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1. 1 A aos E A e 9 MIDI MAST still for example Scroll view scores get stubbornly magnetised to the top of your monitor in full screen view when you might prefer to be able to place them where you want But in general it s great to have the option to work like this Next there s an entirely new file format least handle documents that use them with some elegance Finale has in the past been limited in its ability to save scores that can be opened by older versions so this will be a very welcome development Finale 2014 can also export scores as native format documents for Finale 2012 and as EPUB The always challenging business of percussion notation which was already a strong point of Finale is given a further boost here with a musx extension and the promise of version independency from here on meaning that Finale 2014 should be able to open documents created in any future version of the application though of course it wouldn t support any new features that those versions introduced it should at files for tablets and e readers Rounding up this clutch of software infrastructure changes is an integrated software update system supported by some new menu commands Finale 2014 can check for a new version automatically or when you ask it to and www soundonsound com July 2014 automate the download and update process when one s available Free Key Friday What of Finale 2014 s mo2. replaced by a single more minimal elegant and compact version bottom in 2014 The Mixer window has received a lick of virtual paint with cooler colours and perhaps a more purposeful look though more or less the same facilities And a good thing for sure is better staff name behaviour and appearance when working in Scroll view Now they re always visible At the notation coalface itself more Smart Shapes such as hairpin crescendos and decrescendos trills brackets and lines 152 July 2014 www soundonsound com boost here with a Percussion Layout Designer dialogue box that s flexible enough to handle all sorts of MIDI mapping and notehead appearance conventions Infrastructure Finale continues to incorporate and use a useful wide ranging and remarkably compact sound library based on a number of Garritan products not least Personal ON TEST S O It s in dealing with the complexity of things like percussion notation and MAKEMUSIC FINALE 2014 Percussion Layout Designer Current Percussion MIDI Map None Built In GM Layout Name Drum Set MIDI mapping that you ll welcome a premium product like Finale over cheaper and Note Type Preview MIDI Note less capable alternatives Vibra Slap Orchestra It s bigger in 2014 adding alto and bass flutes a fife E flat and contrabass clarinets wind section mixes a Silvery Choir not hair colour presumably euphonium a
3. GN MRS PLE LWO PRESS SENSE Subscribe and Save Money Visit our subscriptions page at www soundonsound com subscribe for more information on the Sound On Sound App go to www soundonsound com app Sound On Sound Media House Trafalgar Way Bar Hill Cambridge CB23 8SO United Kingdom Email subscribe soundonsound com Tel 44 0 1954 789888 Fax 44 0 1954 789895 All contents copyright SOS Publications Group and or its licensors 1985 2014 All rights reserved The contents of this article are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part whether mechanical or electronic is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers Great care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this article but neither Sound On Sound Limited nor the publishers can be held responsible for its contents The views expressed are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the publishers
4. Nonlinear Key Signature 1 AM I eh E l A Key Map Acc Order Tone Center Acc Octaves Attributes gt Cancel o j now snap and attach to beats in the same way as chords and expressions already did That helps enormously when passages of music are copied elsewhere in a score or scores are resized respaced and generally re purposed as the symbols maintain their relative positions much better But at the same time Smart Shapes appearing in linked parts may now be unlinked to allow for more flexible localised editing The same goes for some of the special notations such as beam angle and stem length tweaks These can also now differ between score and parts The always challenging business of percussion notation which was already a strong point of Finale is given a further QOSSODDDSBOOFOAEOBADOPADBOOE E E ir i hiss redundant signs Similarly rests that occur in multiple voices layers can now be consolidated when two of similar values occur in the same position Interface The Music Finale has always sported tool palettes in numbers and dimensions which could make some graphics applications feel inadequate For 2014 they ve received some attention For starters some icons have changed appearance not radically E d pile 2 ow s Main Tool Palette Low 9 lt TAS amp The configurable and sometimes garish palettes of 2012 and before top and centre have been
