Well this just became very relevant to my life considering I am an ex finale user of 20 years lol thanks for rubbing it in algorithm!! Whatever so far Dorico rocks. RIP Finale.
Well I just have to thank the algorithm real quick for bringing you here because I’ve been a fan of yours for years, I ADORE your work! I’m even in the discord server. If you need any help with Dorico hmu on Instagram. I put together jazz charts and orchestral works all the time with it
Avid bought Sibelius and fired the dev team. Steinberg hired said dev team and they made Dorico, obviously they'll make Cubase and Dorico play nice (though I've not used either). That's the short story I understand. Mind you I'm a hobbyist and comfortable with MuseScore (and very happy with v4).
I love this breakdown. This in-depth analysis and high quality video production and editing is something I would expect from a much larger channel! You certainly deserve more eyeballs and subscribers!
I've used Musescore until version 2, then I switched to Sibelius for something like 7/8 years, and then landed on Dorico about 2 years ago. I find myself the most comfortable in Dorico, using now Dorico 5 Pro as my main notation software. I just find it much more complete and intuitive than Sibelius. It does have it's cons, like the absence as of now of mordents playback, but aside from that, I'm loving it!
I have used Electronic arts Music Construction set in 1985, Music Print Plus back in the 80s and 90s, Musescore since 2.0, Finale since the year 1993 on Mac, Notion by Presonus, Sibelius, and Dorico. As both a classical guitarists and flutist, Dorico has really helped me move forward in scoring. To each his/his/they own. Using Dorico is just another tool out there for those that score to use. Everyone is entitled to their own tool to do the scoring work.
Thank you for this well-thought-out review. I first used Finale back in the 1990s (!) and some time in the mid-2000s switched to Sibelius. At the time, I thought, "Finale thinks like a PC thinker, and Sibelius thinks like a Mac thinker." But behind-the-scenes business decisions led to Sibelius being overtaken by Avid, and I don't know if anyone at Avid reads music or what. I hated the ribbon, the UI began to look more and more like a toy, and so on. Worse, the subscription model. Just as a matter of principle, I cannot abide that decision. I don't want to be beholden to any company, especially a company that doesn't seem to care too much about notation. Finally, my old Mac died and so I've been without proper notation software for a while. It is good to hear so many encouraging things about Dorico. Thank you for getting your opinion out there!
Thanks for the kind words! It’s exciting that this software continues to get better and better, it makes the day-to-day work much more manageable than fighting against a software to do what you want!
Have you heard about MuseScore? /s Seriously, Dorico is so worth the money. You don’t even have to be a professional power user to enjoy it (I’m certainly not). Everything just flows so easily, as opposed to the competitors.
Nice video, Ernesto! Like you, I recently cross-graded from Sibelius to Dorico. My reason? I had not upgraded beyond Sibelius 6; I never saw much need for the new features. But Sibelius 6 is a 32-bit program, and the new NotePerformer 4 is going to be only for 64-bit programs. With all the excitement about Dorico, I thought that would be a better investment of my money and time, than advancing to a newer version of Sibelius. (Also, I have great respect for the original Sibelius development team, who now work for Steinberg.) I haven't yet learned all the shortcuts that you mention, but eventually that will come. Also, I find that using an Elgato StremDeck to be helpful, so I don't have to remember quite as many keyboard shortcuts.
Interesting video. I've been using Finale for 32+ years. Consequently, a new software product would have to be really something special for me to consider changing. I briefly tried Dorico a few years ago (not long after it came out). I did not find that it could do anything I can't do with Finale. That is not to say that Dorico is a substandard package. It just doesn't offer me anything that I don't already have. Thanks for the video.
Same story. Finale before it even had a version number 1988 I think. With Finale's projected demise (April 2026) I will use my Finale on my two computers that I will not get rid of or update Mac OS to try and keep Finale alive as long as I can. For those that don't agree with no Mac updates, I just ordered a new Mac Studio and that can handle all my other apps that do need upgrading. I've been writing professionally since 1988 and won't be interested in Dorico until someone comes up with a way to import Finale files to save my library of close to 1,000 professional arrangements.I have clients who bring me files in Sibelius, so at one point I bought that and learned to use it begrudgingly. I'll do the same on Dorico and will keep a copy handy in case a client brings me a job already started in Dorico.... Like Sibelius, Dorico looks like a toy to me. I can't see how you can think musically while having to push so many buttons.... for the most part, I just play everything into Finale with very few menu changes.... for the record, I typically arrange for 10 to 30+ piece ensembles/arrangements.
I love this video, especially as a new Dorico user myself :D Love how you've broken down the details! You mentioned the issue with lagging in very large projects: may be the button which looks like a power button on the top right might help, it basically turns the audio engine off and on. :D idk though, if it'd help, but it was just a first guess :)
Glad it was helpful! That might be a good idea, though I don't think the playback is taxing the system THAT much, but I'll still give that a try. Thanks for watching!
I have used Finale, Dorico and Musescore 3 and 4 EXTENSIVELY for music ranging from solo piano to 100-person concert band to microtonal lumatone. I'm months away from graduating music college as a composition major and have done quite a few composition gigs for both in and out of college folks. Bear in mind I'm not a professional yet, Let me tell you, you are absolutely fine with MuseScore until much later in your career (probably forever, in fact). Especially now thar MuseScore 4 is here. It's ridiculously lightweight and free and has simply never disappointed for all of my needs. Dorico DOES have some increased functionality in SOME areas (not all!!!), and it may be advantageous for you to switch, but it's a major "need vs. want". I used Dorico on a borrowed college laptop for about 8 months and I thought it was exquisite. But when the academic year ended and I had to return the laptop, I realized I'm literally just fine with MuseScore. (Finale is hot garbage so I'm not gonna talk about it)
Personally, I would disagree. Professional composer here. Composing as a craft is much more sample-focused than many many academics and colleges would care to admit. While there is still ample work in the concert halls, weddings, schools, and churches, the real money is in multimedia composing. I know composers who make music for top notch orchestras such as the ASO, New York Philharmonic, etc. and they are only making around $50,000 - 70,000 a year. Mind you, this is EXTREMELY risky work as projects can be cancelled, gigs can dry up etc. The risk is just simply not worth the reward you are getting. Similar levels of risk in other areas would earn millions a year for the time spent. In multimedia, the risk is rewarded at least a bit better. Landing the top film and video game projects are going to net you well over $200K a year and it would only be for one project. The reality is that clients are going to want REALLY good examples of some of your ideas. Learning how to use sample libraries such as Orchestral Tools, CineSamples, Spitfire, etc. can give your clients and your portfolio a realistic sound without breaking the bank. $10,000 invested in sample libraries, a powerful computer, solid VST plugins for mixing and mastering, and a good notation software is really not a huge investment considering the amount of time and energy you would be putting into your craft...... Secondly, learning how to mix and master is also paramount. And without good sounds, there's no point in learning these skills. Mixing and mastering musescore sounds isn't going to do you very much good. And telling professionals that you have a musescore file isn't going to impress either. If you want to be a pro, be like the pros.
