I started with coda music software and have cursed at finale hours a week since it came out. I could tell by reading the manual today that Dorico is grown-up 21st century software. After one day, I know my productivity will go up, and I expect my composing will change in a positive way. Finale knew it was time to give it up and I thank them for it. We needed a new industry standard and here it is.
Thank you so much Tim, I've been a Finale user for decades and just got the Dorico 5 (vía crossgrade), this video really helps. Thank you for sharing your perspective
Hi Tim, I just copied my about 1,000 *.mus(x) files (using a very good tool called Find Any File) to a folder on my Mac drive, then started the music XML conversion. It was a mixture of single instrument sheets up to Jazz opera compositions with big band, orchestra, two choirs and singers (of 2,5 h playing time in total) ... The conversion of all the files took about 4 hours on a M1 laptop and finished withoud crash or interruption. Just to give you an information for your videos/FYI. Best regards, Nils (from Germany)
Hi Tim, Mr. Corpus, thankyou for doing this video at short notice as we take in what's happening with Finale. Starting my research yesterday I've been most impressed with Dorico, and the very generous crossgrade price seems to be a no-brainer to me. Your videos are very informative, thanks again 🎶
The authorisation thing may potentially only be an issue with macOS when they release newer versions of that OS. Windows is more forgiving with older programs, for instance, I run Adobe CS 5 (i think it's from 2009/2010), and Sibelius 5 and 6 on Windows 11 without issue. You couldn't run software that old on newer versions of macOS. That's not to say Microsoft completely changed the way Windows works and breaks all that in the future!
Kinda excited about switching to dorico for composing again. Since i haven’t used finale in years due to buggy software and slowness. Just wrote as i recorded in pro tools.
@@TimCorpus 100%! I just really hate working in piano rolls tbh. My brain sees notes and I gotta do like conversion and stuff in my head to make it all work. I find that it’s a lot faster on a score to create big picture parts. Also drum set stuff in superior drummer is actually pretty great, but I still gotta figure out the exact notes and switching from triplets is a lot easier in notation software like finale (I just press 9 on the numpad).
Greetings, Mr. Corpus. I am not a composer, arranger, or anyone with techie skills. I just input the notes as an arranger has given them to me for our singing 4 part harmony chorus. All I need to know is how do I make a 4 part harmony template on 2 staves, not 4, and how to add the colors for the various parts (layers in Finale) etc. I do not need to know the way to FLOW (whatever that is) something. Your video was great for people who compose as you do. Just not for someone like me.
When you create a new document you can add the number of staves/players you would like. Then to change the colors, I believe it's under Edit>View>Show Voice Colors, or something similar to that.
@@TimCorpus Thank you for your response. You are awesome!!! Since my first message to you, I have watched 8 videos with about 19 to go. I have figured out this software is mainly for composers like yourself. It is too much for an inputter like me. I will keep watching videos and making notes of the various commands and shortcuts. I did print the PDF of the quick Reference Card and will do my best to learn how to use this software. I was able to import my Finale template, but now I have to see how to use in in Dorico, I really am glad you talented composers have a software you can use and like. Thank you again for your response. Have a blessed day ! ! !
@@TimCorpus Finale 2012:) I have and know Sibelius but it will not work well with my guitar MIDI controller. Dorico is a type of a very complex program where they tried to cover aspects of a DAW and notation. Musescore doesn't provide real time MIDI input, one of its weaknesses.l I'm not too enthused to be honest, even though I have been with music notation software for a long time.
I am a long time Finale user Just in one day on Musescore I could do things that take me a week in Dorico. I think for composers and average user Muse is better option. If you need engraving and publishing than maybe you should use Dorico.
It's great that we have so many options these days too! I think you're absolutely right, use what works for you. I work with publishers and other composers, most using the big three, but a nice thing about our modern tech world is the power of choice! 😀
I started to like MuseScore up until I needed to have multiple documents open together, and it opened them in completely separate instances of the program. Nuh-uh. Even Microsoft ditched their old SDI windowing UI decades ago. I understand they're looking at ways to address that issue, but in the meantime I just can't deal with it.
I've been using Finale since nearly the beginning (more that 35 years and literally endless files). I paid for the Dorico software and I can't even get it to download to my Mac. This has been a nightmare.
