Demo available to download now

[BuonTempi]

The Demo of Finale 27 can now be downloaded.

[BuonTempi]

Mini review after 5 minutes.

The wealth of symbols in the new fonts is welcome, but...

The new tool icons are weak, with low contrast.

The same issues with Dark Mode graphics haven't been fixed.

Screenshot 9.png (8.65 KiB) Viewed 3195 times

Low attention to detail in UI. What's this little button? (OK, this was in 26, but... really? Someone thought this was still OK?)

Screenshot 11.png (7 KiB) Viewed 3195 times

The new Glyph Selection dialog is nice, but you can't expand the sidebar, (though you can scroll it.)

You access it differently (of course) in Expressions dialog: through Insert Character in the Text menu. There's still loads of shonky UI.

Characters don't show up in Document Options in a brand new SMuFL document with defaults.

[TBoliske]

Thanks for posting. I've made the jump into the deep end and purchased. Starting the program is currently an issue for me as it hangs, or at least seems to take a long time, then I need to force quit.

[zuill]

I usually wait for the product to be out for awhile and see how the early-birds are faring. I'm not in a hurry. v26 is just fine for now. I started using Finale with 3.0 or 3.1 back in 1996 and I've weathered the many Finale storms. Waiting is my strategy, generally, and has served me well.

Zuill

[dankreider]

Thanks for posting. I've made the jump into the deep end and purchased. Starting the program is currently an issue for me as it hangs, or at least seems to take a long time, then I need to force quit.

I’ve had the same problem.

[TBoliske]

I've been able to resolve the Finale 27 hang issue. After renaming the folders in Application Support Finale 27 and 26 now start up, however, Finale 25 does not. So, it's back to wack-a-mole to fix things.

[Bill Reed]

I just installed the demo and it already says my grace period is over, so can't save or print

[miker]

BT, does the magnifier icon in the glyph selection (and other similar screens) enlarge the glyphs, or just the frames they are in?

[BuonTempi]

BT, does the magnifier icon in the glyph selection (and other similar screens) enlarge the glyphs, or just the frames they are in?

Yes, it does enlarge the glyphs.

Here's the Tool palette. Looks like a pale photocopy.

Screenshot 14.png (13.26 KiB) Viewed 3096 times

[miker]

So since they can enlarge the glyphs in the font selection, why can't they do it with articulations, expressions, and chords?

And they changed a couple of the icons in the main tool bar. Not that big of a deal, since I use shortcuts for most of the tools, but just another “user experience enhancement,” no doubt.

[twofiveone]

I just installed the demo and it already says my grace period is over, so can't save or print

I have the same problem. It may be that Finale 27 is quarrying the date of an older installation such as Finale 26 if it is still in the Windows 10 register. I have not had time to look into the problem but have had similar issues with older Finale demos.

[Graeme Gilmore]

I found a set of 3 videos that gives an overview of version 27 that were helpful to me. The information includes an extended discussion about SMuFL (Standard MUsic Font Layout).

The information includes compatibility with previous versions and options for converting, or not converting, files in both directions.

The website is ...
Jason Loffredo, Conquering Finale
https://www.conqueringfinale.com/