Finale Versus Sibelius

I'm curious why you think that there's no way to publish your online with Finale....they have the Finale Showcase which is dedicated to exactly that, and the "Finale Viewer" you speak of is actually just Finale NotePAd, which should work just fine on your computer if Finale itself does. I'm also not sure what copyright defense benefits you seem to think that Sibelius gives you. Could you clarify?

I'm curious why you think that there's no way to publish your online with Finale....they have the Finale Showcase which is dedicated to exactly that, and the "Finale Viewer" you speak of is actually just Finale NotePAd, which should work just fine on your computer if Finale itself does. I'm also not sure what copyright defense benefits you seem to think that Sibelius gives you. Could you clarify?

Oh yes Marius ... I think that there is something that doesn't work correctly with my PC then ... 'cause Finale Viewer, creates a directory in c:program filesFinale Viewer ... but doesn't happens anything with the broswers ( both ... IE and FireFox ) and it doesn't open any finale Notepad ... :sadtears:

About Finale Showcase I didn't know about it ... I mean: it's sounds known but I was thinking was a species of Finale Notepad ... I will try it ... also if I don't know where to find it ... ;)

About the Copyright ... if I remember correctly, with Sibelius you can read and execute the pieces but not print them ( at least until yu don't pay a fee ... tipically some Euro depends from the author and the editor agrement I think ) ...

What do you think about ? :angry:

[edit on]I've tryed show case but gives me only web errors ... [edit off]

You can't view finale files within your browser like with Sibelius' Scorch plugin, but you should be able to open them with the free Finale NotePad...

As for the copyright thing, I see what you mean now. Except you can easily print from Sibelius Scorch as well, so that's not really relevant.

You can't view finale files within your browser like with Sibelius' Scorch plugin, but you should be able to open them with the free Finale NotePad...

As for the copyright thing, I see what you mean now. Except you can easily print from Sibelius Scorch as well, so that's not really relevant.

I've tried to download from Finale Shocase a piece of Music ( I've not installed Finale Notepad ) ... and automatically it opens Finale2007 ... but this is a normal download ... because the file has the extension .MUS anyway ...

I was expecting something like the plug-in of Sibelius ...

About the Copyright ... I didn't know that it was possible to print also without paying the fee, 'cause the times in which I tried ... I was not able to print ... good to know that ... and I thank you very much for the information

I would like to tell that I've solved the MIDI Latency problem ... it's sufficent to avoid every other output device that is not the MID interface ... and it works properly with SIbelius and Finale too ... :D

Glad to hear that you figured out the MIDI latency issue :D

Thank you Marius :)

Please ... could you tell me what Finale Viewer does tipycally ?

Because on my system is not working probably :D

You need to install Finale Notepad. I don't know what this Finale Viewer thing you're talking about is.

NotePad

If you already have Finale, then NotePad isn't going to be of any use to you.

There is no Finale Viewer that works in your browser like Sibelius' Scorch. The Scorch plugin is a Sibelius-only idea - Finale decided to just make everyone who wants to view scores have to download Notepad.

You need to install Finale Notepad. I don't know what this Finale Viewer thing you're talking about is.

NotePad

If you already have Finale, then NotePad isn't going to be of any use to you.

There is no Finale Viewer that works in your browser like Sibelius' Scorch. The Scorch plugin is a Sibelius-only idea - Finale decided to just make everyone who wants to view scores have to download Notepad.

Hi Marius,

I thank you very much ... then that's what I suspected and, indeed, it was as you told ... :)

Finale Viewer ... isn't Note Pad ... it looks alike a plug-in but doesn't do anything ... from your answer I deduced that is not only my problem ... but it is really an unuseful plug in :P

by the way: yesterday I checked the autocomposer of Finale and the one of Sibelius ... simply """click-and-play""" and the Sibelius' one has performed more interesting things than the Finale's one ...

What I've done ?

I've simply wrote a little lead ( four measures ) quite simple ... a melodic line and that's it ... then I asked to the autocomposer in Sibelius to harmonize it ... and it has done in a quite interesting manner ...

Band-in-a-box ( or something like that ... I write it by hart ) of Finale, has not satisfied me as the Sibelius' one ... perhaps are settings ... or other things ... but as a simple user that wants just """click-and-play""" I found the Sibelius' one more interesting ( apparently ;-) )

That's it for now ;)

Thank you again Marius, till soon :)

P.S. About Scorch ... the music copyright protected, is not possible to print it ... yes ... but with CTRL-PrntScrn you can transfer the score into a Image Treatment Program and to have it printed anyway ...

