I especially loved the short comparison between Dorico, Finale, and Sibelius. Still, others are not satisfied customers, using terse responses that indicate their disappointment with the software. I’ve used Finale for 10 years, and even after painstakingly working out the kinks through all that time, I’m not invested. If you are submitting files to a publisher, MusicXML format can be read by the big engraving programs: Sibelius, Finale, MuseScore, etc. I think you will find these comments quite interesting; some reinforce the ideas of strengths and weaknesses of Finale and Sibelius, and others expose many cracks in the typical narrative that Finale is clunky and Sibelius is great. Workarounds using graphic design software(for instance) are often used. The upgrade is nice, but honestly 6 was just fine for me. The two camps of Finale and Sibelius seem entrenched. Working with Finale or Sibelius notation programs? 9 years ago. Most are happy with Sibelius but those of us who work at the high end find it restrictive and limited. Sibelius, he says, is easier to learn, has a simpler interface, and takes fewer keystrokes to get things done. Some bugs sometimes, but the 99% of time a real good workflow. However, I firmly believe that (while it has a steeper learning curve) finale has a far greater application than other softwares. I feel certain other programs will supersede it since the company (current owners) don’t seem to be overly interested in upgrading the software. My friends who don’t use Finale say it’s too complicated and/or that they prefer Sibelius. Finale, Dorico, or even Sibelius might be too much if you're not going into Composing/Arranging Professionally. Otherwise, I have found the program to be easy and quick to use. I’m looking for some new features and new designs that make me excited about using the software. Most of my friends/fellow musicians are either neutral or positive towards Sibelius. I’ve had a lot of playback issues and some times have to use midi sounds. These users for the most part prefer the power to the ease of use, but some use MuseScore or other programs to supplement their Finale work. If I then decide to add another instrument, I switch to ‘Setup’ mode, choose my player, add to the score and … Years ago I was able to find comparison tables on features in both Finale and Sibelius. I started with Musescore and still go back to it every once in a while because it is much easier to move notes around in. Ben Byram-Wigfield is a musicologist and publisher, who produces vocal and instrumental music from the 16th to the 20th centuries.He has been a Finale user for over 20 years, and is the author of Finale Music App Basics (Flame Tree Publishing, 2015). One is running Dorico alongside Sibelius and likes Dorico better. I mentioned before that finale gets very buggy the more complex your music becomes. Essentially, there are two different types of software programs in common use amongst composers today. Does what I need it to do. I use it multiple times each week. I’ve been using Finale since 2001. Importing graphics or adding graphics to a score is particularly difficult. The Finale/Sibelius debate rages on. For notation that looks exactly like published scores: Finale. Sibelius is fantastic for a large variety of repertoire but falls short in its support for extended notation and contemporary music. My friends who do use finale, say they love it. I’ve used Finale since 1997. Many of these friends also eventually admit, after some hesitation, that Sibelius is more immediately simple and accessible, but Finale is a more powerful program. The result is that while almost all of the comments make sense, some are a little out of context. I went to Sibelius (at that time it was Sibelius 4) from Finale (and at that time is was Finale 2002), so the jump was from a very outdated program to a more recent. Dorico has a note inputting system that makes for a much more efficient notation experience. Lv 7. We provide you with the latest breaking news and videos straight from the music industry. For this article, I am going to take a look at two of the leading software programs that are in the first category; that musical notation. Easier to use? I’ve been with Sibelius for about 15 years now, so I have a lot invested in it. Sibelius keeps the tie intact. I have yet to run into major problems. They may complain about its limitations, bugs, etc. With both software packages, the possibilities in terms of notation and playback are extraordinarily good. The middle package is called ‘Finale Printmusic’ and is similar to the Sibelius package. About 20 years as editor, teacher, transcriber, consultant, publisher, etc. Some respondents referenced their previous responses in these comments, so they may say something like “see above” or “as I said previously”. I hope that competition from Dorico will inspire Avid to be more innovative going forward. One of my musician friend has been using sibelius for years, and he hasn’t moved on from that software. How Challenging Is The Well-Tempered Clavier Difficulty? Finale has the capacity to do anything you need short of some very heavy graphic notation. These are ones designed to produce professional-looking scores, the same as you would buy from a publisher, and those created to produce ‘sequenced’ compositions that use virtual instruments. All the hymn/worship song publishers I know use