Steinberg Dorico Elements 6 (download)

General

A good editor for scores is worth his weight in gold. In the old days, 'engraving' was a tough education, with years of experience building up afterwards before you were allowed to start the real work. That engraving technique is the strong point of Steinberg Dorico, which is now in its sixth generation. It is one of the great notation packages, and perhaps the best - that always remains a matter of taste, of course. The visual quality is superb. Of course, this applies to the Pro version, but the smaller and more affordable Elements version is certainly not a package to look down on. Some features are very nice in the Pro version, but if you are tight on budget, then 'tis also stuff you can do well without. Pro for the professionals, Elements for simple(er) use, such as starters, music schools, music clubs and the like. What's really nice in this new editis is Exepert Eyes: a kind of proofreading. The package considers your score, and pinpoints where your choices might cause problems in practice. Think of the wrong number of beats in a measure, too little time to change instruments, adding dynamics marks and more.