Encore is a scorewriter program for Microsoft Windows and Macintosh, popular since the 1990s. A scorewriter, or music notation program, is Software used to automate the task of writing and engraving Sheet music. Microsoft Windows is a series of Software Operating systems and Graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Macintosh, commonly nicknamed Mac is a Brand name which covers several lines of Personal computers designed developed and marketed by Apple Inc It was developed by US company Passport, then (upon Passport's demise) acquired and remarketed by GVOX. Passport Designs Inc was founded in 1980 by David Kusek. Passport was a pioneer in the field of computer music softwareand created applications for a variety of early personal "Encore" is actively updated and available for general use.
The newest version (5. 0) is scheduled in summer 2008, a release of which exists for the Mac operating system already. The Windows 5. 0x version will be released in the Summer of 2008. Encore allows for any size of orchestra up to 64 systems in the score. It is generally alleged to be simple to use, albeit verification of this claim is yet missing, due to the merits of a fast processing of operations, and simple control of many parameters with a human language dialogue principle, such as the addition of measures, before, after, or at any point in the score, the setting of velocity values for as many or few notes in any system or the entire score as desired and so forth. Its philosophy and operation make it both versatile and simple due to its suitability to quickly create and output printed notes for almost any kind of musical project adequately, if not optimally. One of the major drawbacks however, at least in the older versions (version 4. 5 and older) was the general appearance of the printed notes, the equal width of measures and the barline which did not output notes and music in a professional layout and engraving automatically. This could however be worked around by laborious control of most symbol elements on the page by the mouse.
Encore allows up to eight truly polyphonic voices in one single staff, more than most expensive programs like Finale or even Sibelius. The MIDI capabilities of Encore are one of the programs major strengths. Soundcards and MIDI hardware could be selected through a dedicated menu in the upper menu bar. Notes could be entered in realtime (recorded) through the MIDI keyboard, as well as by a combination of PC keyboard for rhythm values and MIDI keyboard for pitches, or be entered entirely via the mouse. Playback was simple and timing was unerring. Tempo adjustments of any kind can be made through a simple humanly readable dialogue, articulations (legato, staccato) can be controlled in the same way by setting the performed durations of each tone as a percentage of the face value of its note. The merits of these features make Encore an excellent tool for musicians working with (realistic) MIDI performances rather than printed pages of notes.
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Features
Composition and Transcription Features
- Notate scores as large as 64 staves per system with up to eight voices per staff.
- Cross-staff beaming extends beams across staves for multi-staff instruments.
- Guitar tablature automatically notates tabulature for up to 8 strings in any tuning with definable fret position.
- Percussion staff notates rhythms with multiple note heads and assignable staff position.
- Note duration and multiple voices are automatically "guessed" and then beamed appropriately.
- Auto spacing automatically spaces notes for easy reading.
- Additional symbols for rhythm-part chord slashes, arpeggio sign and fingering numbers.
- Insert or delete measures, pages, systems or staves anytime, anywhere in the composition.
- Transcribes Master Tracks Pro or Standard MIDI Files.
- Directly transcribes live input from MIDI instruments in real time.
- Linear view allows an entire score to be viewed as one system.
- Add guitar chord fret diagrams and chord names to your scores and lead sheets.
- Easily add a pickup measure to your score.
Editing Features
- Insert MIDI data for dynamics, controller data, and tempos.
- Customizable Toolbar for quick access to frequently used commands.
- Zoom in and out for precise control.
- Expressions palette allows you to save your own expressions in any font, size, or style.
- Guitar tablature symbols palette contains all the markings and symbols needed for notating tab.
- Slur a group of notes automatically or draw slurs with the pencil tool.
- Place objects anywhere on the page by clicking the mouse.
- Select regions, pages, staves, systems, or the entire score for editing.
- Transposition automatically affects chord symbols and fret diagrams.
- Key commands to change note durations, sharps, flats, naturals, enharmonics, and MIDI velocity.
- Transpose, change key signatures, meters, and clefs at any time.
- Display and play back nested repeat structures, including variable bar lines and multiple endings.
- Easily cut, copy, paste, clear, insert, delete, or undo notes or sections of music.
- Symbols include: notes, rests, accidentals, slurs, ties, grace notes, cue notes, tuplets, accents, marks, ornaments, ottava, and dynamics marks.
- Adjust the height and angle of beams and create Beam Groups.
- Justify spacing for both accidental collisions and proper timing alignment.
- Split notes from one staff onto two staves, either by pitch or voice.
- Select from eight note-head types, including Gregorian and percussion.
- Automatically extract parts with control over lyrics and markings.
- Enter text or lyrics anywhere on the page in any font, size, or style, including dashes and melismata.
Flexible Page Layout and Guitar Tablature Expand Your Options Encore scores can be fine-tuned with a simple move of the mouse. On-screen palettes let you enter dozens of marks and symbols. Lyrics and text are easily added. Powerful features such as page layout control, TrueType and PostScript support, polyphonic part voicing, and editable expressions palettes provide an inexhaustible set of capabilities for presenting your music on paper. Instantly transcribe your music into guitar tabulature with correct fingering and guitar fret diagrams.
MIDI Performance Features
- Plays back MIDI interpretations of dynamics, hairpins, repeats, endings, and articulations.
- OMS and built-in Mac Synthesizer support (Mac only).
- New Tempo Window, Color, Bank Select, and On-Screen Keyboard.
- Sustain pedal markings affect MIDI.
- Swing quantization gives music a swing feel.
- Tempo indications can affect playback.
- Assign up to 8 separate voices on each staff for playback over different MIDI channels.
- Align the playback to match the current graphic appearance of your music.
- Encore recognizes and generates MIDI Song Position Pointer and MIDI Clocks for syncing.
- Select any number of MIDI ports using OMS (Mac only) or up to 32 MIDI channels with other MIDI Drivers.
- Hear notes play over MIDI as you enter them with the mouse.
- MIDI Panic Button sends an "all notes off" message at any time.
Page Layout and Printing Features
- Import Encore EPS files from many popular Publishing applications.
- Choose between engraver's spacing and mathematically perfect alignment of notes.
- Measures of rest can be compressed into one measure.
- User can define global spacing defaults of staves, clefs, lyrics, chords, key, and meter.
- Reminder time signatures can be displayed or hidden.
- Use any font in your system for text, lyrics, chords, staff names, and measure numbers.
- Place headers and footers on each page.
- Print your scores using Passport's Anastasia Font on any TrueType or Postscript printer.
- Print an entire score, individual pages, or extracted parts.
- Print reduced or enlarged images or print large compositions in "tiles. "
Other Features
- Mac and Windows version share same format, files are transfer-able between platforms.
- Supports OMS for Macintosh.
- Windows Soundcard compatible
- Supports Industry Standard MIDI Files.
System Requirements for version 4. 5x
Windows: PC (with ME, 2000, or XP preferred). Windows compatible sound card for music playback; Pentium class CPU or greater; at least 32MB System RAM; SVGA video.
Macintosh: PowerMac, G3, or G4 CPU; 32MB of RAM, 16MB Hard Disk Space; Mac OS 8. 6, Mac OS 9. x, Mac OS X, X. 2 & X. 3.
External links
- Savage Classical Guitar Website
- Solanomusic.com - Example Musical partitions for Encore
- GVOX Website
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