Finale, so it is the industry standard. Still the only one suitable for avant-garde contemporary music, but very buggy. Most use Finale, but I have gotten a few to switch. Overall very good experience. Most of the Finale users in the survey agree that Finale is more powerful, but Sibelius is easier to use. It is not perfect but does what I need. Finale users are typically very devoted to the software. Sibelius has made its well-deserved reputation with its ease of use and compatibility. I have Finale 25. The Finale/Sibelius debate rages on! Has anyone here compared Steinberg's Dorico musical notation software to MakeMusic's Finale and Avid's Sibelius? Easier to scan an analog PDF score and transcribe it into digital notation? Although the learning curve is high the ability to customize is great enough to keep me from moving to other programs. My only gripe is the playback quality after the huge Sibelius Sounds download. Most everyone I know prefers sibelius, unless they’ve been on finale their whole lives. I had various copies of Sibelius on PC but made the leap to Mac 27” and Subscription in one go and don’t regret a second! Playback and sound samples take too long to load, and learning curve is too great. Satisfied. The software has a few niggling issues, mainly related to lyrics input, and achieving good looking results is difficult. Finale; Welcome to Talk Classical - A community covering every aspect of classical music! But, despite these issues, most users say Sibelius does exactly what they need and are not interested in switching. I know quite a few people were hesitant to upgrade after the company was sold, but those that took the leap are generally just as satisfied as they were before. There’s not all that many options in the marketplace, and Finale certainly beats the free alternatives by a country mile. It produces printed scores, and can also publish them via the Internet for others to access. Source(s): https://shrink.im/a0mlB. Sibelius is faster and easier to use than the alternatives. I’ve never been let down while using it, and it feels natural to notate using it. Several people who I know have moved to Dorico recently though. It makes sense if you have never tried any of these programs to download the free versions and take them for a spin to see how they work for you. Their peers seem to fall into two groups: other satisfied users and Finale aficionados. Title: Finale vs. Sibelius: Posted By: David Rubinstein: E-mail: musicus@pacbell.net: Date: 04/13/2003 at 12:43:27: Message:Friends tell that Sibelius is easier to use than Finale. I’m unhappy with avid’s approach. You can find my music at danlis.com. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program that allows us to support the work we do on the blog by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Licensing and activation issues are very deeply flawed. Most of them love it; some think it is too easy, so it must not be good enough for them (i.e. Typically the pro-Finale camp claims prettier engraving and publisher standards while the Sibelius crowd points to the difficult interface and note entry. The Garritan playback sounds are not good. Like many of the music notation programs we reviewed, PrintMusic lets you enter notes using your computer keyboard; no external MIDI equipment is required, but a midi keyboard is compatible. I found that Sibelius has been less successful with this option and it requires a fiddlier set-up that Finale does not. The debate seems clear, and the feedback is not surprising. Fast easy and dirty notation: Sibelius. Sibelius, on the other hand, did a major overhaul of its interface that … Sibelius, Musescore and others have their devotees. That being said, I’m aware of the sunk cost fallacy and am monitoring developments with other platforms, particularly Dorico, as Finale does create barriers for creation with it’s laborious interface. I’ve never looked back. Those with modest needs and for whom ease and playback are priorities should be fine. I have been using it for all of my composition/arranging life (maybe 10 years, +/-). Some sounds are badly out of tune, especially choral voices. Fine-tuning spacing is problematic. Dorico). As a pencil-to-paper composer it’s merely an extension of me. Most of these problems are not unique to Finale, but they’ve had twenty years to solve them and haven’t done so, so I think it’s unlikely to happen in the near future. All the students I know use musescore, and I don’t blame them! Finale PrintMusic performed well in our ease of use tests, but it doesn't have a virtual piano to help you precisely place notes like Sibelius First does. Additionally, it can be buggy at times and its formatting and parts creation is not optimal (there have been times where I’ve had to manually create parts rather than extract from the score, which adds an unacceptable number of hours to the process of getting a piece ready for performance). You have entered an incorrect email address! In Finale 2011 and earlier, if the first note you are re-pitching is tied, the tie is lost when you re-pitch, so you have to go back and reenter it. I was nervous, as were many, when they were bought by avid, but I have been pleased with the improvements and customer service over the last several years, no complaints. Cut-down versions of Finale such as Allegro, PrintMusic, Finale Guitar, Finale Songwriter, and Finale