Avid has announced the released of Sibelius 7, the newest version of the world’s best-selling music notation software, with full MusicXML interchange support, exclusive professional-quality sample library and a new task-oriented user interface.
Combining a deep, sophisticated feature set with an all new task-oriented user interface — putting all of the software’s features at the user’s fingertips — Sibelius® 7 enhances music writing through intuitive and flexible workflows and improved tools for increased collaboration.
Complete with a newly recorded professional-quality sampled sound library, native 64-bit performance, full MusicXML interchange support, and advanced typography and graphics features, Sibelius 7 is more powerful and versatile than ever before.
Changes in Sibelius 7
- New and exclusive professional-quality sound library – Unique to Sibelius, the new professional-quality sound library delivers stunning musical realism to scores during playback. It includes the Avid Orchestra, a specially recorded full symphony orchestra, a collection of rock and pop sounds from the Avid virtual instrument team, a 27-stop church organ from leading virtual organ creator Hauptwerk, and a selection of sounds from Sample Logic Rumble and Fanfare featuring 14-time world champion Drum and Bugle Corps, The Blue Devils.
- Completely redesigned task-oriented user interface – Optimized for single-display systems, the new user interface employs a rich graphical toolbar and dockable panels that don’t obscure the working area, putting all of the software’s features at the user’s fingertips. The redesigned mixer also allows finer control of playback than ever before, delivering more balanced mixes.
- Full MusicXML interchange – Complete MusicXML import and now export makes sharing files with hundreds of music applications, including Finale®, easier than ever.
- 64-bit performance – Sibelius 7 is the world’s first native 64-bit notation software, and has been completely rewritten to take advantage of the performance of today’s incredibly fast 64-bit hardware and operating systems.
- Powerful text, graphic and sharing options – Publisher-quality typography and graphics import/export capability delivers finished scores with professional-quality text and graphics. Publish and export demanding layouts and text-heavy scores with advanced finishing options, including direct PDF and EPS export. Also sync with or import notation from Pro Tools®, or export scores as Scorch® files, then share or publish them on the web or via Avid Scorch for iPad®.
Sibelius 7 for Windows and Mac is now available to purchase for $599 USD. Current Sibelius customers can upgrade for $149 USD, with multi-seat upgrade pricing from $60 USD per seat. A crossgrades from another notation product is $199 USD.
Avid also offers individual educator and student pricing for $295 USD. In addition, students receive four years of complimentary upgrades. This price and four years of complimentary upgrades also apply to Avid’s leading audio and video software, Pro Tools and Media Composer. Educational multi-user pricing is offered at $120 USD per seat.
More information: Avid / Sibelius 7
Avid has announced the release of Avid Scorch, its first application for the Apple iPad mobile device.
Customers can now practice, perform and purchase their favorite sheet music on the go with an application that transforms an iPad into an interactive score library, music stand and sheet music store.
Powered by Avid’s market-leading Sibelius® music notation software engine, Avid Scorch is the first sheet music app to offer a rich, interactive experience that makes scores easy to learn and play. Scorch also offers unparalleled access to the most popular sheet music through an in-app store with more than 150,000 premium titles available from world-class publishers.
Avid Scorch features
- Interactive Learning and Performance: Musicians can easily learn songs or adapt them to their instrument by transposing a score, changing instruments, or converting to and from guitar tab—then give a great performance using Music Stand mode, which offers a full display of the sheet music on the iPad. Users can also see the score played on the Keyboard display, hear music played back and speed it up or slow it down.
- Portable, Expandable Music Collection: Using the app, customers can purchase and download more than 150,000 scores available from Hal Leonard and Music Sales. The Scorch app also eliminates the need to carry folders full of paper and music books by making it easy to add Sibelius and Sibelius First scores to the iPad.
- Sleek Interface: It’s easy to manipulate and play back scores with a simple touch-enabled interface. Music is easy to view, regardless of size, through impressive display clarity and functionality, including the ability to select from a variety of paper textures and font choices. Users can also take advantage of Music Stand mode to devote the entire display to the sheet music and turn pages quickly, allowing musicians to stay in the moment.
Avid Scorch for iOS 4.2.1 or later is available to purchase for a limited-time introductory price of $4.99 USD. On July 31, 2011 the price will increase to $7.99 USD.
More information: Avid Scorch
Audio Impressions has released Notation Switchblade, a universal translator that fixes anomalies (tuplets, notes, styles, articulations) occurring when converting from MIDI to notation software (Sibelius, Finale).
Notation Switchblade simplifies the transition between a realistic orchestral MIDI mockup and a readable score by converting MIDI CC, MIDI program change, MIDI note velocity, and MIDI keyswitch (note) information into MusicXML metadata. It can be configured to work with practically any library that uses MIDI information to change articulations.
Notation Switchblade features
- Converts tuplets (not just triplets, but 5-, 7- or 9-tuplets) quantized in the MIDI sequencing program into readable tuplet notation.
- Perfectly translates to notation, including all styles and articulations.
- Also translates to tablature.
- Automatically removes keyswitch notes from the score.