5. ON TEST S O MakeMusic Finale 2014 Notation Software For Mac OS amp Windows MakeMusic s Finale is the one constant in a rapidly changing notation software market and the 2014 version is better than ever ROBIN BIGWOOD inale is one of the longest established notation packages for Mac OS and Windows and was last reviewed in SOS back in 2012 We found the venerable Mac and PC notation package a capable performer if a little weighed down with the baggage from several decades of development There was never any doubting its power MakeMusic Finale 2014 429 PROS e A cleaner more contemporary interface built on better foundations especially for Mac users e Useful albeit quite niche improvements to notation capabilities e New solo and section instruments in the very good compact bundled sound library e Much improved support and learning material CONS e The more labyrinthine elements of the program are unchanged from previous versions e Some specific aspects of operation are far from intuitive e Still 32 bit SUMMARY Finale 2014 is neither ground breaking nor an instant Sibelius slayer but it s still a supremely capable scoring application that is starting to look and feel a lot more up to date This useful release sends out some positive signals about where Finale is now and where it s heading and potential but it readily upheld its reputation as a complex applicatio
6. application on par with Sibelius which has been 64 bit since 2011 However there are extra cost workarounds for power users in the meantime most notably the likes of Vienna Ensemble Pro which can do your 64 bit hosting for you and be driven from within Finale 154 Crash Cymbal x Hi Hat Closed amp Hi Hat Open Hi Hat Foot playback is better integrated into the application now with its settings part of the global Preferences rather than a separate dialogue box Last but not least help and support material appears to have been rewritten Choosing User Manual from the Help menu launches your web browser whereupon a local or live web version of a support site appears depending on whether you re connected to the net or not It s really good Current Staff Drums New Note Definition Note Type Hi Hat Foot al Only View Note Types in None Built In GM Staff Position 1 Closed Notehead x Select Half Notehead X Select Whole Notehead Y Select Double Whole Notehead Y Select Cancel hoke Many upgraders will immediately get a lot out of it like the useful ability to export back to Finale 2012 the expanded sound library and of course those improved notation behaviours Other changes will mean a lot to new users too Finale 2014 just somehow feels that bit more modern more in keeping with how a lot of other software is nowadays and rath
7. er more welcoming even though its core functionality is The new notation stuff isn t mind blowing but is certainly good to see The splash page offers starting points like How do Where do find and Show me how to there s a well indexed search feature and succinct clear descriptions are supplemented with videos in many places In addition there s a Quick Reference Guide PDF beautifully laid out and annotated which boils down the application into 40 elegant pages This is all very much better thought out and delivered than what s been available in the past Conclusion Finale 2014 doesn t rewrite the rule book or change the face of computer notation as we know it It simply delivers some useful notation improvements to an already mature product alongside structural changes that promise much for the future July 2014 www soundonsound com changed hardly at all The new instruction material counts for an awful lot Finale is still of necessity a vast complex application but suddenly getting going with it doesn t feel so daunting Mind you that doesn t mean it couldn t still benefit from further streamlining and a few brave changes in the fundamentals of its operation But in the meantime this is the most sorted version of Finale there has been in a while It s flexible fit for purpose and ripe for further development HMM 429 upgrade from previous version