@@charlesparsons7862 I think you may have completely missed the point of my comment. 99.99% of composers are not going to compose for NY phil and AAA game titles (even later in the peak of their career). So you absolutely do not multimedia composing and you are totally fine with a great looking score (which, mind you, MuseScore can make perfectly professional looking scores and I have plenty of examples) and a decent sound rendering. MuseScore now supports VSTs, so even very good VSTs can be run on it. Also regarding "doing it like the pros", I am not of the opinion that just because the now old men did it a certain way, should be done like that today, it is easy to get out of touch with today's generation. For example, photoshop is the industry standard, but alternates are doing an equally good job in 99% of cases with the 1% only being like multi 6 figure gigs. The same can be said for pro tools and finale (which no professional can ever convince me are good pieces of software). For me, I don't see my professional career to be composing for NY phil because I'm simply not that good, so I am totally fine with composing for Collegiate/High school bands/orchs (those are the gigs I'm getting now) and handbell choirs. I compose them on MuseScore where they look pretty darn good, I give a audio rendering which is half decent using VSTs from FL studio, and I'm done.
@@charlesparsons7862 "The reality is that clients are going to want REALLY good examples of some of your ideas." Sure thing... so if this: ua-cam.com/video/SIW-2OIOJ5E/v-deo.html or this: ua-cam.com/video/nng8jhg6dco/v-deo.html Are not really good examples thereof, I do not know what is.
While I switched from Finale to Dorico, a lot of your points you made were also reasons that I switched! I also got the educational/competitive Crossgrade discount, and that helped me fall in love. (would recommend it to anyone who can get that discount, as $180 is basically a steal for the program!) Have you tried Dorico 5 yet? Love the video! As a composer, I love all the music composition and notation content on UA-cam.
Yes, please give us an update if you try out Musescore! Although you should wait until they release 4,5 as this first version has quite a few bugs that probably would hinder your professional output.
Wonderful explanation of what's good, and what is not yet good. Very comprehensive and clear. A good insight into how a composer thinks when writing. (On the downside for me is that the video is speeded up or chopped to make it zany or to get more in. I would prefer not to slow the video down myself so that I can take it in. Otherwise totally excellent.)
I switched to Dorico just about the month it was released moving from Sibelius and Finale and will never go back. What I am running into is classes I have been taking at Berklee rarely accept Dorico files for assignment submissions. So many of the instructors in thee composing area are Sibelius and Finale dedicated. I've had to import a midi file into Sibelius composed in Dorico just to complete the assignment. Can't wait for those instructors to figure out that Dorico is so much better than both!
Hahahaha. As usual Acadamia is years behind the curve lmfao. Do your profs know what a Music.xml file is or even an .xml file? Either way, it will probably look like dogshit on Finale and Sibelius as they added in .xml files after they were invented.
Thanks for that Ernesto. I'm just starting on music software and am using Musecore 4 at the moment. I decied to download Dorico SE and although the download was 'complete' it does not appear on my computer (which meets the spec requirements) so I'll have to wait and see. As someone else mentioned, those choppy edits on your video are hard to digest !
I'm thinking about switching to Dorico now that Sibelius is fully subscription. I bought a prepaid license for Sibelius a million years ago, and I'm worried they'll suddenly stop giving me updates. So as soon as that happens, I'm switching.
I'm stuck on 2019/8 version of Sibelius. Update would cost me 160€ or so if I can get through their arcane system of subs and upgrades. Years ago I bought Dorico 3.5 but I have not switched fully. Now I have a new computer (went from pc to mac), I just might update to v5 and be done with Sibelius, which I haven't installed on the new machine yet.
Very inspirational video- well done...with great ideas and info! What computer system would be best for Dorico Pro 5 ( I just recently purchased Dorico Pro 5) Intel i7 or i9 or AMD Ryzen? I need to upgrade my computer and I'm not sure which system would work best? What computer hardware, GPU, CPU, etc do you use?
Hey there There are features for microtonality including custom accidentals and setting your own tuning system; look up some tutorials on UA-cam. As for Ableton I think it interfaces the same as any other DAW, great MIDI and CC import and export options but that’s about it
@@ErnestoComposer Thank you for your answer. Ithink that Dorico is better than sibelius for microtonality. MaxScore looks for an alternative for graphical composition too.
@Ernesto I saw you were doing a decent amount of percussion work in Dorico. Have you tried to use Virtual Drumline with Dorico yet? If so, what was your experience with it? That's the one thing currently preventing me from jumping in to Dorico.
I don't use Virtual Drumline, but a quick Google search turns up that people use it and it's possible. Dorico uses "Playback Templates" that assigns playing techniques and noteheads to certain sounds, and there are some available for VD and Dorico for download online
People who have already had the money to buy software like Sibelius, Finale, and Dorico from early have never bothered using MuseScore, and since it's free most "pros" will just think it's a bad, temporary, free alternate. I've used most major notation software (except Sibelius) and I think musescore 4 is literally amongst the best notation softwares out there. Although, you should use it and form your own opinion.
MuseScore would be ideal but they don’t make it for iPadOS. They said they have plans for that but for now, it’s only sheet music software. I have just an iPad Pro.
@@amj.composerthat mentality is quickly slipping. Problem is there are certain features that become dealbreakers (for me as well) with the current build of musescore. To be clear and fair, I also had deal breakers with Finale's work flow and thus ended up with Sibelius for a while. Am currently looking to switch and have tried musescore but ran into some similar obstacles. I am certain they will get there, but it will take time. In the meantime, most people will be fine with what musescore has to offer and it is by no means incapable of producing professional results!
If you have any sway with Steinberg, as a Cubase user, sure would like to see both a tight integration between D and C AND a crossgrade path for aging Dorico to Cubase Pro license...
