Back in January we shared a video preview of the upcoming Finale iPad app, featuring our own Justin Phillips. This morning Justin and I shot an updated video showing just how far our developers have progressed in the meantime.

In addition to showing new features in action, Justin also clarifies that the as-of-yet unnamed app is due in May, and will be free of charge!

Check out the video above and let us know what you think by clicking on “Comments” below.

Last week we announced our upcoming Finale iPad music viewer and demonstrated the app at NAMM, the music industry tradeshow in Anaheim, California.

For those who were unable to join us, we shot some video at the MakeMusic booth. Here Justin Phillips, our Technical Product Manager, demonstrates a few Finale files on his iPad.

Justin also indicated he'd like to share additional video of the app as we add functionality and get closer to release: Sounds great to me!

Have questions about the upcoming app or anything else Finale-related? Please let me know by clicking on “Comments” below.

The Finale Knowledge Base is a powerful resource at your fingertips. Have a Finale question? This is the place to go to get it resolved, whether you browse solutions or submit a question directly to our support staff.

Today we released a mobile version of the Knowledge Base. Access it from your iPhone, iPad, or Android device, and the site automatically appears in the correct format, optimized for browsing on your device:

How might you use it?  You might:

• Have the Knowledge Base displayed on your iPad while you work on your computer.
• Submit a case from your mobile device while you ride the bus home.
• Check on a submitted case from your mobile device while at the park.
• Research non-standard key signatures (or whatever) while waiting to see the dentist.

For quick access, you can even create a web clip (shortcut) for quick access from your device’s Home screen, right alongside your other apps.

Ready to check it out? Navigate to: http://makemusic.custhelp.com/app/

If you’re using an iPhone or iPad, click on this button:

…and select Add to Home Screen. Name the web clip whatever you’d like, and it will appear on your Home screen for quick access.

If you’re using an Android device, click the Bookmarks button then add the site as a bookmark. Tap and hold on the bookmark then select Add Shortcut to Home.

Try it out today and let me know how it works for you by clicking on “Comments” below.

Working with beginning music students? Would it help to add notenames to the noteheads in an example like this?

Finale 2012 makes it easier than ever:

1. Choose the Selection tool and indicate the music you wish to change.
2. Navigate to Plug-ins menu > Note, Beam and Rest Editing > AlphaNotes.

As simple as that, the noteheads now have note names:

Let me know how Finale 2012 is working for you by clicking on "Comments" below. Don't have Finale yet? Download the free 30 day trial version today.

Before Finale 2012, changing instruments mid-score was a bit of a process. For example, if I wanted a saxophonist to switch to a flute halfway through a piece, I had to add a Staff Style for the notation to appear correctly, and an Expression to make playback work right. In addition, when using the Garritan sounds I'd have to manually load the new sound into the Aria Player.

In Finale 2012, it’s as simple as click and play:

1. Choose the Selection tool, then highlight the measure where you want the change to occur.
2. Navigate to Utilities menu > Change Instrument.



3. Select the instrument you wish to change to and click OK.

Finale 2012 automatically sets the proper staff attributes AND configures the playback change. Want to go to another instrument or switch back? Just repeat the steps above.

Please let me know how Finale 2012 is working for you by clicking on "Comments" below. Don't have Finale 2012 yet? Download the free 30-day trial version!

Excited about Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, the new Macintosh operating system? Rest assured that we’ll be supporting Finale 2010 and 2011 notation products on Apple’s new big cat. Here are some compatibility info and tips that may help.

Compatibility

During our testing process, we found only a few minor problems running Finale on Lion, none of which should impact most users’ workflow. Here are two examples:

• Lion no longer includes a pre-installed version of Java, so you may receive an error that Java Runtime is not installed when you first launch Finale. Simply click “Install” on the error message and Java Runtime will be automatically downloaded for you. Re-launch Finale and Finale will open correctly.
• The Check for Updates dialog may display every time you open Finale, regardless of your previously chosen preference. Just click OK or Cancel and the dialog will go away.

More in-depth information can be found in our official Lion compatibility Knowledge Base article.

