FINALE 2014 MUSIC NOTATION SOFTWARE SOFTWARE
FINALE 2014 MUSIC NOTATION SOFTWARE PROFESSIONAL

However, as well as ‘in with some new’, there is also some ‘out with some old’ a few (non-core?) familiar features have disappeared. Finale 24 is now a fully 64-bit application it offers a significant increase in the range of included sounds from the Garritan library it introduces ReWire support to link to your DAW/sequencer and transposing playback has been improved. The highlights amongst the changes are perhaps fourfold. The move to 64-bit architecture means better support for large third-party virtual instruments. However, that doesn’t mean that v25 doesn’t have some significant enhancements to tempt you into updating.

That might be seen as either a good or bad thing depending upon your perspective: those who know and love recent versions of Finale will feel right at home, but anyone hoping for a major overhaul will be disappointed. While there are some workflow refinements to be found throughout the new version, Finale 25 is going to feel like a familiar world to existing users. That this release is called Finale 25 simply confirms the longevity of the Finale brand! Gone is the year-based naming scheme and, instead, we now have a more conventional version-based approach. The first (administrative) thing to note is the obvious change in numbering.

FINALE 2014 MUSIC NOTATION SOFTWARE SOFTWARE

Given that SOS has reviewed all the major updates to Finale over recent years (the Finale 2012 review from SOS December 2012 is a good place to start), and that the core functionality of the software remains very much intact, I’ll focus here on the new features introduced in the latest release. So, what does the latest version of Finale have to offer to existing and new users? Are there enough new features and refinements to keep the loyalty of the current user base, and does the latest release offer that something extra that might encourage new adoptees? In With The New Sibelius itself has reached v8.5, PreSonus’s Notion is becoming an ever more attractive option at the mid-priced level, and Finale too continues to evolve.

FINALE 2014 MUSIC NOTATION SOFTWARE PROFESSIONAL

Steinberg have obviously made a considerable investment in Dorico, so the professional notation software market would seem to have just got a whole lot more competitive.Īt the same time, though, Steinberg’s more established rivals are not standing still. Previewed in depth by Mark Wherry in SOS February 2017, this has been in development for a number of years and the team involved includes many of the original Sibelius developers. These two products were last reviewed in SOS in the July 2014 and December 2014 issues respectively, since when Steinberg have also released the hotly anticipated Dorico. While there are numerous software products that might appeal to the interested amateur (including some creditable iOS apps), two giants have, until recently, dominated the professional field: MakeMusic’s Finale and Avid’s Sibelius.

As competition hots up in the world of notation software, does the latest version of MakeMusic’s long-established Finale have what it takes to stay in the race?Ĭreating printed scores and composing in musical notation are perhaps niche activities amongst the general music technology population, but to those who follow this path, notation software forms a central part of any computer setup.

Finale 2014 music notation software