Finale Makeover: Introduction
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 6:36 pm
Dear Finale users...
I "warned" you already that I am about to do some madness in here !
- and here we go;
- - - -
THE RE-ANIMATION OF FINALE
There is something special on the market going on, that -by all means- is creating a “buzz”...
You know; that just-released-notation-program from Steinberg: “Dorico”.
Although the application is not really “finished” and yet really useable for a big, serious work, the signs all point in the
direction of “New Market-Leader”. I’d say; in about one years time we’ll have a new “heavy-weight champion”.
(I tampered a bit with the Demo, and especially looked at Daniel Spreadbury’s introduction-videos...
having done that, I can just say: - it is extremely well thought through!! ).
Well, you could think; "so why bother anymore? ...Just go for it, then".
- Actually, I was pretty much thinking this myself, to be honest.
But, then one thought stroke me... and I can’t get this thought out of my mind;
I have been working with Finale since 1989, so - I can probably say - I know this program.
If I switch to Dorico I obviously will have to “dump” all of this (program-) knowledge,
which logically really ain’t something I’m looking forward to... So, my idea was to make this "last-desperate-try"
to Re-Animate and polish-up the Finale- Application, before "the market" kills it completely.
By all means; It is still an amazing Engraving-program! It’s just a bloody MESS, at the present!
"Bloated" is not even a word that would suffice to describe it... it’s way past that stage!
It desperately needs some redesign and slim-down work! ...or to define it better;
• The user-interface needs better user-friendliness !
Now, I ain’t a real programmer per se, and I don't know the source-code "setup" of Finale, so I can't tell what kind of effort the coding-work would be to change these things. But, I assume that it would be a very good help for MakeMusic (MM) and the programmer(s), if we -all together- really define what is "wrong" - and, most important; make a "picture" of how it should be.
This, then of course, by creating “mockup”-pictures of the changes... (so that we can see how it should look).
If then MM will implement these "suggestions" or not into upcoming versions; is not our decision ...but at least we tried.
I think one of the biggest issues that MakeMusic needs to clear for themselves is; "What does Finale really need to deliver" ?
Logically, I can’t speak for all users, since each and everyone has different expectations and needs whilst creating their scores.
Nevertheless; not seldom, I ask myself: "Is it really necessary to have the “one-app-that-can-do-all" ?
...instead of working with it a rock-solid Engraving-Work-Horse” ?
Is it really necessary to have built-in audio-engine support for “all” Libraries on the market? Is it even possible?
Doesn’t most people who actually do score “block-Buster-size” Film-scores (using "the Best" SoundLibraries), swap to a dedicated Audio-Sequencer when it’s time for “The Sound” ? Why not leave it at that, then?
And, instead - really concentrate on making a "more than descent" BUILT-IN playback-synth, that works 102% - with ALL functions! (except “super-realistic-sound”).
Concerning the givens, I bet that most scoring “based on sound/samples” will be done in Dorico in the near future. Not necessarily because it is better, but because Dorico has the "cubase Audio- Engine" under the hood. This is a pretty "heavy feature".
Finale doesn’t have something this heavy, by far ! But; Why bother?
Skip this (massive) field. Make the best out the situation (as you do, at the moment) by implementing “connecting-sockets”, like ReWire... etc.
I might be wrong, but my opinion is that Finale is still the most versatile engraving-application on the market for the engravers around. With engravers; I mean the "pro-users". Not the “once-in-a- while-creating-scores-for-my-students” user... no, the actual engravers; is it freelance or in-house.
If I were MM - I would desperately try to strengthen this market-position, albeit it being a ridiculously small niche-market, to keep supplying the needs for those engravers. ...They need Finale !!
Of course, there needs to be money coming in somehow, to keep things “rolling”... My view of this is a bit “unorthodox”, I guess - but I think that in the long run, it’s the only way:
If I was the “Marketing-Manager” at MM; I would push much more in advertising the application that is “small Finale” (is it called Finale Allegro?)
- The Application for a broad user-Base. Not just some teachers... but ALL Teachers !
The big “underline” in the advertisement should be something like;
"yes we CAN make difficult software too...but do you NEED difficult ?
And it has to be cheap! ...and most important of all - it has to DELIVER!!