Hi. As Dorico lover, I loved your video too! :-) About the articulations position you mention in 16:25 I may suggest you to change the behavior of positioning globally in: Engave Options/Articulation /Ties/ and choose "End of tie chain" :-) ( but you mentioned that in some instrument you want to have it at the beginning... so no clues about that.) But: I think in your example the percussionist does not need to have a tie: he just plays the roll for the whole bar an on the new bar you just write a new note with the desired articulation. No need for a tie... My opinion) I loved your video and wish much success for your Music and Publishing company!
Yeah, I'm not sure what I would do about it, but it is a thing! I suppose it's an unfortunate side effect of the accents. The thing about the percussion tied roll thing: there actually is a distinction between tied and non-tied notes. Not all people write that way, I know several people that write with no ties, and that's valid, but I have played pieces before (like snare drum etudes) where you make tied rolls continuous, and non-tied rolls are separated. You win some you lose some! Thanks so much for commenting and for watching!
It makes sense that a sofware that has been evolved with things added along the way would be inferior to one that has those things as core from the getgo.
Hello there, even though I’m new to composing and arranging, is it a good plan to start with Dorico for my notation program? I use Logic. Will Dorico comply with Logic? I’m sure it uses sample libraries and are there any libraries that District will not work with? Thank you so much 🙏🏾
That's a good question. I highly recommend using Dorico as your notation program. You can start off with the free or cheaper version before you go for Pro, just to get familiar with how it works at its core. I also Logic, and use them together. Dorico should work with any sample libraries that Logic does, though that can be a whole video in itself. I pretty much use just one library with Dorico though, it's called Noteperformer. It does a wonderful job at playing back the music in a musical way, and since it reads notation, it's not compatible with Logic. You can tweak it as much, but it's not meant to be tweaked anyway. Go check it out!
Absolutely not. If you are new to composing and arranging, begin with MuseScore, because it has a far brighter future than any of the paid solutions. The writing is on the wall for all paid music notation software. The market is slipping away from them more each year as the completely free solutions become "good enough" for more of the market. To be sure, Dorico is a far more capable application than MuseScore. But so was Finale, and so was Sibelius. Neither of those products are generating enough money for their respective companies today to justify continued serious development. And we would be foolish to not predict the same ultimate fate for Dorico. Anyone beginning with music notation today should first see if a free solution covers their needs. This is not the world of Photoshop, where you're investing in your skillset by learning the premium tool. With professional music notation software, it's much more likely you're investing in a product that will eventually die out. I worked for MakeMusic back in the 2000s. At the time, Finale NotePad was the most popular notation software in the world, because it was free. It wasn't nearly as powerful as MuseScore is today, and it wasn't nearly as popular as MuseScore is now. I personally have switched completely to MuseScore now. I'll never go to Dorico, because I can see that they are pursuing a lost cause.
@@communityband1kind of an odd take there but valid. Not sure about Musescore being the future as it still seemingly has a large way to go for legitimate use though I do enjoy seeing how much better it is getting with each update. However, any fear mongering about the paid models is simply untrue. I am looking to switch from Sibelius as I did from Pro Tools ever since Avid switched their programs to subscriptions. However, there are so many different avenues for them in terms of selling hardware, different software that they'll float on unlike Finale unfortunately. Same in regards to Dorico. Cubase is becoming more and more popular, as are steinway's plugins and other software. Dorico will be fine. Doesn't mean it will last forever as ANY business (including Musescore) can go out of business, but there is no legitimate reason to stoke fear about music notation software being a wasted investment. TL;DR Dorico will be fine to invest in if you choose to do so. Try the 30 day free trial or give musescore a shot as well (as that part I agree that it is perhaps a better place to start since musescore will in fact get most people by).
I use NotePerformer as well, and though having to use NotePerformer's mixer is a bit of a nuisance, it's not too bad. I only go in there to turn off NotePerformer's reverb, which sounds quite cheap, and I use my own. I add to the master output track in Dorico's mixer. It makes a big difference in the quality of sound, I think. Try that!
I still use Sibelius with NotePerformer. I am doing my best to switch but find it hard. I love the engrave and print in Dorico since I’m a middle school band director. I hardly have to edit anything before handing out to my kids. I love the video output on Sibelius. This helps my students practice at home with play-along tracks I upload to UA-cam. Dorico does not have this. Love your videos, I hope to switch sooner than later.
How do I...assign metronome click to yamaha keys note C2 volume 100 beat one and C2 Volume 80 beats 2 3 4 ..... I figured out how to assign click to my Yamaha .....Finale allowed Press key for beat one and volume .It memorized my selection for click by pressing notes on keyboard
Hi I am a Classical Guitarist how can I write a polyphonic music for a single line not using piano staff . means sustaining bass line or melody using same single line . please explain or if you have a tutorial video can you send me the link .Thank you in advance. I am using Dorico 5
9:11 But how do you indicate with the computer keyboard to move the note rhythmically forward or backward by a 32th, a 16th, an 8th, quarter, half, or whole?
I didn’t mention it, but the rhythmic grid is an important part of note input in Dorico. Basically, a small orange grid appears over a measure when note input is engaged, and you can change the resolution of that grid with a little dropdown in the interface or with key commands. You can make it finer (16ths, dotted 16ths, 32nds, etc) or broader (quarters, half’s, whole’s, etc). The value that the grid happens to be on determines how notes are moved rhythmically forward or backwards and extended forwards and backwards. I tend to leave it eighth notes but will always change it to what I need
You know as a sibelius user/hater (as most of us sib users are), I'm still jot behind Dorico. I spent 2 hours trying to just download it (getting redirected to a non-Steinberg site in a different language 6 times), then I had to download 4 different softwares (library, downloader, license manager, and... another license manager???). Following that I had to log into everything, being redirected to the wrong domain ANOTHER 6 TIMES, and then I could download Dorico, but upon launch, APPARENTLY I HAVE TO DOWNLOAD ALL OF THE VST INSTRUMENTS ANOTHER 30+GB and activate all those, or Dorico won't launch. I have never been so hateful of a software before, and I hadn't even opened it yet. All that, and it crashed the minute I tried to change ANY settings (Not my rig's fault, I've got a ryzen 5, 6700xt, and 32gb of ram). Until Steinberg pulls their user experience out of their ass and cleans it tf up, I remain a Sibelius girlie. At least I can install and get it running without getting a migraine, and its all managed by 1 (ONE) software for licensing and downloads.
