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I read something about Harmony Assistant previously so thought I’d give it a try with the latest version. As we all know the XML exporting from Encore is rather poor but HA does a quite good, if clunky, import of Encore files – version 5 in my case. Rather than try and edit in HA (didn’t fancy learning a whole new programme) I exported an XML file from HA and it keeps most of the info including chord symbols. I then imported that into Overture 5 to see how much editing was needed. Well, rather a lot but at least it works. To be honest for the simple test file I started with it would have been quicker to just make a new version in Overture but for a more complex score it might have saved a reasonable amount of time rather than starting from scratch.
In my case I don’t really need it since I can still use Encore on an older Mac Mini, or it also works well enough in Windows 11 in Parallels Desktop on my newer M1 Mac. I’m still hoping that Overture will ultimately be able to import Encore files (as well as the new Encore when it arrives) but for someone who has files but can’t run Encore anymore Harmony Assistant seems to be a partial, if time consuming possibility. The XML files also opened quite well in Musescore 4 if that helps.
Just some thoughts, but I’m still hoping for the new Encore 6 to arrive soon!
The opinions on the value and quality of this “Encore import into Harmony Assistant are not unanimous.
I guess it must depend on each one”s methodology abd standards on creating scores.Now, Myriad (HA’s publisher) has announced some improvenments for the next delivery, but I have no idea yet of which deficiencies that addresses.
As far as I can tell, Myriad is using the same implementation of MusicXML 3.0 in both Harmony Assistant and PDFtoMusic Pro. It does work but not very well. It’s above terrible and below horrible.
Don spend a long time and many builds getting Overture to handle MusicXML 3.0 as well as it does which is pretty good. Just yesterday, I exported a score I did in Overture 5 and it opened up perfectly in Finale 27.4.1. I also tried a MIDI export/import with the same level of success but without lyrics, of course.
Contrary to popular belief, MusicXML is not something that one just adds to an application—would be nice if it were. It is a developers’ toolkit. How well it works is wholly dependent on how well an app’s developers integrate it.
Finale, for example is the MusicXML standard since MakeMusic bought Recordare and made its owner, Michael Good—the inventor of MusicXML, a MM vice president (2012?). He and he and his team are responsible for every version since up through the release of 4.0. Mr. Good retired before MM discontinued Finale last year and has a non-compete clause with a few more years on it as I understand it. We’ve known each other since 1979 and have worked on shows together as recently as last year.
A good MusicXML importer is the one that reasonably handles and fixes the flaws introduced by any MusicXML exporter.
Exagerated? a little bit, but the truth isn’ far from that.
When you publish a song, or a symphony, you create and publish an XML export and a PDF. And I’ll take it for granted that you have checked that the PDF is to your wishes, and (I’m an optimistic by nature) you check that your music editor imports that XML file, good enough to your wishes (there are surprises).
I download these files, and import it into my music editor, and for instance run a PDF. I then compare both pdfs, and I find out differences (flaws). Let’s say bad enough ones to worry. So, I’ll submit the files to the support line of my music editor. They may change the code of their product, and I’ll be happy; and they’ll be happy to have a happy customer.
But the flaw was in the export ou four music editor. I will generally not know. And I don’t even know which editor you were using; even if I knew (or know how to find out), I’m not their customer, and don’t have access to their support line.
And frankly, generally no one will know where the culprit is; no one is able to write a totally bugproof exporter, nor a bugproof importer either.
As a guess, a developer will introduce as many bugs in the exporter as in the importer. But he will receive many more error reports towards the importer that towards the exporter. And half of these will really address bugs in the importer, another half will address bugs of the other’s exporter.
The dominant exporter will soon make the law, and the whole will soon become a mess.Nowadays, the dominant exporter is no longer Finale, but has become MuseScore. I see from the Myriad forum that most of the problems users talk about are these they have when importing MuseScore generated XML, and a lot of effort is put into the “acceptance” of these exports.
And since the owner of MuseScore is not a neutral body, I’m not optimistic for what that will become.Nowadays, the dominant exporter is no longer Finale, but has become MuseScore.
I assume that, by dominant, you are referring to the numbers of scores being converted and complaints being lodged. If so, this is correct. MuseScore now supports MusicXML 4.0 as does Dorico. The implementation is not as good as Finale’s, still the only one with a complete integration of 4.0 — well, Sibelius uses a 4.0 converter (the free Dolet 8 plug-in) from MakeMusic written before Mr. Good retired so it should be completely compatible.
I use Myriad’s PFDtoMusic Pro for converting Encore files. As far as I can tell, it uses MusicXML 3.0 although the last announcement from Myriad was that they were implementing 2.0 but that was years ago.
This is the problem. Finale users can select the version of MusicXML for export from 1.0–4.0. Can’t be done in MuseScore 4.x. as xml 4.0 is the only choice. Until PFDtoMusic Pro and Harmony Assistant adopt 4.0, that problem will remain. Neither can handle dashed(dotted) slurs and if you see those, give it up and enter by hand to save time. I speak from experience.