- A metadata process converts MIDI generated articulations, styles, and instrument names into MusicXML data that can be imported into standard music notation programs such as Sibelius and Finale.
- Mac and PC compatible downloadable program (8.45 MB).
- Customize Clefs for each track and beaming for any time signature.
- Works with any sample library using MIDI information to change articulations.
Notation Switchblade for Windows and Mac is available to purchase for $99 USD.
More information: Audio Impressions / Notation Switchblade
MakeMusic has released Finale 2011b, a maintenance update for the popular music notation software.
Finale provides easy access to everything you need to compose, arrange, play, and print music. Whether you’re creating orchestra film scores or .MP3 files for your iPod, your music comes alive with Finale.
Changes in Finale 2011b
- Expressions – Expressions are no longer duplicated and linked to one another in specific files.
- Extract Parts – Extract Parts now correctly saves to Program Files\Finale 20011b, and will not concatenate the entire file path into the file name. (Windows only)
- File menu – Opening a specific file no longer causes a crash. (Macintosh only)
- Fonts – All Finale document fonts are now recognized in other MakeMusic products including SmartMusic, PrintMusic, Finale NotePad and Finale Reader. (Macintosh Only). Font type names now work consistently in non-U.S. operating systems. (Macintosh Only)
- Lyrics – Type into Score now advances correctly when the Enter key is used. (Windows only) – All lyrics, including those on the first system, now update when their fonts are changed via the Lyric Window. (Macintosh only)
- Installation – Changes to a user’s “Configuration Files” location no longer cause the updater to rename the MacOS folder within the Finale application. (Macintosh only). The updater no longer changes the MacOS folder within the Finale application. (Macintosh only)
Finale 2011b is a free, downloadable update available to registered Finale 2011 users.
More information: MakeMusic / Finale 2011
MakeMusic has released Finale 2011a, a maintenance update for the popular music notation software for Windows and Mac.
In addition to addressing maintenance concerns new to Finale 2011, it adds expanded functionality to copy expressions to other staves, updates Macintosh font menus and font dialogs, and improves the quality of exported bitmap graphics on Macintosh computers. Additional enhancements include updated scanning technology – resulting in improved scanning results and expanded support for Canon-brand scanners – and more.
New in Finale 2011a
- Updated Scanning Technology. Updated scanning recognition technology provides improved scanning results and expanded support for Canon-brand scanners.
- Additional Expression Menu Commands. Four additional commands now allow convenient copying of expressions to adjacent staves.
- Updated Broadway Copyist Font. The Broadway Copyist Text Extended font now includes additional characters including Æ, Ø, OE, ¡, ¿, and others.
- Improved Font menus and dialog boxes. Finale’s updated Font menu and dialog box make selecting and editing fonts easier. (Macintosh only)
- Improved Quality for Exported Graphics. Exported bitmap graphics are now cleaner and sharper. (Macintosh only)
Finale 2011a is a free maintenance update available to Finale 2011 registered users.
More information: MakeMusic
MakeMusic has released Finale 2011, the latest version of the worldwide standard in music notation software for Windows and Mac.
Finale has always offered you unlimited power to create any music you can imagine. Finale 2011 builds upon that power by transforming the creative process. Now, the way you create can be as flexible as what you create. Finale 2011 adapts to the way you work.
Changes in Finale 2011
- Improved Lyric Entry and Spacing — Lyrics are more easily entered, instantly appear exactly as they’ll print out, and are automatically spaced with engraver precision.
- Easier Staff Layout — New Staff Layout capabilities make it simple and intuitive to hide, move, and edit staves, groups, and brackets. Work in any order you wish, and never lose a note.
- Garritan sounds — Finale now includes more than 375 world-class instrument sounds from the makers of Garritan Personal Orchestra. Free new sounds include bass trombone, brass section, children’s choir ahs, flute section, electronic drum kit and more.
- Music Education Worksheets — Finale now includes more than 800 ready-made, customizable music education worksheets and flashcards. New this year are jazz improvisation worksheets and more than 100 titles of classroom repertoire.
- New Fonts — Hundreds of new font characters are included for percussion, mallet and handbell graphics.
- Finale AlphaNotes™ Font — Created for use with beginning music students, the Finale AlphaNotes font places note names or solfège syllables inside noteheads.
- Expanded Percussion Playback — Last year we simplified the process of getting notes on percussion staves to look – and playback – exactly the way you want them to. This year Finale 2011 makes it easy to switch between pitched and non-pitched percussion anywhere in your score.
- Updated Aria Player — The Garritan Aria Player simplifies the process of changing MIDI channel assignments. Updated for Finale 2011, the Garritan Aria Player has an integrated Ambience reverb and the ability to save Ensembles.
- Instant Capo Chords — Automatically add capo chords to your music with the freedom to control whether they replace or appear in addition to non-capo chords.
- Improved Pickup measures and more — Pick-up measures automatically insert the correct rests when you start your score, improved file support for multiple-user environments, and a new Quick Reference Guide that shows you how to complete common tasks quickly and easily in Finale.
Finale 2011 is available to purchase for $600 USD. Upgrades are available for $119.95 / $169.95 USD.
More information: Finale