Very true, people can just 'Print Screen' off of Scorch, so your material would just as secure as posting it on this forum or anywhere else on the web, i.e. if somebody simply decided they wanted to steal your music, there's really no way to stop them. The only protection you have are copyright laws which basically state that material created privately and displayed publically is automatically copyrighted no matter what, the only exception being if there is an indication that it is intended for public domain. Anybody could correct me on this.

I also have heard of some web plugin that you can use with Coda products, but maybe it's just my imagination?

Also, don't think that band-in-box or whatnot will always be the answer (I'm not accusing anyone), harmony realization should be entirely up to the composer, at least in my opinion.

P.S. Somebody should just create a poll with all of the music notation software. Let the poll results speak for themselves instead of having people argue and bicker all the time.

Very true, people can just 'Print Screen' off of Scorch, so your material would just as secure as posting it on this forum or anywhere else on the web, i.e. if somebody simply decided they wanted to steal your music, there's really no way to stop them. The only protection you have are copyright laws which basically state that material created privately and displayed publically is automatically copyrighted no matter what, the only exception being if there is an indication that it is intended for public domain. Anybody could correct me on this.

I also have heard of some web plugin that you can use with Coda products, but maybe it's just my imagination?

Also, don't think that band-in-box or whatnot will always be the answer (I'm not accusing anyone), harmony realization should be entirely up to the composer, at least in my opinion.

P.S. Somebody should just create a poll with all of the music notation software. Let the poll results speak for themselves instead of having people argue and bicker all the time.

Dear MusicMan

about Band-In-A-Box: I don't use it at all ( I'm composer ... otherwise I've studied for nothing :P ), my test it's simply to make comparisons among characteristics of different products ... :huh:

About Copyright: I register always my pieces of music to the Author Right' Protection Society ( in Belgium: SABAM ) ... but about "public domain" I think that is everything has the rights expired ( after 75 years from the death of the author if anybody of his parents claim that rights ), or if the author wants that his piece of music is Public Domain ...

For the rest of your auestions about the Plug-In for CODA products: I'm sorry I can't help you 'cause I've found something but it seems that doesn't work at all :-/

I haven't used Finale. I know one of my teachers used it though. Being only used to Sibelius (Student Edition) I have to say I find it very easy to use, but the only problem really that I have is that it's not the full version and many of the important features are not available. I'm thinking very much of upgrading to a better version.

I haven't used Finale. I know one of my teachers used it though. Being only used to Sibelius (Student Edition) I have to say I find it very easy to use, but the only problem really that I have is that it's not the full version and many of the important features are not available. I'm thinking very much of upgrading to a better version.

I can tell you ... since I'm studing Sibelius, in a way to compare the two products ( Finale vs Sibelius ) to find "a" reason to change from Finale to Sibelius or vice versa, beh ... until now I've not really found one reasons yet so that I can say: that's really valid ... I think that I will still a Finale User until I will discover some reason somewhere ... just because those two programs are so "equal" between each other, that if I have to choose one instead of the other ... it's only for fun ... more than for real reasons ... That's my opinion until now ( perhaps I will change it in the next hours when I wil have more knowledge about Sibelius ... i don't know ... but now that's it :closedeyes: ) ...

Persoally I use both FL Studio and Finale since I can composing using a piano roll then quickly transcribe music usinq Finale. I find that overall, it's easier to Export from Fl Studio to MIDI, then import the MIDIs into Finale since it seems to transcribe the midi more accurately, and there's more control on how the MIDIs are transcribed. Although I find Sibelius' note entry methods easier I continue to use Finale (Allegro) for it's ability to accurately transcribe MIDIs.

Also, I can use the same soundfont libraries used in FL Studio. I don't know if this feature is available in Sibelius.

Keep in mind that the note entry of Sibelius, is practically the same as in Finale ... try to use the numeric keyboard and you will see :laugh:

I have to say i have very much enjoyed reading your analysis on the two products,Jurgen. I am a sib. user. After hearing mostly praise for finale and not sib, i was getting thoughts to change but by what ive read and the new features in sibelius 5, i have decided to stay with this company. I was introduced to Finale first but i had too much trouble with it and ive loved sibelius since.

I have to say i have very much enjoyed reading your analysis on the two products,Jurgen. I am a sib. user. After hearing mostly praise for finale and not sib, i was getting thoughts to change but by what ive read and the new features in sibelius 5, i have decided to stay with this company. I was introduced to Finale first but i had too much trouble with it and ive loved sibelius since.

