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Topic: Mac Users -- Is Harmony Assistant what you're looking for? (Read 9026 times) previous topic - next topic

Mac Users -- Is Harmony Assistant what you're looking for?

I have seen the many threads here, regarding the lack of Mac support.

I stumbled into viewing and playing .nwc scores that I have downloaded on a hymn website, only because I happened to have a version of Harmony Assistant installed.  I recently downloaded Note Worthy files and opened them with no problem.  When I deleted it after evaluating notation apps., my .nwc capability disappeared.

H. A. is able to play the .nwc score as if it was a midi file.  You download the full version, and if you negotiate all the pop-ups, you can have a look at an .nwc file as a free evaluation.

I also discovered today that I'm not able to open .nwc files in Finale.  In considering which notation application to buy, this previously unrealised advantage makes Harmony Assistant look attractive to me.  Though .nwc scores are not perfect -- the author text gets smashed together -- I'm beginning to download scores and see a need for H. A.

I tried to edit one of the scores.  I was able to delete notes in a bar, but because I don't understand H. A., I wasn't able to drag notes on the staves.  There may be a way to work with .nwc files, but I'm not experienced enough to say at this point.

Hope this helps some of you out.

Re: Mac Users -- Is Harmony Assistant what you're looking for?

Reply #1 –
I think NWC was designed for Windows, so it's fascinating to me that you can use it with HA, on a Mac. 

I have several friends who have Macs, and it would be nice to send them NWC files from time to time.

Please keep us posted about your experiences.

Re: Mac Users -- Is Harmony Assistant what you're looking for?

Reply #2 –
That's actually very interesting news for me.
I'm growing tired of Windows, and am very attracted to the style of OS-X.
What's been holding me back for several years has been the potential loss of a fine piece of musical notation software if I move to a Mac (unless I make a dual boot system...).

Re: Mac Users -- Is Harmony Assistant what you're looking for?

Reply #3 –
From reading this thread I was tempted to download Harmony Assistant.
I rather wish I hadn't!  Compared with the NWC programs this looks far, far, too complicatred. And it still needs other programs to actually read a score.

Tony

Re: Mac Users -- Is Harmony Assistant what you're looking for?

Reply #4 –
Andrew,
For you, the answer is "find an old laptop with Windows, preferably with XP on it. Get a memory stick that's usable on Windows and on Mac. Failing that, install an external floppy. This is for occasional data transfer. Never upgrade this Windows thing anymore (only get new versions of NWC2 - use the memory stick!) and never connect it to the Internet anymore. That way, you will have a "Fine-This Works/Leave Well Enough Alone/Use It Until Hell Freezes Over" laptop for Noteworthy. For any other application, switch to Mac.
my few cents worth...

Re: Mac Users -- Is Harmony Assistant what you're looking for?

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Andrew Purdam –
...I'm growing tired of Windows, and am very attracted to the style of OS-X.
What's been holding me back for several years has been the potential loss of a fine piece of musical notation software if I move to a Mac...
Same here.  We recently purchased a new Windows system and have had nothing but problems with it since.  I had mentioned having wanted to get a Mac instead, and my wife said, "Why didn't we?"  I wish we had, but then we'd have no NWC (and I think there's one other program - can't think of it right now...).  I suppose we could install a Windows emulator on a Mac, but won't that make it crash all the time?  ;-)

Re: Mac Users -- Is Harmony Assistant what you're looking for?

Reply #6 –
I have tried demos of Harmony Assistant and while it seems to have great capabilities, it has been a difficult program to learn, not nearly as intuitive as NWC.  However, there is an option to get it to accept keyboard input with NWC shortcuts so that it acts very much like NWC, or like other popular music notation and sequencer programs.