Great video. I expect Finalé will go from its long history of very little support to none, essentially immediately. Nuendo/Cubase + Dorico is hard to beat once you emerge from the Finalé headspace. Let’s make this a great time for all those musicians facing a new challenge. Moving out of Finalé with batch XML is okay but PDF + XML is really important, especially if you use modern notation. Tim we know you are a TouchOSC ninja. Thanks for all your work in that space. Can’t wait for your contributions to this topic as well.
U need to take It REALLY SLOWLY. It’s a lot to learn- don’t even try to transfer anything yet. Just slowly start learning it using the videos and literally one staff at a Time. I PROMISE you in 3 months you’re gonna be flying and it won’t take u long to import XML.
@@JorgeSilvestrini 100%. If u start with multi staff work trying to dive into an XML port you’re gonna get discouraged and give up. It’s worth treating it like a brand new instrument. Gotta play cross buns before u can play the Waldstein.
@@TimCorpus I really enjoy your videos thanks! I work on Broadway and it’s super finale centeric. I was thinking unless finale went out of business it was highly doubtful that Broadway would adopt dorico lol. It’s just so ingrained.
For barbershop singer arranger input, Finale was wonderful ! ! ! Simple entry, speedy entry a piece of cake, using arrows and numbers. Dorico not so nice ! ! ! 1st you click here, then you click there, then repeat clicking ad infinitum, AWFUL. AWFUL, AWFUL is right on ! ! !
you say its a "great save" No matter how you look at it. THIS royally sucks..I downloaded it, tried to open a converted MXL simple leadsheet..and it looks like sh*t. I tried to go around to see if I could start editing and cleaning some of the stuff..forget it NOT ONE THING I could change or do. NOTHING is intuitive..Its like you have to spends ENDLESS HOURS TO LEARN the whole F program but who is going to help to get the exact little thing you ACTUALLY NEED TO MAKE IT WORK RIGHT NOW??? nobody... SUCKS.
@@agostomortal you’re putting the cart before the horse. First learn how to work it before trying to edit XML files- there’s a lot do step before u can do that easily.
@@mixedupfilesmusical4038 Thanks you guys for the positive comments, but when you don't have to spare on this and need to get things done, it is a real issue.
@@BenjiSchaub Thanks you guys for the positive comments, but when you don't have timeto spare on this and need to get things done, it is a real issue.the "little" thing is 25 little things on a simple lead-sheet I'll have to submit, I can be optimistic but that is an unavoidable reality check
I started with coda music software and have cursed at finale hours a week since it came out. I could tell by reading the manual today that Dorico is grown-up 21st century software. After one day, I know my productivity will go up, and I expect my composing will change in a positive way. Finale knew it was time to give it up and I thank them for it. We needed a new industry standard and here it is.
I started with coda music software and have cursed at finale hours a week since it came out. I could tell by reading the manual today that Dorico is grown-up 21st century software. After one day, I know my productivity will go up, and I expect my composing will change in a positive way. Finale knew it was time to give it up and I thank them for it. We needed a new industry standard and here it is.
Thank you so much Tim, I've been a Finale user for decades and just got the Dorico 5 (vía crossgrade), this video really helps. Thank you for sharing your perspective
Hope it's useful. Happy to help! If you have any questions about the process, reach out!
Feel so much better, and even better since I've always been on Windows!🙏 Thank you, Tim. New subscriber. I like your narrative style and delivery!
We'll get through! Plus we have at least a year + some to transition from Finale to Dorico.
Hi Tim,
I just copied my about 1,000 *.mus(x) files (using a very good tool called Find Any File) to a folder on my Mac drive, then started the music XML conversion. It was a mixture of single instrument sheets up to Jazz opera compositions with big band, orchestra, two choirs and singers (of 2,5 h playing time in total) ... The conversion of all the files took about 4 hours on a M1 laptop and finished withoud crash or interruption. Just to give you an information for your videos/FYI.
Best regards,
Nils (from Germany)
Good to know. Wow 1,000 at a time, that's great to hear that it works well with that many files! Cheers!
I suggest you to write it in the official Dorico forum, where all the concerned former Final users are. I think it’s valuable information!
@@DJKLProductions Sure I can share this there.
@@TimCorpus This suggestion was actually meant for Nils, but you can do it as well, of course!
