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All-in-one software for composing, playing and printing music

All-in-one software for composing, playing and printing music

Vote: (19 votes)

Program license: Trial version

Developer: Myriad Online

Version: 9.6.3h

Works under: Windows

Also available for Mac

Vote:

Program license

(19 votes)

Trial version

Developer

Version

Myriad Online

9.6.3h

Works under:

Also available for

Windows

Mac

Comprehensive Music Composition and Notation Software

Harmony Assistant is a versatile music composition and notation program that serves as a virtual sandbox for musicians, composers, and arrangers. With an extensive set of tools at the user's disposal, Harmony Assistant is designed to facilitate the creation, editing, and playback of music scores with a level of detail that can satisfy both amateur enthusiasts and professional composers.

Robust Feature Set for Creative Exploration

The software boasts a wealth of features that cater to a wide range of musical needs. One of the highlights is its Virtual Singer module, which has seen significant improvements in its performance, especially with melisma execution. This enables users to generate realistic vocal tracks with synthesized voices, a feature that can be particularly useful when working on choral arrangements or when needing to hear an approximation of the vocal parts in a composition.

Another important feature is the ability to export music into various formats, such as the MU3 format. Users can confidently save their compositions without concern for data loss or corruption, which ensures the seamless transfer of work between different applications or platforms.

Enhanced Usability and Notation Clarity

Harmony Assistant has also made strides in usability with fixes to specific bugs. Earlier issues, such as crashes during staff splitting as per certain rules or stem size inconsistencies on guitar tablature, have been addressed and resolved, allowing a smoother workflow and clearer notation for users. Enhanced dot placement on rhythmic guitar tablatures enhances readability and precision, further polishing the experience of crafting guitar scores.

In terms of performance, Harmony Assistant ensures that note delays are executed correctly, which is critical for creating music with precise timing and dynamics. Additionally, improvements in MIDI export functionality have been implemented, resolving issues where some note durations would slow down the export process or cause crashes, which reinforces the program's reliability for professional use.

Import and Export Functionality

Regarding score importation, Harmony Assistant now offers more stable integration with files from other music software, like Finale. Its improved import features help mitigate the risk of importing improper characters, which could previously disrupt the score processing. This attention to detail underscores Harmony Assistant's commitment to compatibility and seamless integration with other industry-standard tools.

MusicXML export functionality has also received attention, ensuring that elements like stem sizes on secondary staves in grouped instruments, such as the piano bass staff, are properly saved. This enhancement is yet another nod to the software's dedication to ensuring a frictionless exchange of musical data across different platforms and applications.

Platform-Specific Adjustments

While Harmony Assistant is primarily a Windows application, attention has been given to ensure that Macintosh users also benefit from pertinent improvements. This includes fixing Unicode field input issues, which enhances the overall user experience for Mac users and ensures consistent performance across different operating systems.

Pros

  • Virtual Singer module for realistic vocal synthesis
  • Suitable for a wide range of musical tasks from notation to composition
  • Improved import and export features, including support for various file formats
  • Fixes and updates for enhanced stability and usability
  • Multi-platform support for both Windows and Macintosh users

Cons

  • The complexity of features may be overwhelming for new users
  • Might require a learning curve to fully exploit the software's capabilities

Harmony Assistant continues to be a robust ally for music creators, offering a comprehensive toolset enhanced by thoughtful updates and fixes. With its improved performance and seamless format compatibility, it stands out as a reliable choice for both casual composers and music industry professionals seeking a powerful scoring and composition software.