Notepad do not qualify. You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. Also dynamics refuse to stay locked. Documentation is sufficient. Phil Farrand is credited as the first author of Finale that is currently in its twenty-sixth incarnation. “Finale is too hard to learn.” I don’t believe them. Pro. I’d like to see some bold changes that shake up the typical notation software mold. but they rarely use something else. I started with Finale 3.0 in 1994 and haven’t used any other program. But it’s still among the easiest to use in the industry. I find note entry to be incredibly quick and intuitive, and it allows for a great deal of customization for creating new symbols or integrating music and text. Its good but its playback is not great. I’ve had corrupted saves, crashing sessions, and entirely too many setbacks. Both pieces of software offer 64-bit support that allows access to modern computers full range of creative possibilities. The xml and playback features are my only complaints, but I rarely use them anyway. You can orchestrate up to 24 staves, extract the parts, get excellent playback, and of course, print high-quality scores. I’ve been using this software since 1992. This is a Windows-only program and grants you the possibility of composing on up to eight staves which is a more generous start than Sibelius. Yes, some development is still going on. I keep finding “shortcuts” accidentally that no one else seems to have heard of, my favorite being the one that spontaneously deletes all of the lyrics in your score. User since version 1.2 and will stay with it. What I don’t like is that Avid as company are very slow in preparing their products for the future and therefore ask for too much money i.m.o. I don’t want to draw too many conclusions from this, but one item of note is that Sibelius users’ responses are worded much more casually than Finale users. Help and support from Avid is seriously problematic. I have not experienced any Sibelius problems upgrading to High Sierra etc. DG. Learning Finale is not as quick as learning Sibelius. I have tried Notion and liked the sampled sounds but since upgrading to NotePerformer which has excellent sounds I am hooked on Sibelius playback. It works completely fine on my refurbished 2011 MacBook Pro. It is hard to learn how to use it and to learn where all of the menu options are. Lacks what I think are very simple to program features that could be incredibly helpful to composers of atonal music f.e. I tried the “new” Sibelius and gave it a real chance, but realised it wasn’t as good after several months. Most mention quick learning curve and ease of use at elementary levels. Otherwise, they may see customers leaving. Finale Family Detailed Product Comparison Chart. In general, very positive things. As part of the music notation software survey (see post Music Notation Software User Reviews), I collected comments from 48 Finale users and 74 Sibelius users. MakeMusic Finale 26 - Upgrade from Previous Version (download) Professional Music Notation Software with 500+ Garritan Instruments - Mac/PC VST, AU $119.00. (Table of contents), In general, Sibelius users are very happy with their use. Here's the place to ask questions, get answers and improve your notation skills. ‘Sibelius First’ is the entry-level into the program and is free to use a piece of software. It's a little less than Finale or Sibelius at $570, but you can crossgrade for $430 by buying Notion. Sibelius is now sold through Avid who became owners of the software in 2006. Handy, though unintuitive. Some love it, some hate it. CMUSE is a participant of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program – it is designed to provide an aid for the websites in earning an advertisement fee – by means of advertising and linking to Amazon.com products. He holds a Doctorate in musical composition from the University of Nottingham and has over the last twenty years composed extensively within the contemporary art music world. It’s like the debate between Mac and PCs. This is an incredible review! I have several friends who use Sibelius in a professional capacity, mainly orchestrators, and they are mostly content with what it provides. Finale is famously buggy and, although significant improvements have been made through the years, still not as user-friendly as other software. Foo Fighters – hear a preview of their upcoming ambitious new... 5 Pieces of Soft And Classic Jazz Piano That Make You... 10 Best Flute Lessons for Adults Review 2021, Euphonium Player Mixes it with a Sax Mouthpiece. I prize it particularly for the flexibility of its engraving, allowing me to realize any of the wacky notation schemes I can imagine. Tenuto Vs Legato (Differences Between Tenuto And Legato). This means that if you are playing music into Sibelius via a MIDI keyboard that Sibelius will adapt to your speed of performance. There’s a good and knowledgeable community of users who are committed to making the software usable, even while Avid’s support and enthusiasm for the software has been declining. Sibelius works really well for what I need, but I can’t afford frequent upgrades. Finale has a slightly longer past to be a slave to than Sibelius, so radical changes to the basic givens of the program are harder to do. There are as you would expect, restrictions with Sibelius First in that you can only compose with a maximum of four