I agree with you MrTrent ... at the end there are not meaningfull differences between the two "platforms" ... it's simply question of taste or habit ... now I'm really using both ... and there are only operating difference more than characteristics differences ... I think that at the end, both the product are equal ... What can I suggest to a new one that wants to buy one or another ?

Well ... if you like to have your music scores ALSO plugged-in in a browser ... then this is the unic characteristic of Sibelius ... if you would like to share your music score with a "for free" reader ... then there is Finale ... what is the more difficult program ? Both are difficult and both are easy ... depends from the user more than from the program ...

Is there something that Finale does ... that Sibelius doesn't do ? Under the point of view of the notation: they are practically equal ... I don't know about the GPO ( Garritan ) ... but I don't think that's an issue for Sibelius ... I've smply not checked it yet ;-) what does it means ? It means: buy the one that you like more ... just it ;-)

I think you have come to a very reasonable conclusion. Thanks again for the information.

doesnt the new sib. have GOP? i think i heard that on the video

doesnt the new sib. have GOP? i think i heard that on the video

I think so, but as I told: I have not yet tried it :blink:

It's compatible with GPO I think. I'm not totally sure if it comes along with it.

Well, being a Finale user, I'm slightly biased. I found that Sibelius didn't suit me. It's made for some interesting arguments between me and my composition teacher (she uses Sibelius.)

It's compatible with GPO I think. I'm not totally sure if it comes along with it.

Well, being a Finale user, I'm slightly biased. I found that Sibelius didn't suit me. It's made for some interesting arguments between me and my composition teacher (she uses Sibelius.)

... That's why they have invented Sibelius ... if your teachr is a beautiful girl then it's an occasion to continue to debate in a romantic dinner :angry::P I'm sorry for the OT but I've not resisted to it :P:blush:

The topic of Finale vs. Sibelius is just begging for a concise Wiki article on it. Anybody know enough about the two programs (and the Wiki) to get a start on it? I'm concentrating on musical instruments right now, but I might try this if nobody else does.

The topic of Finale vs. Sibelius is just begging for a concise Wiki article on it. Anybody know enough about the two programs (and the Wiki) to get a start on it? I'm concentrating on musical instruments right now, but I might try this if nobody else does.

reading our previous messages and the comparisons that we made I think to be in tune with the scope of the topic ... About the Musical Instruments ... I don't know if I've understood correctly what you mean ... so I'm sorry if my answer will be not appropriate ... but the same Musical Instruments that you have in Finale, you have also in Sibelius ... the sound quality isdue the Audio Board and not at all depending from the programs ... to have the highest quality on the reproduction of the instruments, in both cases ( Finale and Sibelius ) you have to use the GPO ( Garritan Personal Orchestra ) that uses real samples ( note per note ) of real instruments, giving exactly the same timber ( obviously ... they have recorded real instruments :-) ) ...about differencese between the two programs, I have already analized both and I've already written here about ... I hope that my answer was the correct reply to your question ;-) Till soon

Haha, when I said I was working on instruments I meant I was actually working on articles on the real instruments, nothing to do with these programs! Anyways, you did bring up a good point, both of these programs sound only as good as the patches you load into them. I seem to remember reading a thread somewhere where someone was like "but Finale just sounds better!" or something like that. I hope that misconception isn't common, but this point is for sure something well worth noting.

I was wondering, if you have the time, possibly, could you compose a list of comparisons and contrasts of Finale and Sibelius as you have experienced? Many of them you have documented in this thread, I see. You seem to have worked extensively with both, unlike many people. It would help us to make an article for the Wiki which we could refer people to in the future when they ask for the differences between the two programs.

Haha, when I said I was working on instruments I meant I was actually working on articles on the real instruments, nothing to due with these programs! Anyways, you did bring up a good point, both of these programs sound only as good as the patches you load into them. I seem to remember reading a thread somewhere where someone was like "but Finale just sounds better!" or something like that. I hope that misconception isn't common, but this point is for sure something well worth noting.

:angry::blush:Sorry if I musunderstood :P ... well ... Finale sounds exactly like Sibelius ... perhaps Finale has diveloped something more udner the "Human Playback" plug-in than Sibelius or viceversa Sibelius has develped some other features ( as the Web Publishing for example ) better than Finale ... but both are practically equivalent ... I'm still use Finale ... ot because Sibelius is inferior r strongly different ... but just because I'm used with ... nothing else ... both are valid programs ... and very very very similar each other ;-)