Software: Overture

Recommendations concerning notation and publishing software in a non-partisan environment.
benwiggy
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Joined: 11 Apr 2016, 19:42

Software: Overture

Post by benwiggy »

Has anyone tried Overture 5? It claims to be by the team that wrote Encore, but in a brand new version this year. The crossgrade price is quite reasonable.

https://sonicscores.com/overture/
benwiggy
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Joined: 11 Apr 2016, 19:42

Re: Software: Overture

Post by benwiggy »

I tried it, briefly. The slurs were like rainbows, and clashed with hairpins. It crashed when I tried to play back.

The font, Aloisen, seems nice, and the program has an option to use Bravura, so it might be SMuFL. No .json file, though.
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OCTO
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Location: Sweden

Re: Software: Overture

Post by OCTO »

I have seen that webpage earlier but I had lost interest since I couldn't find any example that would convice me to buy it. Apppreciated if anyone who uses it could post an example (advanced, edited) of Overture.
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)
jrethorst
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Joined: 09 Apr 2016, 18:48

Re: Software: Overture

Post by jrethorst »

It's by Don Williams, who wrote Encore. I started with Deluxe Music Construction Set, moved to Professional Composer, actually learned Finale v. 1, upgraded to 2 and 3, looked for something easier, found Overture 2 much easier, upgraded to 3 and 4. I'm not planning to upgrade to 5, since notation is all I need and 5 is closer to a DAW. With 4, the interface is so easy it's fun and output is good. There are bugs, but I've been looking at Sibelius 7.5 and have noticed bugs there too. 5 is new and I think has more bugs. 5 is SMuFL. I agree that the Aloisen font is nice: look at Jan's comparison at http://elbsound.studio/music_font_comparison.php and compare Aloisen to Sonata -- very little difference. There's a demo of 5 at sonicscores.com.
John Rethorst
benwiggy
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Re: Software: Overture

Post by benwiggy »

I've just noticed the older thread "Ten Music Notation Programs", in which you give it a fairly poor review.

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=217
Very reminiscent of the early days of Music Notation Software where I suppose programmers thought people would be so delighted to have such programs that it didn't matter if the music didn't look "traditional" and they figured people would accept the "new look". That never happened :-). All the 8th rests are wrong. The ties all have a horizontal grey line with them, that may be an artifact from the conversion to PDF. Would be unacceptable in direct conversion and especially printing. The ties also are a bit too arced and far from the notes - tends to make them look a but more like slurs in this context (becuase ties and slurs are essentially the same type of symbol).
jrethorst
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Re: Software: Overture

Post by jrethorst »

This wasn't my review, but a quote of someone's on another forum. I found it interesting but didn't see, for example, how the Finale sample represents modern engraving while LilyPond looks like an older style of e.g. Schirmer. The 8th rest positions in Overture was an oversight, since fixed, but interesting that they should have needed to be fixed. Ditto the arc of the ties.
John Rethorst
benwiggy
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Re: Software: Overture

Post by benwiggy »

I've managed to create JSON files for several SMuFL fonts now, including AloisenU from Overture. It looks nice in Dorico!
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odod
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Re: Software: Overture

Post by odod »

benwiggy wrote: 25 Jan 2017, 09:41 I've managed to create JSON files for several SMuFL fonts now, including AloisenU from Overture. It looks nice in Dorico!
WOWW .. tell me how its done sir ? i would love to convert my fonts also
Nuendo 12, FL Studio 20, Reaper 6, Dorico, Sibelius, HOOPUS, Pianoteq 6, Ivory II, Slate, Plugin Alliance, Soundtoys, and yeah i am a gear slut

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benwiggy
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Joined: 11 Apr 2016, 19:42

Re: Software: Overture

Post by benwiggy »

I'm not converting old fonts into SMuFL layout: I'm just creating a JSON file (Dorico's equivalent of Finale's FAN file) for fonts that are already in the SMuFL layout.
There's a discussion here about making SMuFL fonts, and at the end I show how you make the file. You need FontForge, and Robert Piechaud's python script from the SMuFL github site.
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=162
akarst
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Joined: 22 Jan 2020, 15:11

Re: Software: Overture

Post by akarst »

Can you share the json-file for AloisenU? I have tried using the script, but it has a python syntax error that I can't resolve...
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