instruments. Section 1: What Finale Users Think, and What Their Peers Think About Finale, Section 1a: Please comment on your experience with Finale. I find finale all too often has compatibility issues with school-owned or older desktop computers. My initial interest was because of a well-known composer’s preference. Finale supports you, making it easy to create whatever music notation you can imagine and to work in the manner that best supports your creativity. There is no way to lock down final adjustments. Section 2b: What do your friends/fellow musicians say about Sibelius? Take a look and see for yourself! I have been using Finale since 1999. It rarely crashes and gives me what I need. I have been using Finale for 25 years. This did not make a significant impact on the popularity of Sibelius that was soon adopted by many leading composers and publishing houses, celebrated for its ease of use, functionality, stability, and beautiful printed scores. I have tried other notation applications and have always returned to Finale. This to some extent I believe is why many professional composers have swerved towards Finale in recent years for accuracy of notation and realistic mock-up options. If you own Finale, I hope these posts will inspire you to try new things, and to share the news with your friends who still use something else. easy to use, great-looking scores; I wish they still allowed for purchase, rather than subscription…. 7007 WINCHESTER CIRCLE, SUITE 140 // BOULDER, CO // 80301. This blog is taking a bit of a break so that I can focus on my music. If you are an avid piano composer or arranger, there’s a high chance you have already come across Sibelius or Finale software. You will quickly understand the basics and within a couple of days, you will produce beautiful printed scores to a professional standard. I’ve been using Sibelius for over 20 years now, and while it is still one of the best notation programs out there (and I still use it) I feel it is time for me to move on to something more modern (Dorico). Finale is quite good, though 1) I feel that I underuse the program possibilities 2) I feel that I use wrongly use some features 3) though I can’t use them better because it takes time to arrange it all — too many items to pay attention 4)some items move from version to version to some other places (I skip some) and that’s daunting 5) finalescript is very helpful, though it must be improved. I think some of them are more satisfied with it than others, but what are you gonna do? It took me a little while to get used to working in these modes, but it allows the user to move smoothly between composing activities. It could be better but it’s fine, I love it – but I do get frustrated with notating extended techniques and creating graphics, Just amazing. This version of Sibelius allows you to compose using up to sixteen parts which are often enough for many less experienced composers or those who have no interest in exploring larger orchestral canvasses. Finale will get the job done, but I think there are probably much better options now. Still finding quicker ways within the program to input music. Mixed. I’m frustrated that this “professional” program has such poor playback voices. Many also say that they have invested so much time and effort into the software that switching programs seems too burdensome. Sibelius vs. Whilst it certainly won't be as fully functiong as Sibelius of Finale, it will be streets ahead of Notion, and also has the advantage that it will be pretty fast on Mac, when compared with Sibelius or Finale. Furthermore, the magnetic layout is such a time-saver (and easy to disengage if it needs to be), so for me it’s the logical choice. If pricing isn’t an issue, I’m not sure there’s a better option out there. Justin Wildridge is a media composer and multi-instrumentalist based in South-West of England where he works from his own studio. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. Many friends say that Sibelius is better than Finale, though having tried Sibelius I find Finale more intuitive (maybe it’s just because I’m used to how it works). They use it as well, except for one guy who’s Finale die hard. Some people have strong feelings about notation programs. It does more or less what I need it to do (and sometimes I need it to do pretty unusual or heterodox things!). Some say that it is too buggy to use or too slow. Which is better depends on what you want to do. Where applicable, third parties (including Amazon and other advertisers) may serve content and advertisements, collect information directly from visitors, and place or recognize cookies on visitors’ browsers. a blog for the composers and audiences of today's music. They are the top dogs and other notation apps are niche apps with a small but dedicated following. This effectively means that your playback can utilize the thousands of sound that these packages use to create music. Just moved to 2018 from being on 6 for a long time. finale users hate it. It is still better than Dorico a.t.m…but I know lots of people who went for Finale because they did not like the workflow of Sibelius. Slur is S, Time is T, etc., where Finale does not have such intuitive key commands. Once you are set up with your own templates and shortcuts, Sibelius is very useful and quick HOWEVER.. mis-label a file or folder, or build an arrangement with too many staves, and