Privet Ernesto... I totally agree! By the way...have you noticed a lot of Sibelius similarity there are in Dorico, since the developer teams created Sibelius and eventually got to create there perfect baby at Steinberg. Think about it, it is true. Dorico and Sibelius have lots in common, only the interface differs, but the thought are similar. ;-) До свидания
Hey Yeonsuk!! I went to UNT, I remember you there! You and I had a couple of classes early on I think. Maybe aural skills 1 back in the day? Hope you’re doing well
@@ErnestoComposer no way! I attend UNT now. I've been debating a switch from finale to dorico for a little while now. I think I'll finally pull the trigger and take advantage of this cyber week sale. Thanks for the video!
@@ErnestoComposer As someone who's used both, a LOT, you should know that it can. Don't be so close-minded. There are also some things that musescore that simply FAR more intuitively and quickly.
You´re showing how to do everything in Dorico, but you´re not saying exactly why it is faster and easier than Sibelius. Basically every point and subpoint in the video needs to be compared to how Sibelius does the same task. One of the best interface designs for Sibelius is the ability to select note duration, accidental, and articulations purely with the numeric keypad---so you can type music with a computer keyboard with minimal use of the mouse. As much as anyone hates Sibelius, this is phenomenal, and it is why years ago, my music school preferred Sibelius over Finale.
Good point; in fact, what I prefer to Dorico over Sibelius in this regard is that in Sibelius you need a keypad (okay, you can do it with the regular keyboard but you know what I mean), and in Dorico you can alter each of those you brought up on the default computer keyboard. Note duration: numbers 1-9. Accidentals: minus key for flat, plus key for sharp, 0 for natural. Articulations: the bracket, back slash, and ‘ keys all give you accents, tenuto, etc. Basically, I never input music with the mouse!
@@ErnestoComposer Okay. I'm considering going with Elements. I'm watching videos and liking it. How easy is it to use EastWest in Dorico. I have it but can't use it with my current software because of some technical issues with my program...too long a story to get into. How is the help manual? I know it does a lot is it easy to find what you need and the various ways of doing things?
Per each anti-Dorico video there always is anti-Sibelius videos. With DAWs it is almost the same. Somewhen everyone would run away from Finale to Sibelius.
Hi - good work on the video. My comment is about the recording of your voice; its perfectly fine and intelligible, except there's a deal of room ambience present, that becomes very apparent. It sounds like you're in a box room or something, with little carpet or furnishings (is that perhaps a background image you've added in post.? If not, my apologies.!). Either way perhaps your mic could be placed nearer; or you could put up some drapes or add some sound deadening somehow.? You know, just for when you're recording YT vids..! Anyway, just gets a little irritating - especially on headphones, to hear the early reflection bounce quite prominent. Might just be this video; I'll check some others... EDIT:- ok, watched some more of your vids; your place/flat seems great.! So, the problem is mic placement, in this situation. I can understand you don't want one placed so close it dominates the shot, but I still would suggest experimenting a little, to try and lessen the impact. Would just help bring that final bit of polish to the presentation IMHO🙂 An example of good voice recording, for reference, and to understand where I'm coming from:- ua-cam.com/video/5XSMAkhuWPI/v-deo.html
Hey there, you’re exactly right. It bothers me too… I don’t like having the microphone in the shot, I find it too distracting, I don’t like people thinking about that. But then again, having such a reverberant space is distracting too! I hear too, especially with headphones. Let me try some things for future videos, and I hope you stick around for those!
I spell that out in the video, when I recorded this video I had absolutely no connection to Steinberg whatsoever. Also, Steinberg has been in the music software game for 40 years, and Dorico has existed for 8.
Is switching from Finale to Dorico a laborious step? I spend more time finding workarounds to the endless bugs in Finale than composing music--Finale is completely unstable. So I'm willing to lose a month of my life learning a new program. Also, has anyone converted Finale's *.musx files to the format that Dorico uses? When I upgraded to Finale 26, I frequently had to convert all my old scores (*.mus) to XML then to *.musx, which scattered the expressions, articulations and fingering. It took me 6 months to clean up that mess. So I'm hoping someone who has upgraded from Finale to Dorico can share the experience.
![[UA] NAVI vs MOUZ | BO5 | IEM Rio 2024](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/CMBYk0cbGoA/mqdefault.jpg)
Well this just became very relevant to my life considering I am an ex finale user of 20 years lol thanks for rubbing it in algorithm!! Whatever so far Dorico rocks. RIP Finale.
Well I just have to thank the algorithm real quick for bringing you here because I’ve been a fan of yours for years, I ADORE your work! I’m even in the discord server. If you need any help with Dorico hmu on Instagram. I put together jazz charts and orchestral works all the time with it
Avid bought Sibelius and fired the dev team. Steinberg hired said dev team and they made Dorico, obviously they'll make Cubase and Dorico play nice (though I've not used either). That's the short story I understand. Mind you I'm a hobbyist and comfortable with MuseScore (and very happy with v4).
I love this breakdown.
This in-depth analysis and high quality video production and editing is something I would expect from a much larger channel!
You certainly deserve more eyeballs and subscribers!
Thanks so much! I really appreciate the kind words, I’m glad you enjoyed it
I've used Musescore until version 2, then I switched to Sibelius for something like 7/8 years, and then landed on Dorico about 2 years ago.
I find myself the most comfortable in Dorico, using now Dorico 5 Pro as my main notation software. I just find it much more complete and intuitive than Sibelius.
It does have it's cons, like the absence as of now of mordents playback, but aside from that, I'm loving it!
I have used Electronic arts Music Construction set in 1985, Music Print Plus back in the 80s and 90s, Musescore since 2.0, Finale since the year 1993 on Mac, Notion by Presonus, Sibelius, and Dorico. As both a classical guitarists and flutist, Dorico has really helped me move forward in scoring. To each his/his/they own. Using Dorico is just another tool out there for those that score to use. Everyone is entitled to their own tool to do the scoring work.
Thank you for this well-thought-out review. I first used Finale back in the 1990s (!) and some time in the mid-2000s switched to Sibelius. At the time, I thought, "Finale thinks like a PC thinker, and Sibelius thinks like a Mac thinker." But behind-the-scenes business decisions led to Sibelius being overtaken by Avid, and I don't know if anyone at Avid reads music or what. I hated the ribbon, the UI began to look more and more like a toy, and so on. Worse, the subscription model. Just as a matter of principle, I cannot abide that decision. I don't want to be beholden to any company, especially a company that doesn't seem to care too much about notation. Finally, my old Mac died and so I've been without proper notation software for a while. It is good to hear so many encouraging things about Dorico. Thank you for getting your opinion out there!