Although MakeMusic owns MusicXML, the developer’s toolkit is free. I’ve no idea if MM still has an engineering team to assist 3rd party developers but in any case, Myriad needs to get off their collective butts if this problem is to be solved.
Back to Encore. The Win version of E5 supports xml 1.1 while the Mac version supports 1.3. MusicXML export is kind of ridiculous. Not so with PDF. By having printed all of my Encore files to PDF, they all convert ok in PFDtoMusic Pro. Its Lyrics handling is not great and Text elements always wind up in the wrong place but those can be dragged around.
I still consider Harmony Assistant @ $95 to be a waste of money but PFDtoMusic Pro @ $199 to be a time saver and hope that it gets good someday.
`”I still consider Harmony Assistant @ $95 to be a waste of money…”
I couldn’t disagree more with that statement. I maintain that if you have a Ferrari but don’t know how to drive it, you’ll either walk or buy another car that you’re capable of driving. I’ve been a user of Overture (for 15 years) and H.A. (also PDF to Music Pro). I can assure you that I’ve gotten extraordinary performance out of H.A. Not only because of my knowledge of it (20 years of use) but also because of its capabilities. I recognize that it’s not a visually appealing program, but if you master it well, you can achieve (almost) anything. It still has four flaws that are calamities that Myridad hasn’t been able (or hasn’t bothered) to resolve.
And I conclude: H.A. is undervalued by many people due to a lack of in-depth knowledge of the program and its wonderful suite of satellite programs.
Oh, and very few users are as critical of its development as I am. I also greatly appreciate that the official website has a blog where they communicate almost daily updates on the progress and issues with their products. It’s a far cry from the constant runaround we get from the developers of Overture/Encore!
Some of us, I think, are masochists…Arie,
I think that Mike has said that within a perspective of migration encore files onto some other music editor.One could still argue that “Harmony Assistant + PDFtoMusic (std)” costs 15% less than PDFtoMusic Pro, but having a single product to deal with may very well be worth that difference. And the need to get familiar with “score editing” in Harmony Assistant should not be overlooked.
This doesn’t mean that Harmony Assistant, together with Virtual Singer and potentially other companion products, would not be worth it’s price, for users who wouldn’t limit their objectives to create a nice printable score. I use it essentially to provide choir members with training aids in several formats, mainly “score to screen” ones, which they generally use together with a printed score from the marketplace.
This is the problem. Finale users can select the version of MusicXML for export from 1.0–4.0. Can’t be done in MuseScore 4.x. as xml 4.0 is the only choice. Until PFDtoMusic Pro and Harmony Assistant adopt 4.0, that problem will remain. Neither can handle dashed(dotted) slurs and if you see those, give it up and enter by hand to save time. I speak from experience.
Mike, don’t confuse the abilities of a certain level of MusicXML with the import or export correctness of the implementation.
While for sure MusicXML 1.x is quite elementary and outdated, the difficulties that users with MusicXML 2 encounter when importing MusicXML 4 files is not, basically, related to these level differences. Functions that MuseScore includes would just be ignored.
The main problem is that, withing the functions supported by level 2, there are bugs in the export correctness, or in the import correctness, or most probably in both.
A level upgrade isn’t per se a maintenance release.
And the issue I wanted to point out – and it would be the same if all the products were at the same highest functional level – is that bugs left in an exporter (which software has no bugs?) have an extreme risk to be compensated at the importer’s site, since the export bugs are discovered by the importer (who as a user cannot make the difference) and can only turn towards the importer’s software support.Mike, don’t confuse the abilities of a certain level of MusicXML with the import or export correctness of the implementation.
Who’s confused? All one has to do is read the release notes of MusicXML to know what the various builds can and cannot do. Unfortunately, this board does not let me include links.
Until Myriad gets off their butts and implements MusicXML 4.0, the myriad of problems (pun intended) encountered by MuseScore users cannot be fixed. You can Google Michael Good’s change log by looking for The MusicXML version history is now published in the MusicXML 4.0 Community Report which will take you to a MakeMusic page with a good link..
One could still argue that “Harmony Assistant + PDFtoMusic (std)” costs 15% less than PDFtoMusic Pro,…
And the need to get familiar with “score editing” in Harmony Assistant should not be overlooked.So what? Neither app is useful to me. Using both is just a way to waste more time. Score editing in Harmony Assistant? Not for the work I do. My score editing is done in Finale.
PDFtoMusic Pro saves me time on occasion which is why it’s worth the $199. Although pretty good with Encore files, it’s useful only about 1/3 the time. It can’t read a lot of music fonts used in newer apps and just makes a mess of those. It’s faster if I delete text and re-enter by hand. This is not the same as pdf files with no font info that it’s never been able to read. I have SmartScore 64 NE Pro for those.
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