Finale update

Recommendations concerning notation and publishing software in a non-partisan environment.
hautbois baryton
Posts: 74
Joined: 06 Jan 2018, 17:06

Finale update

Post by hautbois baryton »

So... is anyone using the new Finale version just released?

Trying to decide if the features would simplify my workflow in any way, or just create new things to work around.
Composer and engraver
cubanbach
Posts: 1
Joined: 13 Oct 2018, 02:08

Re: Finale update

Post by cubanbach »

Hello, Hautbois:

I got the Finale 26 yesterday and really like it! There are many improvements. Read here: https://www.scoringnotes.com/reviews/finale-26-review/
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David Ward
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Joined: 05 Oct 2015, 19:50
Location: Aberdeenshire, Scotland
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Re: Finale update

Post by David Ward »

Are you on Mac or Windows?

There are definite speed improvements for Mac, so I aim to upgrade, although I always wait for at least several weeks after the release in case disasters are reported by others.
Finale 25.5 & F 26.3.1
Mac OS 10.13.6 & 10.14.6
https://composers-uk.com/davidward/news-links/
hautbois baryton
Posts: 74
Joined: 06 Jan 2018, 17:06

Re: Finale update

Post by hautbois baryton »

I'm on Windows.

For me it's looking like the only feature upgrade is the revamped articulation bits.
Composer and engraver
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John Ruggero
Posts: 2449
Joined: 05 Oct 2015, 14:25
Location: Raleigh, NC USA

Re: Finale update

Post by John Ruggero »

Reading about the latest improvements seems to make Finale 26 a bust for me on a Mac, as I have never had speed issues. I will use my Finale upgrade money toward a future paid version of Dorico. It seems more likely than not that Dorico will surpass Finale in two years.
M1 Mac mini (OS 12.4), Dorico, Finale 25.5, GPO 4, Affinity Publisher 2, SmartScore 64 Pro, JW Plug-ins, TG Tools, Keyboard maestro

http://www.cantilenapress.com
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OCTO
Posts: 1738
Joined: 05 Oct 2015, 06:52
Location: Sweden

Re: Finale update

Post by OCTO »

I still struggle with collisions with Expressions (and Smart shapes). How many times do you need to re-move "p < f"?
And when you transpose an instrument, it gets messy again.
Tremolo should be fixed 10 years ago. I don't think it is a feature.

I am a bit ambivalent about this version.
Freelance Composer. Self-Publisher.
Finale 27.3 • Sibelius 2023.5• MuseScore 4+ • Logic Pro X+ • Ableton Live 11+ • Digital Performer 10+ /// MacOS Monterey (secondary in use systems: Fedora 35, Windows 10)
Anders Hedelin
Posts: 272
Joined: 16 Aug 2017, 16:36
Location: Sweden

Re: Finale update

Post by Anders Hedelin »

OCTO wrote: 14 Oct 2018, 16:55 Tremolo should be fixed 10 years ago. I don't think it is a feature.
Feature – or one of the long expected bug fixes.
OCTO wrote: 14 Oct 2018, 16:55 I am a bit ambivalent about this version.
Me too. What holds me back is the articulation issue when exporting a file from v26 to v25 (if I got it right). It would be easier to decide if you knew for certain that everyone would upgrade at the same time.
Finale 26, 27 on Windows 10
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HaraldS
Posts: 15
Joined: 12 Apr 2016, 14:21
Location: Germany

Re: Finale update

Post by HaraldS »

Anders Hedelin wrote: 16 Oct 2018, 17:01It would be easier to decide if you knew for certain that everyone would upgrade at the same time.
Actually, I'm always happy not to upgrade at the same time as the majority of users. The german version usually appears some months after the inital english release, and thus we used to get the ".1"-Version (2014.1, 2014.5.1, 25.1...) here at Germany, which also usually already contains some bug fixes.
Finale 3.0-2014.5, german edition, Windows 7
hardware synths/keys, Cubase 7 / trombonist, pianist, conductor / Recklinghausen, Germany
Anders Hedelin
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Joined: 16 Aug 2017, 16:36
Location: Sweden

Re: Finale update

Post by Anders Hedelin »

All from the version (2014?) where you could open newer files in older Finales there were no big problems with that, until now, I'm told. If you open a v26 file in an older version you seem to risk your articulations being seriously messed up. I don't put any blame on MM for this, it's just that it makes me a bit nervous about upgrading to a version that could cause serious layout problems for others still with v25 when exchanging files. And vice versa, if I'm the one who doesn't upgrade.

Even if I'm not a programmer, I can see that it wouldn't be that easy to offer the choice of v26 OR v25 articulations in v 26. That would mean keeping both modes active in the same, new version. Seems not very likely.
Finale 26, 27 on Windows 10
benwiggy
Posts: 829
Joined: 11 Apr 2016, 19:42

Re: Finale update

Post by benwiggy »

Anders Hedelin wrote: 17 Oct 2018, 21:02 All from the version (2014?) where you could open newer files in older Finales there were no big problems with that, until now, I'm told.
Actually, working with different versions of .musx has always had problems. There have been several new features introduced which get 'erased' by a round trip through an older app.

Take Dashed Slurs, for instance. Opening a document with Dashed Slurs in a version prior to their introduction replaces them with "normal" slurs. When the document is saved in the older app, the distinction between the two types of slur is lost.

It is entirely understandable that an old app can't save new data, but dangerous. Any collaborations need to be working on the same version. When I worked as a freelance in publishing, I had to have specific (usually the latest) versions of Quark XPress and InDesign to get the work: I couldn't just say "It's OK, I've got some old versions that'll probably do."
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