If they could split their application-architecture this way - and make it really clear, there wouldn’t be any problems in Finale with the need to “make simple-entry items well visible - so that all new users can find them...” (sorry, just using this as one example - no pun using simple edit!)
I could do a comparison with a "normal" person believing that he could just jump into a F1-car and drive away like the pro’s.
NOBODY really believes that... do they? ...well - not any "sane" persons anyway. (if that is something good, I can't tell)
Sure; finding the steering-wheel isn’t that hard... but ...that’s about it, I think.
Compare this with Finale; to import a MIDI-File isn’t that hard to do either... - but then what??
...well, I’m sorry I think that MM has to politely ignore those (very naive) new users, who believe they can open up one of the most ridiculously complex softwares around, and "quickly" create a nice score... It just doesn't work. It SHOULD WORK in Finale Allegro, though!!! (never tried it).
Instead of a F1 car, give them a "juicy" offer to buy a dirt-cheap Mercedes.
..if this new user actually is serious about his engraving-intentions, the user WILL upgrade later; if the word has it that Finale "Is the real thing" (you have to get/remain there first).
To try to make Finale "for all" is really not the way to go!!! ..this is quite crucial, I think.
I was actually quite amused looking at a “Dorico-in-development”-video, where Spreadbury tries to explain that music-notation is tremendously complex !!
“there are SO MANY rules, and possibilities, that even the “best-of-the-best” don’t know them all...”
Well; how should it be possible to make an application handling all this, “simple for a new user” ?? (and, believe you me; Finale can handle just about ALL of these things, even if it’s quirky at times).
...As sad as it might be - I don’t believe Finale can be about “making big money”... Not anymore.
25 years ago - it was a revelation! - today, even freewares are quite good. - today, I believe Finale is more a "belief in our music-culture"...
Therefore; I urge MM to LISTEN to their users!! Let them do the “thinking” - and you “sell it”.
I will try to make some "photoshop-mockups" in the next days, and post some of the ideas here...
I politely ask you to look at all of these as they appear, and I would be glad if there could be some kind of thought-exchange, to make this REALLY good.
Mind you; this is NOT a "solo" - it should be a "grande Tutti - con forza" !!!
I sincerely hope it turns out great!
cheers
Raphael Vang
I "warned" you already that I am about to do some madness in here !
- and here we go;
- - - -
THE RE-ANIMATION OF FINALE
There is something special on the market going on, that -by all means- is creating a “buzz”...
You know; that just-released-notation-program from Steinberg: “Dorico”.
Although the application is not really “finished” and yet really useable for a big, serious work, the signs all point in the
direction of “New Market-Leader”. I’d say; in about one years time we’ll have a new “heavy-weight champion”.
(I tampered a bit with the Demo, and especially looked at Daniel Spreadbury’s introduction-videos...
having done that, I can just say: - it is extremely well thought through!! ).
Well, you could think; "so why bother anymore? ...Just go for it, then".
- Actually, I was pretty much thinking this myself, to be honest.
But, then one thought stroke me... and I can’t get this thought out of my mind;
I have been working with Finale since 1989, so - I can probably say - I know this program.
If I switch to Dorico I obviously will have to “dump” all of this (program-) knowledge,
which logically really ain’t something I’m looking forward to... So, my idea was to make this "last-desperate-try"
to Re-Animate and polish-up the Finale- Application, before "the market" kills it completely.
By all means; It is still an amazing Engraving-program! It’s just a bloody MESS, at the present!
"Bloated" is not even a word that would suffice to describe it... it’s way past that stage!
It desperately needs some redesign and slim-down work! ...or to define it better;
• The user-interface needs better user-friendliness !
Now, I ain’t a real programmer per se, and I don't know the source-code "setup" of Finale, so I can't tell what kind of effort the coding-work would be to change these things. But, I assume that it would be a very good help for MakeMusic (MM) and the programmer(s), if we -all together- really define what is "wrong" - and, most important; make a "picture" of how it should be.
This, then of course, by creating “mockup”-pictures of the changes... (so that we can see how it should look).
If then MM will implement these "suggestions" or not into upcoming versions; is not our decision ...but at least we tried.
I think one of the biggest issues that MakeMusic needs to clear for themselves is; "What does Finale really need to deliver" ?
Logically, I can’t speak for all users, since each and everyone has different expectations and needs whilst creating their scores.
