Additional Information about SongWriter 2007 for Windows

SongWriter 2007 Read Me, January 2007 Copyright 2007, MakeMusic, Inc. Congratulations on your purchase of SongWriter 2007 for Windows! IMPORTANT: Read this document before you begin working with SongWriter 2007 and print a copy of it to keep with your SongWriter information. This file contains important information about SongWriter 2007 not included in the User Manual as well as information about converting older files into the new version's format. Please note that SongWriter 2007 files cannot be opened in previous versions of SongWriter. This document is organized by each version's changes; those of you already familiar with earlier versions may wish to read only the new information. The Read Me contains the following sections: Running SongWriter 2007 New features in SongWriter 2007 You may also visit our web site, www.finalemusic.com for updated information about SongWriter and information on new releases.

Running SongWriter 2007

Installing SongWriter 2007 on Windows 2000/XP If a previous version of SongWriter has been installed on the machine, SongWriter 2007 recommends that you restart your computer and log on as System Administrator before installing on Windows 2000/XP systems. This will prevent erroneous font warnings. We recommend that you install SongWriter, and any other software, when logged in as System Administrator. If you encounter problems during installation, we recommend that you turn off any programs running in the background, as virus detectors can often prevent SongWriter from installing necessary files and updating the registry. Rest assured, your SongWriter CD does not contain any viruses. To turn off all programs running in the background: Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete, then click on Task Manager. This lists every process that is running on the system. Explorer and Systray are always running, so leave them alone. If you see anything other than those two, click on any one of the others and click End Task. When that goes away, press Ctrl-Alt-Delete again and End Task on another one in the list. (If a program remains on the list after you have tried to End Task on it, click on it, click and hold on End Task for 10 seconds, then release it. If a "This program is not responding..." message appears, click End Task in it). Repeat the process until only Explorer and Systray are left. Some computers may have some other "required" programs - if Ending Task on a program crashes the computer, try again without Ending Task on that program. Authorizing SongWriter 2007

The first time you launch SongWriter, you will be prompted to authorize. To authorize a single copy of SongWriter, click Authorize Now! to open the Authorization Wizard (or, from the Help Menu, choose Authorize SongWriter). Then follow the instructions to authorize your copy of SongWriter via the Internet, phone, or mail. If you choose not to authorize, you will be prompted to do so each time you launch SongWriter. If you do not register within thirty days, printing and saving are disabled until you choose to authorize. Note that the User/Authorization Codes are computer specific, and will only work on the given computer/operating system installation. Make sure that the Authorization Code is typed in using capital letters, and also verify that the correct serial number has been entered. Your copy of SongWriter can be authorized on only one computer/operating system at a time, but with an Internet connection, authorization can be moved from one computer/operating system to another at will. Simply choose Deauthorize SongWriter from the Help Menu to open up a free slot. Your copy of Finale SongWriter can now be authorized on a different computer. If you make a change to the computer (such as replacing the hard drive or motherboard, or installing a new operating system), then you will need to reauthorize the installation. If you have already installed and authorized, you will need to contact Customer Service directly by phone, FAX or standard mail with your serial number and the location ID for the specific installation in question, and one of our representatives can clear the previous authorization from your account. If the software is not "reminding" you to authorize when you run the program, then the registration/authorization has been successfully completed. Starting SongWriter 2007 - DLLs Most applications (including MakeMusic products) require a set of files, the Microsoft redistributables, in order to work successfully on your system. These redistributable files are normally already present on most systems and are not generally included in application setup/install scripts - doing so would add about 1.5 MB to the size of the package, and cause a longer installation process. More importantly, as these files are constantly updated by Microsoft and are operating-system specific, including these files in an application installer could result in incorrect files being added in your system and subsequent problems. In rare cases these files may be missing or out of date on your system. In this case an error will be reported when you start the program. Here are some examples of the errors that could be reported: If the files are missing... 'The dynamic link library MSVCP60.DLL could not be found in the specified path...' or 'The dynamic link library MSVCRT.DLL could not be found in the specified path...' If the files are out of date... 'The OCXTS.EXE file is linked to missing export MFC42.DLL:6880.' If you see one of these messages, visit www.microsoft.com for more information regarding these files and how to restore them. User Manual For full documentation on how to run SongWriter 2007, see the User Manual. To access the User Manual, choose the Help menu, then User Manual, then Table of Contents. Document Menu

