Reviews Archives - Scoring Notes

Finale version 27.3 adds eight powerful JW tools, fixes some linked part issues

December 2, 2022December 6, 2022

MakeMusic has released Finale version 27.3, adding native installation of eight of the most popular and powerful JW Tools. Longstanding issues affecting voiced linked parts and other areas have also been addressed.

Keep Reading →

Reviews

Dorico 4.3 brings Key Editor power tools and chord symbol note generation

November 15, 2022November 21, 2022

Dorico 4.3 is out with more powerful controls in the Key Editor and a robust system for automatically generating notes on staves from chord symbols. There’s also improvements in the areas of engraving, note input, and editing, and the iPad version is updated, too.

Reviews

Odla, an input device that “touches” the music

July 19, 2022July 23, 2022

A review of Odla, a hardware controller for MuseScore and Dorico, that aims for “music you can touch” by directly modeling the five-line staff itself.

Reviews

Dorico 4.1 review: a better Key Editor; improvements to lyrics, interface and more

June 1, 2022June 4, 2022

Dorico 4.1 further refines the Key Editor, improves the user interface with more color options, overhauls the way lyrics are treated, prints selected flows in a layout, and adds new effects plug-ins and a library export function. Plus, a lifetime unlock option for Dorico for iPad.

Reviews

Sibelius 2022.5 brings multi-section headers, other workflow boosts

May 26, 2022June 1, 2022

Sibelius 2022.5 is out, making it easier to apply a header or footer on a per-section basis, such as a song or movement. Also added is the ability to define or change the content of a wildcard directly in the score.

Tips

Upgrade your desk [updated]

May 7, 2022May 17, 2022

What’s on and around our newly upgraded desks — not to mention, the desks themselves.

Reviews

Finale version 27.2 adds new jazz template, native Apple silicon support

March 2, 2022March 8, 2022

Finale version 27.2 runs natively on Apple silicon Macs for the first time. All default documents and document styles in v27.2 are now SMuFL-based, and, in a welcome surprise, there is a fully revamped SMuFL-compliant jazz default file and document style.

Reviews

Dorico for iPad 2.0 brings over many desktop features, plus annotations

February 9, 2022February 16, 2022

Steinberg has released Dorico 2.0 for iPad, a major update to the app that shares many features with its desktop counterpart. Many of the additions in Dorico 4 are now available on the mobile platform, as well as a bonus: freehand annotation for marking up scores in Read mode.

Reviews

Dorico 4 review: Do more with your score

January 12, 2022January 15, 2022

Dorico 4 is available. This massive update brings features first seen on the iPad, like a Key Editor in Write mode and a revamped Play mode. From smart MIDI import to a library manager with granular house style control, to better score setup and more, this update touches every corner.

Reviews

StaffPad brings live recordings into your scores with Audio Update

December 21, 2021November 20, 2022

The StaffPad “Audio Update” brings new features like audio staves, tempo mapping, adaptive audio to keep your audio in sync with your score tempo, royalty-free production sounds and loops, and studio-quality effects, along with more improvements.

Reviews

Graphical MIDI Tools 2 is a major upgrade to the DAW-like plug-in for Sibelius

December 20, 2021December 24, 2021

A major upgrade is out for Graphical MIDI Tools for Sibelius, which allows the user to manipulate MIDI information in the score in a graphical manner. It has been completely overhauled as an application that runs within Sibelius to provide a piano roll window.