing up to look brand new. Others see it as an old dump and would rather buy new. One may need a fix-er-upper mindset to be happy with music scanning.

Hmmm... having restored a 1870s Victorian home in San Jose, I’m not sure what to make of that analogy. Sure wish I could live in it again but my handicap makes that impractical. We still own it, however. The 1960 ranch style we live in is practical, I’ll give it that but...

[motet]

I've got a harp part I would love to scan. How does the software do on cross-staff notation?

[David Ward]

… … … Some people look at an older home and think it just needs a little fixing up to look brand new. Others see it as an old dump and would rather buy new. One may need a fix-er-upper mindset to be happy with music scanning.

Hmmm... having restored a 1870s Victorian home in San Jose, I’m not sure what to make of that analogy. Sure wish I could live in it again but my handicap makes that impractical. We still own it, however. The 1960 ranch style we live in is practical, I’ll give it that but...

It's all relative: my mother's family house had a 12th century bit & much of the rest was 15th. Some of my own childhood memories are of being in ancient, draughty, inconvenient, meandering houses that were nevertheless fun for a child to get (deliberately) lost in… (I now live in an ex-farm labourer's cottage barely 120 years old: thoroughly modern!)

Apologies for being so OT!

[miker]

I've got a harp part I would love to scan. How does the software do on cross-staff notation?

Not too bad, but not great, either. There are a couple of extra hoops.

Send me the PDF, and I'll try it, and let you know.

wawoodman at aol dot com