8. even a way of defining wacky non standard key signatures using the Key Signature tool Whilst we re talking sharps and flats there s much better handling of accidentals in music that has multiple voices on one staff Formerly when several voices included the same accidental within one bar measure the associated symbol would appear in each of them Now Finale is smart enough to compare notes across voices or layers to use the application s terminology and do away with any but usually becoming a little simpler and clearer It s a shame that doesn t include the Lyrics tool which still looks vaguely like a lit tea light Also while still resizable tool palettes now have a single style of appearance and gone are the old gaudy multi coloured options of Finales of yesteryear That probably helps with palette snapping which is now enabled in the Mac version And there are more background appearance options in document windows too solid colours or graphics files of your choosing can be used with a handful of gradients and textured papers provided Main Tool Palette Notation Style Standard Settings Color Noteheads Settings Transposition None Til Hide Key Signature amp Show Accidentals Staff Standard 5 Line al First ce x Nonstandard Key Signature Prev Next Tone Center 6 Altered 1 Number of Accidentals 2 Linear Key Format 5
9. i touch gestures like pinch to zoom Carbon the transitional graphics technology used in Finale 2012 and earlier isn t a safe bet for future versions of OS X so this change is timely There s room for a bit of improvement Measure 1 1 0000 Ti Repeat 1 a no Rone Le Layer 1 v Page 4 lt 4 1 gt CRESCENDO TOOL Double click and drag to draw Audio Tools or Z Smart Shape Palette Hey THeee s A Mouse IN My Bucver More P 2 p p 0 Plug ins 3 TO om Smart Shape Window Help Qarexre Cf ee ee ee eA ioe e ie ee an E gt gt Simple Entry Palette ussen Hey Theres a Mouse musx D A 9 Saa at otito atao us gt gt _ A 18 29 Mon 28 a d jh A p jij coo okes 69 Charged B8 ED Conoueroe i Fy e e l e l l em ee me me me ee ee o i m e e M m e ee ee Playback Controls _ Time 00 00 00 000 n UM r MIX MIX MIX MIX MIX i ri d L R b R g to draw a crescendo hairpin m a amn ee es ee ee ee Hey Tueee s A Mouse IN My Sucker More F p SS ee a A S O E M mn n_n ee ee ee ee e M M a a ___ EEE Ee SS D ay Le Gee eee M a eee FS U a ET 0 eee eee ee _ _ _ _ a O TE A een N a O aa ae r Boe MIX MIX MIX x MIX 7 MIX MIX MIX MIX MIX Ix r MIX r MIX ORLO L K L a REVERB LEVEL ROOM SIZE
10. n with roots in the old school of software design Two years have flown by and we have the latest iteration Finale 2014 which enters a notation software market in mild turmoil Its main competitor Sibelius was bought by Avid in 2006 and though it has gained features in recent years some of these such as its ribbon interface have alienated some loyal users What s more rumours of its imminent demise are amazingly persistent even though there s nothing to suggest that ll actually happen And just to make things more interesting the old UK based Sibelius development team deemed surplus to requirements by Avid have been head hunted by Yamaha and that has generated its own gossip with talk of some all singing giant slaying new application waiting in the wings Interesting but pure speculation Amidst all this angst MakeMusic who develop Finale and also Garritan software instruments have striven on with every sign that things at their Minnesota HO are going swimmingly Certainly there s everything to play for in the notation market so does Finale 2014 have what it takes to re establish the dominance of past eras Gradual Gains One thing s for sure Finale 2014 is to recycle an old saying evolutionary rather than revolutionary Users of the most recent few versions could dive right in and feel completely comfortable And for that reason I ll refer readers to my Finale 150 July 2014 www soundons
11. nd flugelhorn banjo Celtic harp col legno and snap pizz string sections and a couple of full orchestra sounds Some of these new section sounds come direct from Instant Orchestra The percussion 7 line up is bolstered with 5 African instruments steel drums tablas Earth Drums a touch Zimmer esque if you slap on a big reverb and a little clutch of additional Percussion Toys offering some straightforward scrapers cowbells bell trees and similar Human Playback which attempts to generate more natural and idiomatic score Half The Bits Surprisingly Finale 2014 is still a 32 bit application A 64 bit version is apparently in the pipeline but hasn t been delivered yet What does that mean for the application and for you the user As ever it s all to do with memory and the maximum footprint Finale can occupy in your available RAM For the vast majority of users carrying out the vast majority of scoring jobs the lack of 64 bit support is a non issue Finale is unlikely to occupy more than the 4GB that the 32 bit architecture supports However it could be a problem if you were wanting to play back big scores using RAM hungry third party sample libraries hosted in Finale You d discover a limit to how many sounds could be loaded at once and you mightn t be able to achieve what you re after Of course a 64 bit Finale will be an improvement on the current situation and will set the
