Finale 2008 Users, Help!

BopEuph · Post by **BopEuph** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 8:26 am

the elephant wrote:Those nefarious spambots troll this board and you will start to gets lots of fresh, tasty SPAM addressed to your gmail account. If I ever forget and post my address publicly my spam influx triples very quickly. Lots make it through my filters. So you might want to alter your address so that it is recognizable to a human and not to a computer.

You know, I have been getting about 5-10 spam mails to my account per day, and I ran a search for my email address in Google. There it was, in the Finale forum. I deleted the post, since it was made about two to three years ago, and I almost immediately stopped getting spam. Though, I also blocked the spam addresses rather than just reporting them to Hotmail as well. That might have helped, too, since the report was probably never being used to go after spammers.

Nick

BVD Press · Post by **BVD Press** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 9:25 am

BopEuph wrote:MakeMusic never counted on people doing that much copying and pasting into new files. You would have to prep key and time signature changes first before bringing the file in (though I don't know if that would work). I rarely do stuff like that, and I use Finale on a very regular basis. Copying and pasting in key changes are something we've been trying to get MM to do for a while. But at least that's not as difficult as a time signature change. But not many run into that.

Finale 2008 has made major advancements in this area. 99% of the time Time Signatures, Key Changes, repeats, etc. are copied between files. I have copied and pasted between well over 300 files since this version was released and only recall 2 files that did not copy the elements mentioned above.

For me, this feature has saved countless hours of time.

Wishing all well,

BopEuph · Post by **BopEuph** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 10:29 am

BVD Press wrote:
Finale 2008 has made major advancements in this area. 99% of the time Time Signatures, Key Changes, repeats, etc. are copied between files. I have copied and pasted between well over 300 files since this version was released and only recall 2 files that did not copy the elements mentioned above.

For me, this feature has saved countless hours of time.

Well then, I guess there WAS some good in the new versions. I'm just afraid to move from '05. I guess I'm like Zuill in that matter. But I've been thinking about getting it to experiment.

Nick

BVD Press · Post by **BVD Press** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 11:53 am

BopEuph wrote:
BVD Press wrote:
Finale 2008 has made major advancements in this area. 99% of the time Time Signatures, Key Changes, repeats, etc. are copied between files. I have copied and pasted between well over 300 files since this version was released and only recall 2 files that did not copy the elements mentioned above.

For me, this feature has saved countless hours of time.
Well then, I guess there WAS some good in the new versions. I'm just afraid to move from '05. I guess I'm like Zuill in that matter. But I've been thinking about getting it to experiment.

Nick

Are you on a MAC or a PC? If MAC, do yourself a huge favor and upgrade. I am not sure on the PC side.

There are still bugs in 2008, but I use it 8-12 hours a day (sometimes more) and do not find too many issues that actually change work flow. There are a few, but one can easily work around them.

jbaylies · Post by **jbaylies** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 3:41 pm

Here is the vid!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaTcufork5s

And now for...
*cue timpani*
DUM dum DUM dum DUM dum DUMMMM!
EXCUSES!

"I just got the tuba a month ago, I wasn't used to it yet, I swear! And, and I also had chapped lips the week before so I couldn't play! No, wait! NO!"
*BANG BANG*
"GAHHH!"

Todd S. Malicoate · Post by **Todd S. Malicoate** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 10:05 pm

Nice playing, sir...and a good experience for you as well!

Now some free advice unrelated to your tuba playing:

Never, never, NEVER tell your audience why you are going to fail before they hear you play. Reading "excuses" about your new horn and chapped lips changed the way I listened to and evaluated your performance.

The Boy Scouts have it figured out..."Do Your Best."

And a wise man once said, "no matter what is wrong with you, your horn, the hall, or anything else...you can't hang a sign."

BopEuph · Post by **BopEuph** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 11:44 am

BVD Press wrote: Are you on a MAC or a PC? If MAC, do yourself a huge favor and upgrade. I am not sure on the PC side.

There are still bugs in 2008, but I use it 8-12 hours a day (sometimes more) and do not find too many issues that actually change work flow. There are a few, but one can easily work around them.

I'm on PC. I might get a new version one of these days. But I really haven't had any problems with 2005. Then again, it would give me an excuse to have the Garritan Personal Orchestra.

Nick

BopEuph · Post by **BopEuph** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 7:10 pm

EuphoniumPlayer87 wrote:Two of the best features with the new Finale is (1) the ability to sync your composition with video and (2) adding in an audio track (mp3 or otherwise) and composing a background to it. Very cool. I still have problems with copying and pasting into new files, but I can usually find a way around those problems.

For me, as a general music copyist and transcribist, stuff like that is unneeded. I haven't done anything like that, but I do have Sonar, and can save Finale files as MIDI files, then drag them into Sonar. It was designed for that kind of stuff anyway.

