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Encore 5 runs far, far better over Mojave than High Sierra. Richard and I went back and forth over the High Sierra issues with him blaming Apple — he was right.
If your Mac was first built 2012–2018, it can run Mojave on an APFS Volume (the 2012 Mac Pro 5.1 must have a Metal Graphics GPU—all other 2012 Macs have it). The key is the year of introduction—the iMac Pro, for example, was still being built in 2020 but it’s officially a 2017 Mac as that was the year it was introduced. Macs introduced earlier or later cannot do this unless running Virtual Machine on a later Intel Mac.
I have a pair of 2012 MacBook Pros running Mojave. Both have been upgraded to SSDs replacing the original mechanical hard drives—an easy, inexpensive DIY upgrade that makes them run much faster.
If I had the desk space, I’d add the least expensive iMac Pro but my MBPs do get the job done. The ones I owned were great machines but I have moved on to a M2 Studio Ultra for my day-to-day.
I only know of Harmony Assistant (Myriad) which has an import function for MTD/Encore files. Developped at Encore 4 time-frame, and slightly modified more than 10 years ago to open Encore 5 files. Depending on the file complexity, it can do a good job (particularly on E4) or be very poor…
Very poor has been my experience, especially with regards to lyrics and expressions. I don’t like the workflow and cannot recommend spending the money. It’s available for a free evaluation, however, so don’t just take my word for it.
I’ve had much greater success with another Myriad product, PDFtoMusic Pro. Export as MusicXML 3 which handles expressions and lyrics, neither of which Encore’s xml export can handle. Open the resulting file in any modern notation app including MuseScore and edit the results. For it to work, you must have saved your Encore file to PDF. If an expression is positioned too close to another element, it will confuse the app but that’s what editing is for. Again, it’s available for evaluation without time limit.
During the Evaluation period, PDFtoMusic Pro will export only one page. Some get around this by exporting single pages as pdf and converting one at a time. There’s an equally cumbersome workflow to re-assemble in Finale. I can detail it if anyone needs.
I have extracted all of the font installers from Encore 5 for Mac and have emailed them to Andre. If anyone emails me, I can also reply and attach them. Decode the following: l o w f l a t (at) a o l dot c o m. Please put something in the title that lets me know you haven’t sent me spam like, I need encore fonts.
These will install properly over the latest macOS but this does not mean that they will work. The actual font name for Anastasia and other Encore fonts has changed over the years, in addition, the old ones installed in a different directory than now. I am hoping that, since it’s an EPS file that you want to read in Adobe, this will work. Again, to install, double-click on each font to open, them click Install.
If there are macOS Security issues, post them here—I know the workarounds.
Please let us know if this works for you.
Mike
Andre is right that an old license code from the 1990s will not activate Encore 5 — won’t activate 3 or 4 either, also paid upgrades.
With Encore 5, Anastasia is now five fonts plus a suitcase. One of them, Anastasia -extended-.ttf installs as Anastasia. You’ll want to install them all, of course. I just pulled the installers off my 2012 MBP and verified that they will install over Sequoia. I will zip all the Encore 5.0.7 fonts for Mac and send them to Andre. Double-click on each package to open, click on Install.
The last macOS capable of running 5 is Mojave which requires a Mac with Metal graphics made between 2012–2018. Nothing newer or older will run it. The ‘90s requires a Mac running OS 9. A G4 can be used to open old enough files in 4.5.5 over OS 9, then boot into OS 10.4 Tiger to open and resave those files again. Encore 5.04 can open and save them again. Now, you can load them onto a USB stick and open them in 5.0.7.
I was able to do this before my wife threw away my G4 during an office remodel. Though I still have the installers and licenses, I have no desire to get another G4. Since I have no installed versions of 1—4, I no longer recall how to copy the font installers from those ancient versions.
None of us know if the much anticipated Encore 6 will open files predating Encore 5. It will be nice if it does.
Obsolete is definitely the right word for a computer that is swelling (battery?) over the years…
Huh? I just caught that.
There is no Mac I know with a battery that cannot be replaced. Sometimes, the batteries swell so badly that they take out the motherboard and keyboard in addition to being a fire hazard. Batteries are available on Amazon but the ones with the best warranties come from OWC. If a portable made 2013 or later, you’ll need an inexpensive tool kit to get the right screwdrivers. Any ribbon cable between the battery and case should also be replaced as they get brittle with age and go bad on removal. I’ve done hundreds.
Encore 5.0.7 for the Mac runs best over Mojave on every Mac introduced 2012–2018. These still support Time Machine, too. My Encore machines are a pair of 2012 MacBook Pros with SSDs replacing the mechanical hard drives.
Both have recent batteries and new BT/Wifi cables, the ones that run between the back cover and battery. My daughter’s 2015 has a keyboard cable in the same location and it had to be replaced as well.
Win 11 has been problematic but I remember reading that someone was successful. No idea how. My last Win machine ran 7 and I gave that away a few years ago.
And Encore 4?
Yeah, converting those old files was lots of fun on the Mac and required a G4 that could dual-boot into OS 9 and 10.4, then another that could boot into 10.6. I was doing this for a number of users before my wife threw out my G4 during an office remodel.
Any Mac built between 2012–2018 can run Encore 5.0.7 (5.0.6 1333m) over Mojave. This was the best version and ideal macOS for the old Encore.
5.0.4 was the last, best build for Windows.
Andre and I know how to get you up and running but if we don’t know your hardware and OS, there’s little that we can do.
I can confirm that an update to MTP is on Don’s list. Encore 6 is the top priority, however, followed by an update of Overture 5.
Overture 5 includes MTP functionality but does not open the older files. It may happen that a future Overture update will be able to do this.
I’m hoping that you have this resolved. If not, feel free to email me or Andre for a download link. Like everyone, I get tons of junk mail but I do check my spam filters. Please put something in the title like “Need Encore Link” so that I don’t delete requests accidentally. The folder contains Mac and Windows versions plus some troubleshooting documents that I got from Richard a lifetime ago.
Specific support questions for these old versions should be asked on this forum so that the questions and answers benefit everyone. Since I haven’t owned a Windows computer in years, I tend to answer Mac questions only.
is there any chance that Encore will open Overture files directly or will it be necessary to use the MusicXml format?
Don and I have been discussing the logistics for the upcoming Encore 6 release and this question came up. Overture has more functionality than Encore. There are plans for an Overture update that will open Encore files but Encore 6 will be released first.
Encore 6 is coming along and I’m getting excited. When he asked what app I use for quick choral, praise band, lead sheets and Christmas charts, I answered that I open my 2012 MacBook Pro and do them in Encore 5.
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I discovered an (apparently) amateur program (Harmony Assistant).
I tried it recently. Unlike the constant suggestions on the old board, I see that this version actually opens Encore 5 files with much of the information intact.
I’m glad you like it but there are way too many deficiencies for me to be able to stand it. It’s less work to open PDFs of my Encore files in PDFtoMusic Pro 2 and export to Finale via MusicXML 3.0 than it is to correct/edit my scores in Harmony Assistant and go from there—way too fiddly for me. The $95 price is the only thing that I liked about it.
I am still looking forward to Encore 6 and hope that I can do my next Christmas Book in it. For that, lead sheets and my choral work, Finale is way overkill but Harmony Assistant ain’t it for me.