12. ound com Finale 2014 File Edit Utilities View Document MIDI Audio k a D e009 622 4 983 eBByv gt Main Tool Palette Ww Conoueroe Gre S D a a tr ss Ss Hey THees gt E SS ee ee ee ee eee LS ST ee Se ee oe ee ee ee Se ee u yyN co qm ee ee ee ee ee ee ee L e e E E eo ee o_o OB eS ae SS SS SS Se a SS eae Ty m oT SS SF ee ee _ EO Tig Se a Se See O_o inner A TEH ee ee a y O O ee Ee ee a ee Se e O E e e a O E EOE E e a ee ee ee EmO i ee ee a a a a M ee m e e ne eee G E E E E T EE a a M o ae SS ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee es A ee ee ee me So ee es ss ae yN e am aa es ee a eee a a ee a a a e e e M e O o re es ee ee ee e e e e e e mm E E o a ee a a e ee ee a M ee S a a H a ms ee rr a ee ee es 2012 review at www soundonsound com sos dec12 articles finale 2012 htm for an in depth examination of key Finale concepts design and interface aspects In this review I m going to concentrate only on things that have actually changed First MakeMusic have taken the opportunity to do some backroom work in Finale 2014 The Mac code has received considerable attention and now has a Cocoa based graphical interface As a core OS X technology Cocoa allows the new version to offer a proper native full screen mode support for high resolution Retina displays and enables mult
13. re tangible changes These boil down into three main areas notation improvements interface enhancements and better support around the program in the form of sound libraries and support material The new notation stuff isn t mind blowing but is certainly good to see First there s proper support for so called keyless scores These are typically used to notate atonal pieces for which the concept of key is moot and there are some individual instruments such as French Horn which have often been notated without key signature Finale now supports those without the need for a workaround In fact virtually anything that could be 151 ON TEST S O MAKEMUSIC FINALE 2014 Document Setup Wizard Score Settings Select a Time Signature 3 JEENE IG 8 8 3 L Major B 4 Minor r EF s Select a Concert Key 5ignature pHi ooe r SEES S Hide Key Signature and Show All Accidentals i Specify Initial Tempo Marking o Tempo syl 120 IKNI al Specify Pickup Measure KHI o Number of Measures 44 Cancel i AILS LPI lt Back Finish Many of the new notation capabilities in Finale 2014 centre around key signatures They re delivered through the typical Finale mix of beautifully clear and utterly bewildering dialogue boxes required in this area is now possible with a nice degree of control and flexibility There s
14. s 99 Prices include VAT T Alfred UK 44 0 1279 828988 W http alfreduk fabermusic com W www makemusic com Mix with the best Besides the excellent interviews and fascinating in depth recording and mixing articles can always depend on Sound On Sound for complete unbiased reviews of the latest pro audio gear As a professional admire Sound On Sound as one of the most trusted and credible sources of inspiration and information Jack Joseph Puig mixer producer Grammy Award winner Rolling Stones U2 Mary J Bob Clearmountain engineer producer and Blige Black Eyed Peas mixer Grammy Award winner Bruce Springsteen The Rolling Stones Paul McCartney INXS eeccococooosooooosooococooooooocooooosoosoosocooooocoooocoosoocoooooooososocosoooooocoocoocoocooosooooosooooooooosooooosooooooosococooocoocoocoocoocoosocooosoooooocoocoocooocooooosoosoosooocooooosoosoocsoosoocsoooocoooocoocoocoocooooooooooosoooooocoocoosoosooooooooooo SOUND ON S OUND The World s Best Recording Technology Magazine RUFIUS P i OUCH TECHNIQUE DUNGINEER amp Pees This article was originally published in Sound On Sound magazine July 2014 edition j go to the SOS YouTube channel ANDY WALLACE gt See Sere prea ne E S aini WI visit the Cenn yie a ai Meieibinvir ihuk USING PLUG INS FOR LIVE SOUND oe SOS forum TERR UE CUBASE SONAR LOGIE REASON PRO TOOLS LINE HAPEN E Ee S SE MHES RME GRE CDBG R
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