Klarinet Archive - Posting 000327.txt from 1998/10

From: "David C. Blumberg" <reedman@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] re:Music notation programs-scan
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1998 22:52:23 -0400

There is also a down-side to this Midiscan/Finale agreement. Originally,
virtually all of the notation software companies were working together to
develop standards for *.nif (NIFF) files -- "NIFF" = "Notation Interchange
File Format." Then Coda (Finale) pulled out of the project, more than a year
ago, I think. I have read that it was because they did not want to reveal
any of their source code to anyone else, or cooperate in any project that
would give any other software company equal footing with them in any way.
In the meantime, Musitek/Midiscan has been active in the *.nif (NIFF)
project. Now, they also have no incentive to continue. By this move,
Musitek/Midiscan had allied their company with Coda/Finale, giving them a
ready-made new market. At the same time, Coda/Finale has effectively quashed
the NIFF movement, thus shutting out all other notation software companies.
Shrewd marketing move, but for anyone who uses any notation software other
than Finale, it is bad news.
Jim O'Briant
Bayside Music Press
Gilroy, CA

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The quality of the MND has everything to do with the quality of your
computer, and scanner (more the processing power). When I had a 200 MZ IBM,
I got quite a few mistakes. When I upgraded to a Pentium II 300 MZ, it was
a lot (A LOT) more accurate. Some pages I get are 100% first try. Before,
they were 70-75%.
Coda tried to buy Encore (Passport) when it went up on the auction block.
They probably would have crushed it like an aluminum can. Instead some
cheesy Guitar program bought Passport, and has yet to do a thing with it -
including support.
David Blumberg
reedman@-----.com
http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/Music/Blumberg.html

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