@@DJKLProductions 🤣
Hi Tim, Mr. Corpus, thankyou for doing this video at short notice as we take in what's happening with Finale. Starting my research yesterday I've been most impressed with Dorico, and the very generous crossgrade price seems to be a no-brainer to me. Your videos are very informative, thanks again 🎶
Happy to help! We'll survive this together. 😂
GUITAR PRO FOR THE WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My favorite thing about the "Finale Transition" videos is that everyone has a scotch in their hand. Good on ya. Cheers! Thanks for the video :)
🤣 it was quite a week! 🍻
LOL I am using finale 2000 on my windows 11 computer and it works perfectly.
Wow! I'm still not touching windows 11, but good to hear Finale is still working well.
"Here we go..." (takes giant gulp of brown liquor). Never change, sir. 🤣👌👍
🤣
I’ve done well out of my single 2009 Print Music purchase 🤣 cheap Dorico and now Finale too loool
Good pull!
I thought I did pretty well with cheap finale upgrades from print music, then to Dorico. You have me beat!!!
The authorisation thing may potentially only be an issue with macOS when they release newer versions of that OS. Windows is more forgiving with older programs, for instance, I run Adobe CS 5 (i think it's from 2009/2010), and Sibelius 5 and 6 on Windows 11 without issue. You couldn't run software that old on newer versions of macOS. That's not to say Microsoft completely changed the way Windows works and breaks all that in the future!
Ya I agree. Mac is rough with old software.
Kinda excited about switching to dorico for composing again. Since i haven’t used finale in years due to buggy software and slowness. Just wrote as i recorded in pro tools.
Ya I too have found it easier to work in a DAW than notation software sometimes. I guess it's just picking the right size screwdriver for the job 😄
@@TimCorpus 100%! I just really hate working in piano rolls tbh. My brain sees notes and I gotta do like conversion and stuff in my head to make it all work. I find that it’s a lot faster on a score to create big picture parts. Also drum set stuff in superior drummer is actually pretty great, but I still gotta figure out the exact notes and switching from triplets is a lot easier in notation software like finale (I just press 9 on the numpad).
@@CreativeMindsAudio oh ya I totally agree, the process in piano roll is slow. I like that Dorico has both though. 👍
I’m comfortable with MuseScore.
I’ve been a Finale user for ~22 years. Dorico is better.
It's certainly different, but I think it's better in the long run too.
Greetings, Mr. Corpus. I am not a composer, arranger, or anyone with techie skills. I just input the notes as an arranger has given them to me for our singing 4 part harmony chorus. All I need to know is how do I make a 4 part harmony template on 2 staves, not 4, and how to add the colors for the various parts (layers in Finale) etc. I do not need to know the way to FLOW (whatever that is) something. Your video was great for people who compose as you do. Just not for someone like me.
When you create a new document you can add the number of staves/players you would like. Then to change the colors, I believe it's under Edit>View>Show Voice Colors, or something similar to that.
@@TimCorpus Thank you for your response. You are awesome!!! Since my first message to you, I have watched 8 videos with about 19 to go. I have figured out this software is mainly for composers like yourself. It is too much for an inputter like me. I will keep watching videos and making notes of the various commands and shortcuts. I did print the PDF of the quick Reference Card and will do my best to learn how to use this software. I was able to import my Finale template, but now I have to see how to use in in Dorico, I really am glad you talented composers have a software you can use and like. Thank you again for your response. Have a blessed day ! ! !
@@kathiehutter8142 and don't forget, Finale won't be gone right away, there's still time with it, depending on your operating system.
@@TimCorpus I am very grateful for that time span ! ! !
For me Finale got all need and I don't find Dorico all that intuitive, it has crashed on my PC too many times.
Dorico is certainly heavier. Surprisingly though, Finale has crashed on me more as well as the weird lag in scrolling. What's your build?
@@TimCorpus Finale 2012:) I have and know Sibelius but it will not work well with my guitar MIDI controller. Dorico is a type of a very complex program where they tried to cover aspects of a DAW and notation. Musescore doesn't provide real time MIDI input, one of its weaknesses.l I'm not too enthused to be honest, even though I have been with music notation software for a long time.
@@arataka57 They said they fixed the real time midi input in their last update.
Also it seems like they do a slightly better job at maintaining the engraving.
I am a long time Finale user Just in one day on Musescore I could do things that take me a week in Dorico. I think for composers and average user Muse is better option. If you need engraving and publishing than maybe you should use Dorico.