Thanks for the kind words! It’s exciting that this software continues to get better and better, it makes the day-to-day work much more manageable than fighting against a software to do what you want!
Have you heard about MuseScore? /s
Seriously, Dorico is so worth the money. You don’t even have to be a professional power user to enjoy it (I’m certainly not). Everything just flows so easily, as opposed to the competitors.
Just made the switch after 15 years of sibelius. Ready to learn to use this and I am VERY excited.
Fantastic! I'm going to be making more videos about it soon, so stay tuned!
Nice video, Ernesto! Like you, I recently cross-graded from Sibelius to Dorico. My reason? I had not upgraded beyond Sibelius 6; I never saw much need for the new features. But Sibelius 6 is a 32-bit program, and the new NotePerformer 4 is going to be only for 64-bit programs. With all the excitement about Dorico, I thought that would be a better investment of my money and time, than advancing to a newer version of Sibelius. (Also, I have great respect for the original Sibelius development team, who now work for Steinberg.) I haven't yet learned all the shortcuts that you mention, but eventually that will come. Also, I find that using an Elgato StremDeck to be helpful, so I don't have to remember quite as many keyboard shortcuts.
Interesting video. I've been using Finale for 32+ years. Consequently, a new software product would have to be really something special for me to consider changing. I briefly tried Dorico a few years ago (not long after it came out). I did not find that it could do anything I can't do with Finale. That is not to say that Dorico is a substandard package. It just doesn't offer me anything that I don't already have. Thanks for the video.
Same story. Finale before it even had a version number 1988 I think. With Finale's projected demise (April 2026) I will use my Finale on my two computers that I will not get rid of or update Mac OS to try and keep Finale alive as long as I can. For those that don't agree with no Mac updates, I just ordered a new Mac Studio and that can handle all my other apps that do need upgrading. I've been writing professionally since 1988 and won't be interested in Dorico until someone comes up with a way to import Finale files to save my library of close to 1,000 professional arrangements.I have clients who bring me files in Sibelius, so at one point I bought that and learned to use it begrudgingly. I'll do the same on Dorico and will keep a copy handy in case a client brings me a job already started in Dorico.... Like Sibelius, Dorico looks like a toy to me. I can't see how you can think musically while having to push so many buttons.... for the most part, I just play everything into Finale with very few menu changes.... for the record, I typically arrange for 10 to 30+ piece ensembles/arrangements.
I love this video, especially as a new Dorico user myself :D Love how you've broken down the details!
You mentioned the issue with lagging in very large projects: may be the button which looks like a power button on the top right might help, it basically turns the audio engine off and on. :D idk though, if it'd help, but it was just a first guess :)
Glad it was helpful! That might be a good idea, though I don't think the playback is taxing the system THAT much, but I'll still give that a try. Thanks for watching!
Use noteperformer it's a synthesiser playback engine uses less resources.
I have used Finale, Dorico and Musescore 3 and 4 EXTENSIVELY for music ranging from solo piano to 100-person concert band to microtonal lumatone. I'm months away from graduating music college as a composition major and have done quite a few composition gigs for both in and out of college folks. Bear in mind I'm not a professional yet,
Let me tell you, you are absolutely fine with MuseScore until much later in your career (probably forever, in fact). Especially now thar MuseScore 4 is here. It's ridiculously lightweight and free and has simply never disappointed for all of my needs. Dorico DOES have some increased functionality in SOME areas (not all!!!), and it may be advantageous for you to switch, but it's a major "need vs. want". I used Dorico on a borrowed college laptop for about 8 months and I thought it was exquisite. But when the academic year ended and I had to return the laptop, I realized I'm literally just fine with MuseScore.
(Finale is hot garbage so I'm not gonna talk about it)
Personally, I would disagree. Professional composer here. Composing as a craft is much more sample-focused than many many academics and colleges would care to admit. While there is still ample work in the concert halls, weddings, schools, and churches, the real money is in multimedia composing. I know composers who make music for top notch orchestras such as the ASO, New York Philharmonic, etc. and they are only making around $50,000 - 70,000 a year. Mind you, this is EXTREMELY risky work as projects can be cancelled, gigs can dry up etc. The risk is just simply not worth the reward you are getting. Similar levels of risk in other areas would earn millions a year for the time spent. In multimedia, the risk is rewarded at least a bit better. Landing the top film and video game projects are going to net you well over $200K a year and it would only be for one project. The reality is that clients are going to want REALLY good examples of some of your ideas. Learning how to use sample libraries such as Orchestral Tools, CineSamples, Spitfire, etc. can give your clients and your portfolio a realistic sound without breaking the bank. $10,000 invested in sample libraries, a powerful computer, solid VST plugins for mixing and mastering, and a good notation software is really not a huge investment considering the amount of time and energy you would be putting into your craft...... Secondly, learning how to mix and master is also paramount. And without good sounds, there's no point in learning these skills. Mixing and mastering musescore sounds isn't going to do you very much good. And telling professionals that you have a musescore file isn't going to impress either. If you want to be a pro, be like the pros.
@@charlesparsons7862 I think you may have completely missed the point of my comment. 99.99% of composers are not going to compose for NY phil and AAA game titles (even later in the peak of their career). So you absolutely do not multimedia composing and you are totally fine with a great looking score (which, mind you, MuseScore can make perfectly professional looking scores and I have plenty of examples) and a decent sound rendering. MuseScore now supports VSTs, so even very good VSTs can be run on it.
Also regarding "doing it like the pros", I am not of the opinion that just because the now old men did it a certain way, should be done like that today, it is easy to get out of touch with today's generation. For example, photoshop is the industry standard, but alternates are doing an equally good job in 99% of cases with the 1% only being like multi 6 figure gigs. The same can be said for pro tools and finale (which no professional can ever convince me are good pieces of software).
For me, I don't see my professional career to be composing for NY phil because I'm simply not that good, so I am totally fine with composing for Collegiate/High school bands/orchs (those are the gigs I'm getting now) and handbell choirs. I compose them on MuseScore where they look pretty darn good, I give a audio rendering which is half decent using VSTs from FL studio, and I'm done.
@@amj.composer You started by telling me that I misunderstood you. Then you said exactly what I understood you to say after you said "Also" lol.
