Version 27.4 coming

[motet]

It looks like they're still alive:

https://www.finalemusic.com/blog/finale ... ming-soon/

[BuonTempi]

Well, they will have had nearly a year since the previous update, which is as long as is normally between the last update of one version and a new release of the next (point updates usually come c. 100-200 days apart); so we should expect some significant fixes, if not new features.

[miker]

…we should expect some significant fixes, if not new features.

That’s what they said last time. And the time before that. And the time…

[motet]

My guess is it's centered around the latest Mac OS incompatibility and problems with SMuFL they didn't foresee before, but we'll see. It will take more that that to get me to switch from 2014.5 for my main work.

[ebiggs1]

I agree with motet. Going form point 3 to point4 does not suggest any super big changes except it running on the ever changing Mac OS.
A few bug swats?!?

[dtoub]

Well, I'm not aware any of us beta-tested it. I sure did not. Glad they're still alive (not sure Garritan is but whatever), but there is soooo much to fix in Finale that I'm not optimistic at this point. Glad I don't have much time to compose these days due to work.

[Pat Fox]

I'm glad I found this post. I was thing of switching to a Mac. I am tired and fed up with the PC and all of window's changes. I know for the most part people in music and arts are Mac users. Since I don't do games so much, I have been giving it some serious thought to changing but after reading this post maybe I'll just a while.

[motet]

I can still run Finale 2005b on Windows 10. Mac users of Finale are lucky if they survive one or two MacOS updates. You may be fed up with Windows changes, but in terms of impacting Finale, switching to a Mac may not accomplish what you're hoping for.

[dtoub]

I guess I must be really lucky, because I've not had issues like that with Finale, ever. I'm running the latest development build of Sonoma with F27.3 and other than the usual slow startup with many plugins (I'm running a 5-year-old Intel MBP so I'll see how much better it is when I get a MBA with a M2 chip in a few days), Finale doesn't crash on me, doesn't refuse to run, etc. For sure there are many longstanding issues with Finale on both platforms and it's in bad need of a redesign from the ground up, but stability for me has been pretty solid.

I would absolutely not discount switching to a Mac vis a vis running Finale. That's just not born out of common experience apart from some on this thread.

[miker]

Agree, 100%. I haven't had any of the problems, either. But I have to say that I hate it when the Mac OS overshoots Finale. Or when it goes beyond what a 5 or 6 year old computer can handle.

[motet]

Indeed, I base what I said from what I read here and on Facebook, not personal experience. I'm just replying to the notion that switching to a Mac will result in fewer OS update problems.

Apparently you can't add an instrument from the Score Manager in Sonoma. Have you tried that?

[miker]

Apparently you can't add an instrument from the Score Manager in Sonoma. Have you tried that?

That’s an acknowledged bug, and they claim to be working on it.

[dtoub]

Indeed, I base what I said from what I read here and on Facebook, not personal experience. I'm just replying to the notion that switching to a Mac will result in fewer OS update problems.

Apparently you can't add an instrument from the Score Manager in Sonoma. Have you tried that?

Just tried it and yes, it doesn't work. That's a bug in Finale with Sonoma and should be patched I'd think in 27.4. There is a workaround; while not as convenient, one can certainly add staves with the Staff Tool. I usually use the Setup Wizard from the getgo so I don't typically have to add staves, but it is easier of course to do so with the Score Manager.

[motet]

Yes, they acknowledged it and are working on it, and I'm glad they've published a work-around, but my point is that Apple makes OS changes which break old applications, while Windows puts more effort into backward compatibility. I'm not blaming MakeMusic.

Again, I'm just disabusing Mr. Fox of the idea that OS updates will be smoother with a Mac.

[ebiggs1]

I'm just disabusing Mr. Fox of the idea that OS updates will be smoother with a Mac.

The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence, or OS in this case, and may just be a septic tank issue.

[ebiggs1]

I guess I must be really lucky, because I've not had issues like that with Finale, ever. I'm running the latest development build of Sonoma with F27.3

Hmmm..............

Just tried it and yes, it doesn't work. That's a bug in Finale with Sonoma ....

... I base what I said from what I read here and on Facebook,...

I have no love lost for MS and I like Apple products but there's is no way I would buy a Mac computer. First off they cost too much. Second it is not only Finale that has trouble with the OS updates certain peripherals do too.
My son has a Mac. Actually, once the apps are running I see little difference. Somethings are named differently but it works the same.

[dtoub]

just to follow up, I am running a new 15" MacBook Air with a M2 chip and running the latest developer build of Sonoma (macOS 14.2) and loving how responsive Finale is. Yeah, score manager can't add staves, but the fix is allegedly coming and for me, that is hardly an issue since I generally set things up from the start with the Setup Wizard. The MBA was not expensive, especially with a trade-in for my 2018 MBP.

BTW, new M3 MacBook Pros (14" and 16", not 13") are likely going to be announced Monday.

[ebiggs1]

Well whether it be a PC or Mac composing on a 15" screen is not what I call fun. Matter of fact I'd say pretty unpleasant. When I bought this new PC, I compared it to the same spec computer in a Mac, same store, and it was five grand. Mine was $1600 and it doesn't have the OS debacle. The choice is yours and to each his own.

[dtoub]

You know, you can hook up a MacBook Air or pro to an external monitor. As I do. But even so, a 15” screen works fine for composition. My MBA cost around the same as your PC.

Debacle? One thing that doesn’t work currently and has a workaround or two? Hardly a debacle. As if Windows does t have its own OS-specific bugs with Finale and other software. GMAFB.

[ttw]

I have the email from Make Music saying Finale 27.4 is available. It's not there from the Finale program updater not can I find it on their site. I assume it will sho up.

I always keep up to date. I am an amateur with no income generated from Finale so I can try new stuff and find out errors in the parts that I use. (The last few errors were unreproducible by MM but stayed with me for some time. MM and I did conclude that the problem was Microsoft. (An earlier printer intermittent failure happened on various programs and I finally traced it to an interaction between the Microsoft firewall and the Mcaffee firewall. I now erase Mcaffee completely when I can.)

[motet]

Thanks for the heads up.

I'm still using 2014.5 for my work but have 27.3 and have used it to help people with questions. It's getting the "stuck key" problem (Ctrl key) often enough as to be unusable for real work. Anyone else experiencing that? I will download the update when available.

[BuonTempi]

I've just seen the list of fixes, and there are certainly some very welcome items that fix some long-standing and oft complained-about issues. It's a longer list than many previous updates; though slightly underwhelming when you think they've had a year to work at it. No new features, either, that I can see.

I suspect we'll see announcements once they're awake in Colorado. The ARIA Player has been updated to 2.039, on the Mac at least -- it'll be interesting to see if the Windows side has caught up. (And VST3...?)

[ebiggs1]

It's getting the "stuck key" problem (Ctrl key) often enough as to be unusable for real work. Anyone else experiencing that?

I have never seen it or have experienced it with any Finale version let alone 27.3.

[michelp]

I've just seen the list of fixes, and there are certainly some very welcome items that fix some long-standing and oft complained-about issues. It's a longer list than many previous updates; though slightly underwhelming when you think they've had a year to work at it. No new features, either, that I can see.

I suspect we'll see announcements once they're awake in Colorado. The ARIA Player has been updated to 2.039, on the Mac at least -- it'll be interesting to see if the Windows side has caught up. (And VST3...?)

Can you please provide a link ?

[miker]

I have never seen it or have experienced it with any Finale version let alone 27.3.

EB, you may have never experienced it. But enough of us have, to accept that it is a real problem. It seems to have been corrected (by accident?) but it may still happen.