Tools, Tech and Tips

I get asked a lot about what tools or tech we use here in the shop at Engraver’s Mark Music or requests from new music engravers, orchestrators and alike about what tools they need in their office to get up to speed.  Well, there are a lot of different resources, how-to’s, and opinions out there on what you need or what is worth your time and money.  What works best for you may not work as well or be as valuable to others (see my review of the JetStream Finale controller for a fine example of what I mean).

What I can say is after 15+ years of music engraving, editing and printing, there are some important/essential tools that I feel anyone in this field should have.  It’s actually not that much so don’t get too concerned!  If you want a blog about the different music sample libraries to spend thousands of dollars on, this is not it. 
 
Ok, so here’s my list of essential tools for everyone:

1. Whatever computer system you are using, PC or Mac, just be super comfortable with it.  There is a tendency in the music world to have everything on Mac, but it really does not need to be and there are advantages and disadvantages to both platforms.  (see my previous blog post on this very topic).  Whether one works for you, use that.

 

1. Have a good online, real-time hard drive back up software.  This is a must; its cheap and easy and there is really no excuse.  Hard drives are more stable and better than ever, but they still fail and just having a local drive to back up to is not enough.  What if you forget one day and you lost an entire day’s worth of work?  We use BackBlaze at the office and its amazing!  (Click here to check it out).  BackBlaze has been a great tool (even beyond just backing up file) for my team when occasionally we are in studio and we need another file from a random project and do not have it on either Dropbox or Box, we can access it through our BackBlaze account online and get it. 

 

1. A good midi keyboard.  We use an 88-key M-Audio controller at the office.  It is a simple, non-weighted key controller and you can usually find them for around $200 new.  You really do not need more than that.  When I’m in the studio I have a MidiPlus 32-key (check it out on amazon here).  While not the prettiest small controller out there, it works great, has lots of useful and features, and if it breaks, its only around $40 instead of well over $100 like most of the smaller midi controllers I’ve seen.

 

1. A good set of headphones and/or speakers for transcriptions.  There are so many options here and I could go on for days, but again, there are plenty of options, especially for headphones that are less than $100 and work perfectly fine. 

 

1. A really good computer monitor.  Yes, you can work on a laptop for hours and hours on a 15in screen, but it just isn’t ideal for music engraving.  I prefer something around 24in if not bigger.  I use a 32in monitor or bigger at the office depending on the workstation I’m using.  Just give your eyes a chance to see all those small details or multiple pages at once in good detail and it will make a big difference in your workflow and accuracy.

 
These tools are really all the basics that you need.  There are dozens of other tools and tech you can get into like the Elgato StreamDeck, Keyboard Maestro, AutoHotKey, and others that can make you more efficient “power-user” for Finale, Sibelius or Dorico.  Again, all these tools are great and provide amazing functionality, but they are not essential. 
 
In addition to these tools, here are some of the digital resources I follow to help me learn more about the latest ideas and tools in the industry:

1. Conquering Finale – a great blog with tools and tips for Finale.  Jason is a true master.
2. Scoring Notes – originally a Sibelius blog, but now if has posts about Finale, Dorico and many other music notation topics.  A must read for the music notation geeks like us.
3. Of Note – another great site with tons of blogs and resources.
4. Finale Superuser – a very well-produced YouTube channel with finale tips and other resources.  I have really enjoyed this.
5. Lightening Sibelius – This in an amazing video series for Sibelius with some super helpful tools and tips.  I learned a lot from this.

 
As part of your New Year’s Resolutions, check out all these different resources and tips and try some new ideas and tech!  This is a great time to evaluate your workflows and make the changes that will save you time and frustration. 

If you need any help or advice, get in touch with us here and we will be happy to assist and guide you.  Also, if you are interested in one-on-one Finale instruction, we offer custom tailored lessons to your specific needs for $30 per half-hour, or $50 per hour. Just reach out to us and we will take care of everything!