@@charlesparsons7862 That's what's up!
@@charlesparsons7862 "The reality is that clients are going to want REALLY good examples of some of your ideas."
Sure thing... so if this:
ua-cam.com/video/SIW-2OIOJ5E/v-deo.html
or this:
ua-cam.com/video/nng8jhg6dco/v-deo.html
Are not really good examples thereof, I do not know what is.
While I switched from Finale to Dorico, a lot of your points you made were also reasons that I switched! I also got the educational/competitive Crossgrade discount, and that helped me fall in love. (would recommend it to anyone who can get that discount, as $180 is basically a steal for the program!) Have you tried Dorico 5 yet?
Love the video! As a composer, I love all the music composition and notation content on UA-cam.
(NO SHOUTING) EXCELLENT VIDEO. AMAZINGLY KNOWLEDGEABLE GUY ERNESTO. ALL THE BEST TO YOU.
you should try musescore 4 when it comes out, it has a lot of the features dorico has, has really good sounding playback, and its free
Yes, please give us an update if you try out Musescore! Although you should wait until they release 4,5 as this first version has quite a few bugs that probably would hinder your professional output.
Can’t agree more
...and Dorico 4.3 has added the feature to end (or start) drum rolls with a non-slashed note :)
I know! You would not believe my delight when I saw it. It's the perfect solution for my gripe, I'm using it a lot now!
Cool review and tips!
Wonderful explanation of what's good, and what is not yet good. Very comprehensive and clear. A good insight into how a composer thinks when writing. (On the downside for me is that the video is speeded up or chopped to make it zany or to get more in. I would prefer not to slow the video down myself so that I can take it in. Otherwise totally excellent.)
I switched to Dorico just about the month it was released moving from Sibelius and Finale and will never go back. What I am running into is classes I have been taking at Berklee rarely accept Dorico files for assignment submissions. So many of the instructors in thee composing area are Sibelius and Finale dedicated. I've had to import a midi file into Sibelius composed in Dorico just to complete the assignment. Can't wait for those instructors to figure out that Dorico is so much better than both!
It’s only a matter of time! I think I was the one guy at my college using Dorico too, but I hope to spread the good word ;)
As I understand it, they could open your Dorico file using the free version of Dorico - although without the ability to edit. Maybe a start?
Hahahaha. As usual Acadamia is years behind the curve lmfao. Do your profs know what a Music.xml file is or even an .xml file? Either way, it will probably look like dogshit on Finale and Sibelius as they added in .xml files after they were invented.
Thanks for that Ernesto. I'm just starting on music software and am using Musecore 4 at the moment. I decied to download Dorico SE and although the download was 'complete' it does not appear on my computer (which meets the spec requirements) so I'll have to wait and see. As someone else mentioned, those choppy edits on your video are hard to digest !
I'm thinking about switching to Dorico now that Sibelius is fully subscription. I bought a prepaid license for Sibelius a million years ago, and I'm worried they'll suddenly stop giving me updates. So as soon as that happens, I'm switching.
I'm stuck on 2019/8 version of Sibelius. Update would cost me 160€ or so if I can get through their arcane system of subs and upgrades.
Years ago I bought Dorico 3.5 but I have not switched fully. Now I have a new computer (went from pc to mac), I just might update to v5 and be done with Sibelius, which I haven't installed on the new machine yet.
Having the ability to have a piano roll and midi track view it's a Game Changer!!!!! You can sequence anything with it!!!!! New standard
thank you for the in depth review, very useful!
Very inspirational video- well done...with great ideas and info! What computer system would be best for Dorico Pro 5 ( I just recently purchased Dorico Pro 5) Intel i7 or i9 or AMD Ryzen? I need to upgrade my computer and I'm not sure which system would work best? What computer hardware, GPU, CPU, etc do you use?
I use an Apple M1 Max chip which is about an i9 equivalent. Thanks for watching!
Just downloaded it, hoping to prepare in Logic first then transfer, this is a great introduction thanks.
Hi, nice review !
Who does it behave with microtonality and how does it collaborate with Ableton 12 ? :)
Hey there
There are features for microtonality including custom accidentals and setting your own tuning system; look up some tutorials on UA-cam. As for Ableton I think it interfaces the same as any other DAW, great MIDI and CC import and export options but that’s about it
@@ErnestoComposer Thank you for your answer. Ithink that Dorico is better than sibelius for microtonality.
MaxScore looks for an alternative for graphical composition too.
Great walk-through, thanks!
Could you do a video about how do you make a music book using that Affinity, please
@Ernesto I saw you were doing a decent amount of percussion work in Dorico. Have you tried to use Virtual Drumline with Dorico yet? If so, what was your experience with it? That's the one thing currently preventing me from jumping in to Dorico.
I don't use Virtual Drumline, but a quick Google search turns up that people use it and it's possible. Dorico uses "Playback Templates" that assigns playing techniques and noteheads to certain sounds, and there are some available for VD and Dorico for download online
What about Musescore 4?!
People who have already had the money to buy software like Sibelius, Finale, and Dorico from early have never bothered using MuseScore, and since it's free most "pros" will just think it's a bad, temporary, free alternate. I've used most major notation software (except Sibelius) and I think musescore 4 is literally amongst the best notation softwares out there. Although, you should use it and form your own opinion.
@@amj.composer just needs better playback features and some fixes for dynamics
@@amj.composer musescore bot lol!
MuseScore would be ideal but they don’t make it for iPadOS. They said they have plans for that but for now, it’s only sheet music software. I have just an iPad Pro.
@@amj.composerthat mentality is quickly slipping. Problem is there are certain features that become dealbreakers (for me as well) with the current build of musescore. To be clear and fair, I also had deal breakers with Finale's work flow and thus ended up with Sibelius for a while. Am currently looking to switch and have tried musescore but ran into some similar obstacles. I am certain they will get there, but it will take time. In the meantime, most people will be fine with what musescore has to offer and it is by no means incapable of producing professional results!
If you have any sway with Steinberg, as a Cubase user, sure would like to see both a tight integration between D and C AND a crossgrade path for aging Dorico to Cubase Pro license...
Hi. As Dorico lover, I loved your video too! :-) About the articulations position you mention in 16:25 I may suggest you to change the behavior of positioning globally in: Engave Options/Articulation /Ties/ and choose "End of tie chain" :-) ( but you mentioned that in some instrument you want to have it at the beginning... so no clues about that.) But: I think in your example the percussionist does not need to have a tie: he just plays the roll for the whole bar an on the new bar you just write a new note with the desired articulation. No need for a tie... My opinion) I loved your video and wish much success for your Music and Publishing company!