it becomes very slow and laggy and can crash. By joining our community you will have access to post topics, upload content and access many other features. They seem to enjoy using it and appreciate it as a notational software. We also receive a commission on software bought on VSTBuzz from links on Composer’s Toolbox, to support the work we do on the blog. Ultimately, whether you choose Finale or Sibelius, you have a steep learning curve ahead if you wish to master complete functionality. Both Sibelius and Finale offer a way to record music in as you play to a click on a MIDI keyboard. I now only use it as a notation programme rather than a tool for composition. Both pieces of software offer 64-bit support that allows access to modern computers full range of creative possibilities. Sibelius 6 was a natural upgrade from the Sibelius 4 I used to use. For Sibelius, you must have a full license for any version of the full Sibelius package. Sibelius, for instance, has a flexible real-time input option. Free and open source. The ease of input is what I prefer with Sibelius, especially regarding key shortcut. CMUSE is your music news and entertainment website. I’m just keeping my ears open to see if any other notation program is trying to up their game (i.g. Additionally, some aspects of the program are not as intuitive as they could be. Sibelius has been my primary notation software since i began composing. Sibelius is a scorewriter program developed and released by Sibelius Software Limited (now part of Avid Technology).It is the world's largest selling music notation program. Finale is better in a couple of areas (playback, page layout), but Sibelius lets me produce good looking scores faster. From what I’ve seen of Dorico, it seems like a much more artistically freeing, intuitive program with a faster workflow. This is version 26 of Finale and provides everything you would expect of professional notation software. Quicker to notate? However, I must admit that Finale is a useful tool and can be quite versatile if one is willing to put the time in to learning all the ins and outs of the program (as well as the time and effort that it takes to deal with its shortcomings). Thanks. The idea is a clever one as virtually no one plays at a consistent tempo, in fact, it tends to sound better if you allow a degree of flexibility in any performance. I learned Finale first, and although it’s a loveless marriage, I’m the most familiar with it, which means I’m not likely to change. Stay current with the latest info, news, and reviews about the major desktop music notation software programs: Dorico, Finale, Musescore, and Sibelius. This Hilarious Conductor Perfectly Captures How Orchestra Rehearsals Go, 9 Websites To Learn Guitar Tapping Lessons Online (Free And Paid). I have Finale 2000c. Bass Trombone sound is horrible. Often there are some display issues that will need to be tweaked when using MusicXML between different programs, but publishers will spend a lot of time tweaking the file anyhow. I have many students who use MuseScore since it is free and although it is fairly good the results are usually amateurish. Both offer subscription possibilities as well as buy outright and educational discounts if you are a student or teacher. May 21, 2013 Scott Yoho. A bit cumbersome with age, but robust, and extremely flexible with add-ons and some kludges. Because it has been around for a long time, most users have evolved with the program. Finale AlphaNotes font puts note names inside noteheads, benefiting beginning readers! I use it compose for marching band, rewrite parts, and create comprehensive exercises for my students. The main complaints circle around playback issues, layout roadblocks, extended/advanced notation, and the subscription-based pricing. This has made it a rival of Sibelius with composers and publishers alike for many years. Many users have colleagues who encourage them to switch, but some of the respondents don’t like the quality or capabilities of programs such as MuseScore or Sibelius. Whenever I complain about Finale’s “quirks”, my Sibelius-using friends joke about how I should just switch. Many users agree that Finale sacrifices some ease of use in exchange for greater functionality, and that Sibelius sacrifices some functionality in exchange for greater ease of use. they tend to be snobs…). A few kinks are better, but I don’t like relearning how to use the ribbon. These guys had had enough of writing out music by hand and decided, very profitably as it turns out, to design a piece of software that could make the task less laborious. Many colleagues use Sibelius and note that it is pretty much the same software. It is often assumed that Sibelius was the first notation software but Finale reached the notation market first in 1988 with versions for both Windows and Macintosh computers. The few problems I have had were easy to fix with the help of their customer service department. In order to preserve anonymity, I have left these as-is, i.e. Generally speaking, I have encountered very few problems. The subscription model sucks, and the program has undergone several weird changes. out of context to the respondent’s prior responses. I’d also like some way of splitting a part for only a few systems, rather than having to create a whole part and hide it for most of the piece.
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