Tips

Apple has made some changes in Lion which may cause some confusion:

• Mouse scrolling is reversed from previous versions of OS X. Mouse scrolling now functions similar to iOS devices, like the iPad or iPhone. For example, scrolling up moves the page down and scrolling left moves the page right. This should be fairly comfortable on a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad, but if using a standard PC or older Mac Mouse, you may want to change this setting by going to System Preferences > Mouse > Un-check Scroll with finger direction.
• The User and Root Library folders are now hidden by default in Finder. To access Finale’s support files in Finder look in the Go menu for “Go to Folder” and type in the folder location (Tip: use the ~ key to designate the User directory). In addition, holding the Option key and clicking on the Go menu will display the User Library. More information about this can be found in the 10.7 compatibility article.

Upgrading

If you’re thinking about upgrading to Lion, here are some tips to keep in mind before you do:

• Ensure that all of your essential applications are supported. While some applications like Finale transition fairly smoothly, others may not at all. For example, older “PowerPC” applications will no longer work on Lion, unlike previous versions of Mac OS X. Check support web pages of your software regarding Lion support.
• Make sure your hardware is supported under Lion as well. It’s possible that your MIDI keyboard could function fine in Snow Leopard while its driver doesn’t work in Lion. Again, check with your device manufacturer to see if they have Lion drivers or Lion support before taking the plunge.
• Before installing Lion, run Software Update to make sure you have the latest Mac OS X updates.
• Lastly, back up your files! If something goes awry during the upgrade, you wouldn’t want to lose years of Finale or other documents. I would suggest backing up at least your Documents folder (or whatever folder you store your files in) to an external hard drive before upgrading to Lion. If you want to be extra cautious, check out this great MacWorld article.

Already upgraded to Lion? Please click “Comments” below to share your thoughts and experiences! 

Imagine that you’re in the middle of a Finale project and you’ve just been inspired to add a Scottish highlands bagpipe ensemble to your score. Wouldn’t it be great if there was an easy way to instantly add to your collection of virtual instruments to support this inspiration? Now there is!

As of yesterday, all the additional Garritan libraries offered at finalemusic.com are now also offered as instant downloads. What’s more, we’ve just added a new library, Garritan World Instruments to the list.

From bagpipes to Taiko drums to Guzheng harps, Garritan World Instruments provide a comprehensive collection of more than 350 impressive exotic instruments from around the world, available right from Finale’s Setup Wizard. In an upcoming post we’ll explore how easy it is to get started with the new World library.

To celebrate, for the next week we’re offering a promotion on all four Garritan libraries: they can each be downloaded for $99, and the DVDs can be purchased for $119. Learn more on our Related Products page.

Are you using additional Garritan libraries with your music? Are you thinking about it? Please share your reactions and questions by clicking on “Comments” below.

When creating cross staff beaming in Finale, many people use the NoteMover Tool or the TG Tools Cross-Staff Plug-in to move notes from one staff to another.

While both of these options do the job well, I’d like to share an even quicker way to do this.

1. Choose the Selection Tool then click + drag to select the notes you wish to move.

2. Press Alt+Shift+Up/Down Arrow (Win) or Option+Shift+ Up/Down Arrow (Mac).

Share your Selection Tool or Cross-Staff tips or tricks by clicking on “Comments” below!

Special thanks to Danielle in Customer Support for the handy screenshot!

If you’re anything like me, and have folders upon folders of Finale files, finding the right document can occasionally become a bit of a treasure hunt.

Mac OS X has some great features built in that can really help, but not everyone knows they’re there!

Quick Look
Looking though several similar documents trying to find one in which few measures were changed? Select any Finale file and press Spacebar. The window seen above will pop up, allowing you to scroll through the entre document and find what you need – all without having to open Finale.

Spotlight
Know the name of a document you want to open, but aren’t certain where it is? Press Command + Spacebar then type in the name of the document. OS X’s Spotlight feature will quickly locate and open the file for you.

In addition, using Get Info in Finder can give you a lot of Finale-specific information regarding a document. Check under More Info for information on Title, Composer, Key, Time Signature, etc.

Have you discovered some additional Quick Look or Spotlight tips? Please share them with us by clicking on “Comments” below!

Need to add a grace note? While it’s easy to select the Grace Note tool from the Simple Entry palette, it’s much faster to use a modifier key to quickly turn the Grace Note tool on or off. There’s a better way in Speedy Entry too:

Simple Entry:
Press Ctrl + G (Win) or Option + G (Mac) to indicate the next note will be a grace note. Use the same keystroke to switch back to “regular notes.”

Speedy Entry:
To change the previous note to a grace note, press G.

You can really speed up note entry with these and other shortcut keys. Do you have some favorite note entry shortcuts? Please share them by clicking on “Comments” below!