Encore 4.5.5 Review

Editor’s Note: This product has been removed from our side-by-side comparison because it is no longer available.

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Editor’s Note: This product has been removed from our side-by-side comparison because it is no longer available. You can still read our original review below, but Top Ten Reviews is no longer updating this product’s information.

Those who dabble in music notation may be interested in Encore. This software package provides a simple way of notating and editing music and creating original scores of melodies.

Encore does not offer some of the advanced features the top ranked products offer such as a mixer and time display.

Encore has a strong feature set including guitar tablature notation and the ability to view notes in real-time as you input music from a MIDI device.

The 64 staves per system give the average composer enough room to notate all of their instruments.

We were surprised that a high-caliber program like Encore doesn't have a time display used to keep track of the time while the score is playing and also show where selected notes are at in the score.

Encore has a unique feature that displays a keyboard window used to enter notes by clicking on the keyboard.

We had some minor difficulties with the step-time using a MIDI keyboard, but the real-time entry from the MIDI keyboard was straightforward.

As with most notation software, the input and output settings of the MIDI device must be set correctly for the notation to work.

The editing tools in Encore can delete, copy and replace notes, but having a mixer and control editor would be helpful in creating and listening to a song.

Encore provides many consumers with all of the tools they need to notate music. On the other hand, if you're serious about music notation and composition, you may want a program that has a mixer and the ability to import WAV files. Don't forget to view our other top-rated music notation software reviews such as MagicScore Maestro.

Billy Bommer

Billy Bommer is a former Top Ten Reviews writer who now works as a technical advisor at Best Buy. He's a keen sax player, and lives in Utah. Billy also has a BS from Weber State University in Communications and Media Studies. His areas of expertise are diverse, and he has a particular passion for AV and audio tech.