With the lack of bug fixes and the plethora of "new features," plus the fact that they want these new versions out every year rather than perfecting each version and having a very good product every few years, it just makes me want to stay with what I have. I've heard about bug reports that got transferred to the "feature request" department, because they don't want to acknowledge some of the bugs. I've had '05 for a few years now, use it probably 20+ hours a week, and I'm still finding new bugs. I just found one two days ago. Other bugs are still in every day use, though I now know the workarounds. I had to deal with two such bugs today.

Nick

MaryAnn · Post by **MaryAnn** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 12:49 pm

BopEuph wrote:
EuphoniumPlayer87 wrote:Two of the best features with the new Finale is (1) the ability to sync your composition with video and (2) adding in an audio track (mp3 or otherwise) and composing a background to it. Very cool. I still have problems with copying and pasting into new files, but I can usually find a way around those problems.
For me, as a general music copyist and transcribist, stuff like that is unneeded. I haven't done anything like that, but I do have Sonar, and can save Finale files as MIDI files, then drag them into Sonar. It was designed for that kind of stuff anyway.

With the lack of bug fixes and the plethora of "new features," plus the fact that they want these new versions out every year rather than perfecting each version and having a very good product every few years, it just makes me want to stay with what I have. I've heard about bug reports that got transferred to the "feature request" department, because they don't want to acknowledge some of the bugs. I've had '05 for a few years now, use it probably 20+ hours a week, and I'm still finding new bugs. I just found one two days ago. Other bugs are still in every day use, though I now know the workarounds. I had to deal with two such bugs today.

Nick

Fortissimo Ditto here. The fact that they NEVER release a bug-less version is the one reason why I upgrade Finale only when I absolutely HAVE TO. I also think MM should go to a cafeteria style program: you only order and pay for the features you want. I have no need or desire to combine video and music, and therefore do not want to pay for that feature. Plus a bunch of other features. I'd MUCH rather pay for a program that does what the advertising says it does; at work I write software for my department, and it is *unconscionable* to release something (for MONEY, no less) that doesn't have FREE bug fixes as a matter of course....you paid for a certain functionality, and every time something is found that is not functional, it should be fixed, immediately and for free. You should NOT have to BUY the next upgrade to get the fixes for the bugs in the last upgrade; and of course the "upgrade" includes new bugs. You never, ever get a program that actually works.

I know there are those of you who disagree with the POV. !

And next time I'll tell you how I *really* *feel* about it!!!! Maybe what we need is the Firefox approach to engraving.

MA

BopEuph · Post by **BopEuph** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 8:01 pm

I'm starting to notice that in the Finale forum. There was a recent thread from some of the biggest pushers to get the bugs fixed shutting someone down on all his complaints. If those guys who have been working to improve Finale and aren't paid to do it are happy, I guess the program is improving some. I'd be afraid to have to learn how to copy all over again, though. When Mass Edit changed from Mass Mover in 2004, that was tough enough, let alone as close as it was to Mass Mover. Time is money, as they say. I do like how things work and I have been working like this since Fin2000. Then again, gotta go with the times, no? Maybe soon I'll get a new version for a change.

Nick

BVD Press · Post by **BVD Press** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 10:40 pm

BopEuph wrote:
BVD Press wrote: Are you on a MAC or a PC? If MAC, do yourself a huge favor and upgrade. I am not sure on the PC side.

There are still bugs in 2008, but I use it 8-12 hours a day (sometimes more) and do not find too many issues that actually change work flow. There are a few, but one can easily work around them.
I'm on PC. I might get a new version one of these days. But I really haven't had any problems with 2005. Then again, it would give me an excuse to have the Garritan Personal Orchestra.

Nick

Please note the GPO that comes with Finale is literally GPO for Finale only. It is watered down to a degree and personally I found that it was waste of time for MakeMusic to spend resources on adding it.

BVD Press · Post by **BVD Press** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 10:40 pm

EuphoniumPlayer87 wrote:Two of the best features with the new Finale is (1) the ability to sync your composition with video and (2) adding in an audio track (mp3 or otherwise) and composing a background to it. Very cool. I still have problems with copying and pasting into new files, but I can usually find a way around those problems.

P.S. Bryan, did you get Dr. AsKew's files?

Got them and thanks!!

BVD Press · Post by **BVD Press** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 10:50 pm

To anyone thinking of upgrading to 2008 from a previous version, I would highly recommend it if you spend any amount of time with Finale on a regular basis. I upgrade every year because clients send me files in the most up-to-date version, but this version was actually worth the price.

The copy and paste and changes in the selection tool make this one a worth while upgrade. Getting used to both of these features will take a very short amount of time.

If anyone does upgrade, please feel free to drop me a PM or email if you have any questions about the new version. I will do my best to help out, but I am strictly a MAC guy so...

As mentioned above, FWIW I don't use the linked parts either. Finale added them in the 2007 version and did change a thing in the 2008 version. No development what so ever.