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Leone's MusicReader is an excellent study in sheet music software. It offers the advanced annotating and editing capabilities of electronic sheet music in a format that can be optimized for performance or composition. To that end, it's designed to work with digital pens, touch screens, and Tablet PCs as well as laptops and desktops, with options designed for a variety of hardware configurations and environments.
MusicReader's extensive yet polite installer asks before installing extra features, such as print drivers and support for Tablet PCs, which are welcome options that not everyone will need. The installer also asks if you want to create a sheet music directory in Windows. The installation includes MusicConvert, a standalone utility for formatting and converting sheet music that can automatically save converted files in MusicReader's sheet music database. During installation, MusicReader also tests your screen's ability to rotate its display 90 degrees, from the typical landscape to portrait orientation, and when you first run the software, you're presented with five screen-orientation options. We chose the double-page view, which seemed well suited for a wide-screen LCD. Aside from an icon-based toolbar, MusicReader's interface is quite different from all other programs we've tested, with actual descriptions of each function written out in an elegant script. Nearly everything you need is right on the start page. Large bar controls toggle screen display functions like zoom and maximize/minimize. We like the optional, natural-feeling page-turning effects, similar to the increasingly popular electronic readers, with the added advantage of being totally silent in action, something any musician who's ever dropped a sheaf of sheet music during a performance can also appreciate.
This unusual but unique and effective software earns our eager recommendation. Though it's optimized for sheet music, it's hardly a one-trick pony, with easy-to-personalize features that can benefit everyone in the musical chain, from composer to arranger to conductor and performer, on stage or in the studio.
Editors' note: This is a review of the full version of MusicReader Solo Pro 3.55. The trial version has the following limitations: 21/30 days and 15 minutes notice.
Publisher's Description
From Leone MusicReader:
MusicReader is innovative software that makes reading music easy and convenient. The software offers solutions for all kinds of problems musicians have with (paper) sheet music, both individually and in orchestras and ensembles. This includes easy page turning, a convenient music library and flexible annotation making. MusicReader also anticipates on the developments of sheet music offered online.
Digital sheet music can easily be converted to MusicReader and paper sheet music can also be digitized by using an easy to use scanning and conversion program. MusicReader runs on all Windows XP and Vista laptops and desktops, but is especially designed for the use of pen and touch screens, such as on Tablet PCs. MusicReader also offers a variety of hardware options to make the use of the software even more convenient.
What's new in this version: Version 4.9 has improved library indexing and image import in Music Convert.
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"Still looking for a good PC sheet music reading SW."
Version: MusicReader 3.55
Pros
Once you get past the conversion process (not so easy), the title bar and the selection of the song in the title bar is good.
Cons
Review must have been written by the person who designed this product! Product doesn't have the typical PC tool bar at the top. Easy to convert .pdf would be drag and drop, but no - they have 2 programs - a conversion and a reader program - WHY
Summary
The program converts the .pdf to a .mrs file. I created a folder containing several .mrs files. In the PC world I could open the program, goto file and open, but that doesn't exist in this program. I also tried in the reader settings, files and library and changed the directory (a pc function). It said it did exist - but the files were there. Well easy - definitely not!! Functional - maybe, if I could get it working. If anybody out there knows of some good PC software for reading pdf file, please post.
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