Yeah, I'm not sure what I would do about it, but it is a thing! I suppose it's an unfortunate side effect of the accents.
The thing about the percussion tied roll thing: there actually is a distinction between tied and non-tied notes. Not all people write that way, I know several people that write with no ties, and that's valid, but I have played pieces before (like snare drum etudes) where you make tied rolls continuous, and non-tied rolls are separated. You win some you lose some!
Thanks so much for commenting and for watching!
It makes sense that a sofware that has been evolved with things added along the way would be inferior to one that has those things as core from the getgo.
Will Dorico support Simplified Notation (i.e., 1. 2. 3, etc) entered above the 5-line Staff? Thanks in advance.
Hello there, even though I’m new to composing and arranging, is it a good plan to start with Dorico for my notation program? I use Logic. Will Dorico comply with Logic? I’m sure it uses sample libraries and are there any libraries that District will not work with? Thank you so much 🙏🏾
That's a good question. I highly recommend using Dorico as your notation program. You can start off with the free or cheaper version before you go for Pro, just to get familiar with how it works at its core. I also Logic, and use them together. Dorico should work with any sample libraries that Logic does, though that can be a whole video in itself. I pretty much use just one library with Dorico though, it's called Noteperformer. It does a wonderful job at playing back the music in a musical way, and since it reads notation, it's not compatible with Logic. You can tweak it as much, but it's not meant to be tweaked anyway. Go check it out!
Absolutely not. If you are new to composing and arranging, begin with MuseScore, because it has a far brighter future than any of the paid solutions. The writing is on the wall for all paid music notation software. The market is slipping away from them more each year as the completely free solutions become "good enough" for more of the market. To be sure, Dorico is a far more capable application than MuseScore. But so was Finale, and so was Sibelius. Neither of those products are generating enough money for their respective companies today to justify continued serious development. And we would be foolish to not predict the same ultimate fate for Dorico.
Anyone beginning with music notation today should first see if a free solution covers their needs. This is not the world of Photoshop, where you're investing in your skillset by learning the premium tool. With professional music notation software, it's much more likely you're investing in a product that will eventually die out.
I worked for MakeMusic back in the 2000s. At the time, Finale NotePad was the most popular notation software in the world, because it was free. It wasn't nearly as powerful as MuseScore is today, and it wasn't nearly as popular as MuseScore is now. I personally have switched completely to MuseScore now. I'll never go to Dorico, because I can see that they are pursuing a lost cause.
@@communityband1kind of an odd take there but valid. Not sure about Musescore being the future as it still seemingly has a large way to go for legitimate use though I do enjoy seeing how much better it is getting with each update.
However, any fear mongering about the paid models is simply untrue. I am looking to switch from Sibelius as I did from Pro Tools ever since Avid switched their programs to subscriptions. However, there are so many different avenues for them in terms of selling hardware, different software that they'll float on unlike Finale unfortunately. Same in regards to Dorico. Cubase is becoming more and more popular, as are steinway's plugins and other software. Dorico will be fine. Doesn't mean it will last forever as ANY business (including Musescore) can go out of business, but there is no legitimate reason to stoke fear about music notation software being a wasted investment.
TL;DR Dorico will be fine to invest in if you choose to do so. Try the 30 day free trial or give musescore a shot as well (as that part I agree that it is perhaps a better place to start since musescore will in fact get most people by).
Which VST do you use for Dorico? I am using NotePerformer but it’s horrible with all instruments on one channel.
I use NotePerformer as well, and though having to use NotePerformer's mixer is a bit of a nuisance, it's not too bad. I only go in there to turn off NotePerformer's reverb, which sounds quite cheap, and I use my own. I add to the master output track in Dorico's mixer. It makes a big difference in the quality of sound, I think. Try that!
Thank you for prompt response.
I still use Sibelius with NotePerformer. I am doing my best to switch but find it hard. I love the engrave and print in Dorico since I’m a middle school band director. I hardly have to edit anything before handing out to my kids.
I love the video output on Sibelius. This helps my students practice at home with play-along tracks I upload to UA-cam. Dorico does not have this.
Love your videos, I hope to switch sooner than later.
Does Dorico have dark mode? I'm thinking of getting the element version.
There’s an Invert Colors feature in the settings. Not exactly a dark mode but I know many people who use it as one, works pretty well
How do I...assign metronome click to yamaha keys note C2 volume 100 beat one and C2 Volume 80 beats 2 3 4 ..... I figured out how to assign click to my Yamaha .....Finale allowed Press key for beat one and volume .It memorized my selection for click by pressing notes on keyboard
Thx!
Hi I am a Classical Guitarist how can I write a polyphonic music for a single line not using piano staff . means sustaining bass line or melody using same single line . please explain or if you have a tutorial video can you send me the link .Thank you in advance. I am using Dorico 5
You’re looking for voices. Look up “Input into a different voice” for Dorico on UA-cam
I studied Finale for whole semester, not good at it at all. Then, I used Dorico, wow❤
I
HI I want to sing to notation, how good is Dorico in doing this?
I hear about option key/I don't know what that key is on my keyboard? Can you explain? Command also? Are these synonyms for other keys?
These are Mac equivalents for alt and control respectively on Windows computers
9:11 But how do you indicate with the computer keyboard to move the note rhythmically forward or backward by a 32th, a 16th, an 8th, quarter, half, or whole?
I didn’t mention it, but the rhythmic grid is an important part of note input in Dorico. Basically, a small orange grid appears over a measure when note input is engaged, and you can change the resolution of that grid with a little dropdown in the interface or with key commands. You can make it finer (16ths, dotted 16ths, 32nds, etc) or broader (quarters, half’s, whole’s, etc). The value that the grid happens to be on determines how notes are moved rhythmically forward or backwards and extended forwards and backwards. I tend to leave it eighth notes but will always change it to what I need
You know as a sibelius user/hater (as most of us sib users are), I'm still jot behind Dorico. I spent 2 hours trying to just download it (getting redirected to a non-Steinberg site in a different language 6 times), then I had to download 4 different softwares (library, downloader, license manager, and... another license manager???). Following that I had to log into everything, being redirected to the wrong domain ANOTHER 6 TIMES, and then I could download Dorico, but upon launch, APPARENTLY I HAVE TO DOWNLOAD ALL OF THE VST INSTRUMENTS ANOTHER 30+GB and activate all those, or Dorico won't launch. I have never been so hateful of a software before, and I hadn't even opened it yet. All that, and it crashed the minute I tried to change ANY settings (Not my rig's fault, I've got a ryzen 5, 6700xt, and 32gb of ram). Until Steinberg pulls their user experience out of their ass and cleans it tf up, I remain a Sibelius girlie. At least I can install and get it running without getting a migraine, and its all managed by 1 (ONE) software for licensing and downloads.