The Options Menu has been removed. Most items previously available under the Options Menu can now be found under the Document Menu. Look for the remaining items under the Edit and MIDI Menus. Linked Parts Relationship in SongWriter SongWriter 2007 does not include the Linked Parts feature available in Finale 2007. SongWriter can, however, open any file created in Finale 2007 including those containing linked parts. When doing so, the linked parts are invisible and changes to broken (unlinked items) in parts are unavailable completely. Changes to the score that apply to parts, such as changing pitches or moving linked expressions, do apply to parts as they would if you were editing the score in Finale 2007. When the SongWriter file is saved and reopened in Finale 2007, the linked parts can be viewed and edited as usual. Sharing SongWriter Documents Online Finale NotePad provides a free, reliable, and easy way to view and playback Finale documents downloaded from the Internet. To open a Finale (MUS) file available at Finale Showcase, or another online resource, viewers now need to simply download the file to their local machine and then open it in Finale NotePad. This means all Finale family files posted on the Internet are available for viewing on all machines. Finale NotePad is available for download free of charge at www.finalemusic.com/notepad. (NotePad 2007 will open files saved in any SongWriter version 2007 or earlier.) Contacting Customer Support For customer support, visit http://support.makemusic.com. Converting SongWriter 2005 documents into SongWriter 2007 documents SongWriter 2007 has a different file format than earlier versions, and converts older files to the new format when you open them in SongWriter 2007. You should be aware of the following points: Opening old documents SongWriter 2007 will open and convert older versions' documents, giving them the default title "UNTITLED.MUS." We recommend saving a newly converted document with a different name than the original file, keeping the older unconverted file as a backup. If you do want to save the file using the same name, choose Save As from the File menu. SongWriter displays the original file name, so you can click OK to rewrite over the old file. Running older versions of SongWriter SongWriter 2005 for Windows or Macintosh cannot open any SongWriter 2007 file, except Standard MIDI Files. To open SongWriter files, your SongWriter application must have the same (or later) version number. (Note that all SongWriter files can be opened with the free, downloadable Finale NotePad available at www.finalemusic.com/notepad.)

New Features in SongWriter 2007

New Instrument List Controls. You can now audition real-time changes to volume, panning, and instruments with controls added to the instrument list.

More Instrument Choices. Marching percussion instruments are now available in the Setup Wizard.

Reverb. Customize the room size and level to specify the overall reverb effect of playback. Improved Playback Controls. SongWriters Playback Controls have been enhanced with a repeat pass indicator and improved counter.

Human Playback Improvements. SongWriter interprets and performs your music better than ever with updated Human Playback. Automatically Fit Music to a Printed Page. SongWriter automatically resizes your music to fit on the printed page. Portable Authorization. Your SongWriter authorization can now be transferred easily from one computer to another using new Authorize and Deauthorize options under the Help Menu. Key Signature Contextual Menu. While using the Key Signature Tool, simply right-click a measure to choose from a list of several common key signatures. Create Coda Systems Automatically with the Create Coda System Plug-in. Isolate a separate coda system, generate coda markings, and even define a coda for playback with this powerful utility. Textured Manuscript Background. SongWriter now features a textured manuscript paper backgound. Easier on the eyes after long hours. Import and export MusicXML files. Save your score in MusicXML format, or import MusicXML into an empty document. Display in Concert Pitch Warning. If you choose to print parts for your brass quintet in concert pitch, SongWriter now reminds you the music is not prepared for transposing instruments.

Improved Pickup Measures. With enhanced support for tuplets and copying, working with pickup measures is easier than ever. Instrument staves are now set to consecutive channels automatically. Instruments are now set to consecutive channels when added which improves playback integrity and control. New QuickStart Videos. SongWriters QuickStart Videos have been updated with a new look and additional content to get you up and running even faster.