I, too, was a Notion beta tester. My observations were similar. I have not installed my free v.1 or downloaded any updates yet.
For those unfamiliar with Notion, I would not really call it a engraving software as much as a notation based (as opposed to midi/keyboard based) sequencer. Its strength is the outstanding control of playback including the ability to "conduct" (and record for future reference) playback via a "trigger track" with a keystroke. Its weakness (other than copy protection already mentioned by David Bailey) is that the notation features are primitive compared to Sibelius and Finale. There is none of the automation we have come to expect. No sophisticated keyboard entry, no easy copy/paste routine, and no macros (that I found). In short, there is only simple mouse or basic midi entry of every single note. Even the barlines must be entered individually buy the user! I would like very much to try engraving in Sibelius (or Finale) and then import to Notion for playback purposes, but Notion does not import anything, even midi! Midi import is said to be on the way. I would like Notion to succeed. It's a good idea and I always liked Music Printer Plus. I hope they are able to update the notation part of the program SOON! The Notion folks need to stop worrying about recording more samples and get the engraving part up to date. Richard Smith www.rgsmithmusic.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of dhbailey Sent: Saturday, July 23, 2005 10:58 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [email protected] Subject: Re: [Finale] GPO/Kontakt Primer (and a Notion as well) Robert Patterson wrote: [snip]> > While I remain unconvinced that Notion will have the opportunity to > deliver on its promises, I was impressed by their representative. He > obviously believes passionately in the program. He literally thinks it > can change the world by bringing interest in and deep knowledge of > orchestra music back to the masses. It was a bit moving to see a man > older than me (and I'm not young) with such youthful stars in his eyes. > I think Notion has thrown a challenge at both Fin and Sib that I hope > they will heed. Even if Notion is knocked down, perhaps Fin and/or Sib > can deliver on Notion's promise. > Notion is the direct descendant of MusicPrinterPlus, with Jack Jarrett still at the helm. Much of the note entry and other aspects of Notion are exactly taken from MusicPrinterPlus. I participated in a public beta test of Notion and found much good in it but even more that will need much improvement. It is not flexible in some areas, and is extremely flexible in other areas. The deal-breaker for me was their entirely too draconian copy protection scheme. They use the iLok system, which is a USB "key" that enables the software for use. You can install your copy on a zillion computers, but only the single computer you plug your iLok into is active at any one time. That's not too bad, dongles have been around for a long time. The draconian aspect is that if you break your iLok key, it will cost you $35 to get it repaired, to say nothing of the downtime while you can't use your program because the iLok has been sent in for repair. If you lose your iLok key, it will cost you $150 PLUS you have to file a police report and include a copy of that report. If you lose it a second time, you have to purchase the program again. The problem is that the iLok key looks like some child's toy, so if it falls out of your notebook carrying case while you pack up in a motel room, the cleaning people will simply throw it out or take it home and give it to their children to play with. Nothing about it says "expensive, important computer part, don't discard!" Or, and this strikes me as old-fashioned, neighborhood gang protection money -- you can pay the iLok key people an annual amount as a "zero down-time protection" fee whereby if your iLok breaks or is lost, you contact them and they somehow enable your software for a period until your replacement or repaired iLok is sent to you. So it won't matter to me if they combine the best features of Graphire, Finale, Sibelius with the playback quality of the Berlin Philharmonic and the Stan Kenton Orchestras, with zero latency and unlimited numbers of voices -- that protection scheme guarantees they'll never get any of my money. I agree with Robert's assessment that Notion doesn't have much chance of elbowing its way into the crowded tiny notation software marketplace. But I do hope they have enough capital investment so that several things can be achieved: 1) they can survive until version 3, at which time it should have found out how important flexibility is to the end-user, and it should have been able to incorporate a lot of currently-lacking notation capabilities; 2) they can realize how terrible the iLok protection scheme is and how much business they will lose (they know they'll not get any of my money, I had a lengthy exchange with them on their protection scheme) and will change their protection scheme to a software-based scheme such as what Sibelius and Finale use. I don't like them, but they don't inconvenience me (as long as the companies stay in business) and they don't cost me anything extra should I run into some sort of problem which needs re-authorization. -- David H. Bailey [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