It's great that we have so many options these days too! I think you're absolutely right, use what works for you. I work with publishers and other composers, most using the big three, but a nice thing about our modern tech world is the power of choice! 😀
I started to like MuseScore up until I needed to have multiple documents open together, and it opened them in completely separate instances of the program. Nuh-uh. Even Microsoft ditched their old SDI windowing UI decades ago. I understand they're looking at ways to address that issue, but in the meantime I just can't deal with it.
I've been using Finale since nearly the beginning (more that 35 years and literally endless files). I paid for the Dorico software and I can't even get it to download to my Mac. This has been a nightmare.
I'm sorry to hear about that. Have you reached out to the Steinberg support? They have a lot of help for folks transitioning right now.
Great video. I expect Finalé will go from its long history of very little support to none, essentially immediately. Nuendo/Cubase + Dorico is hard to beat once you emerge from the Finalé headspace. Let’s make this a great time for all those musicians facing a new challenge. Moving out of Finalé with batch XML is okay but PDF + XML is really important, especially if you use modern notation. Tim we know you are a TouchOSC ninja. Thanks for all your work in that space. Can’t wait for your contributions to this topic as well.
Good point, especially for parts.
If it happened to Finale due to the bloat of the software code, it will probably happen to Sibelius too in the near future.
I don't use Sibelius often enough to know, but it feels like Avid doesn't support it that much these days.
U need to take
It REALLY SLOWLY. It’s a lot to learn- don’t even try to transfer anything yet. Just slowly start learning it using the videos and literally one staff at a
Time. I PROMISE you in 3 months you’re gonna be flying and it won’t take u long to import XML.
Thank you for this comment. I think this is the approach I want to take as I plunge into Dorico Pro.
@@JorgeSilvestrini 100%. If u start with multi staff work trying to dive into an XML port you’re gonna get discouraged and give up. It’s worth treating it like a brand new instrument. Gotta play cross buns before u can play the Waldstein.
Ya and I wanted to reiterate in this video that it's not a fast emergency. Finale is going to still work for a bit. 👍
@@TimCorpus I really enjoy your videos thanks! I work on Broadway and it’s super finale centeric. I was thinking unless finale went out of business it was highly doubtful that Broadway would adopt dorico lol. It’s just so ingrained.
@@TimCorpus I posted your video onto my Facebook page. You have very fine bedside manner!
Finale is great great great, Dorico is awful awful awful awful awful......Steinberg's softwares silly......
Thankfully there are other options like Sibelius and Musescore.
For barbershop singer arranger input, Finale was wonderful ! ! ! Simple entry, speedy entry a piece of cake, using arrows and numbers. Dorico not so nice ! ! ! 1st you click here, then you click there, then repeat clicking ad infinitum, AWFUL. AWFUL, AWFUL is right on ! ! !
@@kathiehutter8142 Are you inputting with a MIDI keyboard or typing keyboard? It's doable to do the same type of quick entry in Dorico.
you say its a "great save" No matter how you look at it. THIS royally sucks..I downloaded it, tried to open a converted MXL simple leadsheet..and it looks like sh*t. I tried to go around to see if I could start editing and cleaning some of the stuff..forget it NOT ONE THING I could change or do. NOTHING is intuitive..Its like you have to spends ENDLESS HOURS TO LEARN the whole F program but who is going to help to get the exact little thing you ACTUALLY NEED TO MAKE IT WORK RIGHT NOW??? nobody... SUCKS.
Hey! Go to the Dorico forum and ask about that one little thing! We will help you, the nicer you ask, the quicker it goes... 😉 👍
@@agostomortal take it really really slow. Don’t try and intuit anything.
@@agostomortal you’re putting the cart before the horse. First learn how to work it before trying to edit XML files- there’s a lot do step before u can do that easily.
@@mixedupfilesmusical4038 Thanks you guys for the positive comments, but when you don't have to spare on this and need to get things done, it is a real issue.
@@BenjiSchaub Thanks you guys for the positive comments, but when you don't have timeto spare on this and need to get things done, it is a real issue.the "little" thing is 25 little things on a simple lead-sheet I'll have to submit, I can be optimistic but that is an unavoidable reality check
I started with coda music software and have cursed at finale hours a week since it came out. I could tell by reading the manual today that Dorico is grown-up 21st century software. After one day, I know my productivity will go up, and I expect my composing will change in a positive way. Finale knew it was time to give it up and I thank them for it. We needed a new industry standard and here it is.
It'll be an industry change for sure, but I agree, the technology had to upgrade.