...and now switching again to MuseScore 4.1 😁... at no cost whatsoever 😁😁
Privet Ernesto...
I totally agree!
By the way...have you noticed a lot of Sibelius similarity there are in Dorico, since the developer teams created Sibelius and eventually got to create there perfect baby at Steinberg. Think about it, it is true. Dorico and Sibelius have lots in common, only the interface differs, but the thought are similar. ;-)
До свидания
where did you go to school? fellow composer asking
Hey Yeonsuk!! I went to UNT, I remember you there! You and I had a couple of classes early on I think. Maybe aural skills 1 back in the day? Hope you’re doing well
I thought you looked familiar so I had to ask! Great work on the videos! Keep em up!
@@ErnestoComposer no way! I attend UNT now. I've been debating a switch from finale to dorico for a little while now. I think I'll finally pull the trigger and take advantage of this cyber week sale. Thanks for the video!
@@casiano_music Do it!! Dorico sent my productivity into LIGHTSPEED
Jeez Musescore will do all that for free!
Ehhhh, I don't know about all that
@@ErnestoComposer then you should.
@@ErnestoComposer As someone who's used both, a LOT, you should know that it can. Don't be so close-minded. There are also some things that musescore that simply FAR more intuitively and quickly.
musescore 4 don't have that piano roll anymore for some reason
@@GamingWithJumbo then use 3.6
Musescore doesnt work on iPad
GUITAR PRO FOR THE WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Avid stole so much money from me. They do more things to squeeze the existing users than think of really doing something better to the software.
Did they do it at gunpoint?
You´re showing how to do everything in Dorico, but you´re not saying exactly why it is faster and easier than Sibelius. Basically every point and subpoint in the video needs to be compared to how Sibelius does the same task.
One of the best interface designs for Sibelius is the ability to select note duration, accidental, and articulations purely with the numeric keypad---so you can type music with a computer keyboard with minimal use of the mouse. As much as anyone hates Sibelius, this is phenomenal, and it is why years ago, my music school preferred Sibelius over Finale.
Good point; in fact, what I prefer to Dorico over Sibelius in this regard is that in Sibelius you need a keypad (okay, you can do it with the regular keyboard but you know what I mean), and in Dorico you can alter each of those you brought up on the default computer keyboard. Note duration: numbers 1-9. Accidentals: minus key for flat, plus key for sharp, 0 for natural. Articulations: the bracket, back slash, and ‘ keys all give you accents, tenuto, etc.
Basically, I never input music with the mouse!
things will go wrong? like what things?
Anything can. That’s just a general statement
@@ErnestoComposer Okay. I'm considering going with Elements. I'm watching videos and liking it. How easy is it to use EastWest in Dorico. I have it but can't use it with my current software because of some technical issues with my program...too long a story to get into. How is the help manual? I know it does a lot is it easy to find what you need and the various ways of doing things?
Per each anti-Dorico video there always is anti-Sibelius videos. With DAWs it is almost the same. Somewhen everyone would run away from Finale to Sibelius.
He talks funny... I'm guessing Filipino is first language? lol. Anyway, great information-the note navigation key commands have me drooling.
Haha. Spanish is my first language, but thanks anyway!
Thank you very very much. More please.
Dorico is the only music engraving program that makes me question the meaning of life.
The mere fact that Sibelius is Subscription Only means that I will never get it. End of story.
Talk, talk, talk what about the sheet music?
Hi - good work on the video.
My comment is about the recording of your voice; its perfectly fine and intelligible, except there's a deal of room ambience present, that becomes very apparent. It sounds like you're in a box room or something, with little carpet or furnishings (is that perhaps a background image you've added in post.? If not, my apologies.!). Either way perhaps your mic could be placed nearer; or you could put up some drapes or add some sound deadening somehow.? You know, just for when you're recording YT vids..! Anyway, just gets a little irritating - especially on headphones, to hear the early reflection bounce quite prominent. Might just be this video; I'll check some others...
EDIT:- ok, watched some more of your vids; your place/flat seems great.! So, the problem is mic placement, in this situation. I can understand you don't want one placed so close it dominates the shot, but I still would suggest experimenting a little, to try and lessen the impact. Would just help bring that final bit of polish to the presentation IMHO🙂
An example of good voice recording, for reference, and to understand where I'm coming from:-
ua-cam.com/video/5XSMAkhuWPI/v-deo.html
Hey there, you’re exactly right. It bothers me too… I don’t like having the microphone in the shot, I find it too distracting, I don’t like people thinking about that. But then again, having such a reverberant space is distracting too! I hear too, especially with headphones. Let me try some things for future videos, and I hope you stick around for those!
@@ErnestoComposer Sure - will look out for them 👍
Is that shirt the rock lobster ?
hehe, I was thinking exactly the same
Bought and paid for, Ernesto? Steinberg is buying its way into this business.
I spell that out in the video, when I recorded this video I had absolutely no connection to Steinberg whatsoever. Also, Steinberg has been in the music software game for 40 years, and Dorico has existed for 8.
You like seafood, don't you ? .. now, how did I know this ?
Personally I dislike Dorico.
Thanks, I won't
Surprised not pronounced ‘Door-reeko’
Mmmm.....I am not impressed with it.
Just have a listen to my videos made solely with Musescore 4, you'll be amazed by the extremely realistic sound
Sibelius actually is worse than Finale . . .
Is switching from Finale to Dorico a laborious step? I spend more time finding workarounds to the endless bugs in Finale than composing music--Finale is completely unstable. So I'm willing to lose a month of my life learning a new program. Also, has anyone converted Finale's *.musx files to the format that Dorico uses?
When I upgraded to Finale 26, I frequently had to convert all my old scores (*.mus) to XML then to *.musx, which scattered the expressions, articulations and fingering. It took me 6 months to clean up that mess. So I'm hoping someone who has upgraded from Finale to Dorico can share the experience.