Nevertheless; not seldom, I ask myself: "Is it really necessary to have the “one-app-that-can-do-all" ?
...instead of working with it a rock-solid Engraving-Work-Horse” ?
Is it really necessary to have built-in audio-engine support for “all” Libraries on the market? Is it even possible?
Doesn’t most people who actually do score “block-Buster-size” Film-scores (using "the Best" SoundLibraries), swap to a dedicated Audio-Sequencer when it’s time for “The Sound” ? Why not leave it at that, then?
And, instead - really concentrate on making a "more than descent" BUILT-IN playback-synth, that works 102% - with ALL functions! (except “super-realistic-sound”).
Concerning the givens, I bet that most scoring “based on sound/samples” will be done in Dorico in the near future. Not necessarily because it is better, but because Dorico has the "cubase Audio- Engine" under the hood. This is a pretty "heavy feature".
Finale doesn’t have something this heavy, by far ! But; Why bother?
Skip this (massive) field. Make the best out the situation (as you do, at the moment) by implementing “connecting-sockets”, like ReWire... etc.
I might be wrong, but my opinion is that Finale is still the most versatile engraving-application on the market for the engravers around. With engravers; I mean the "pro-users". Not the “once-in-a- while-creating-scores-for-my-students” user... no, the actual engravers; is it freelance or in-house.
If I were MM - I would desperately try to strengthen this market-position, albeit it being a ridiculously small niche-market, to keep supplying the needs for those engravers. ...They need Finale !!
Of course, there needs to be money coming in somehow, to keep things “rolling”... My view of this is a bit “unorthodox”, I guess - but I think that in the long run, it’s the only way:
If I was the “Marketing-Manager” at MM; I would push much more in advertising the application that is “small Finale” (is it called Finale Allegro?)
- The Application for a broad user-Base. Not just some teachers... but ALL Teachers !
The big “underline” in the advertisement should be something like;
"yes we CAN make difficult software too...but do you NEED difficult ?
And it has to be cheap! ...and most important of all - it has to DELIVER!!
If they could split their application-architecture this way - and make it really clear, there wouldn’t be any problems in Finale with the need to “make simple-entry items well visible - so that all new users can find them...” (sorry, just using this as one example - no pun using simple edit!)
I could do a comparison with a "normal" person believing that he could just jump into a F1-car and drive away like the pro’s.
NOBODY really believes that... do they? ...well - not any "sane" persons anyway. (if that is something good, I can't tell)
Sure; finding the steering-wheel isn’t that hard... but ...that’s about it, I think.
Compare this with Finale; to import a MIDI-File isn’t that hard to do either... - but then what??
...well, I’m sorry I think that MM has to politely ignore those (very naive) new users, who believe they can open up one of the most ridiculously complex softwares around, and "quickly" create a nice score... It just doesn't work. It SHOULD WORK in Finale Allegro, though!!! (never tried it).
Instead of a F1 car, give them a "juicy" offer to buy a dirt-cheap Mercedes.
..if this new user actually is serious about his engraving-intentions, the user WILL upgrade later; if the word has it that Finale "Is the real thing" (you have to get/remain there first).
To try to make Finale "for all" is really not the way to go!!! ..this is quite crucial, I think.
I was actually quite amused looking at a “Dorico-in-development”-video, where Spreadbury tries to explain that music-notation is tremendously complex !!
“there are SO MANY rules, and possibilities, that even the “best-of-the-best” don’t know them all...”
Well; how should it be possible to make an application handling all this, “simple for a new user” ?? (and, believe you me; Finale can handle just about ALL of these things, even if it’s quirky at times).
...As sad as it might be - I don’t believe Finale can be about “making big money”... Not anymore.
25 years ago - it was a revelation! - today, even freewares are quite good. - today, I believe Finale is more a "belief in our music-culture"...
Therefore; I urge MM to LISTEN to their users!! Let them do the “thinking” - and you “sell it”.
I will try to make some "photoshop-mockups" in the next days, and post some of the ideas here...
I politely ask you to look at all of these as they appear, and I would be glad if there could be some kind of thought-exchange, to make this REALLY good.
Mind you; this is NOT a "solo" - it should be a "grande Tutti - con forza" !!!
I sincerely hope it turns out great!
cheers
Raphael Vang