SmartScore

SmartScore 64 NE
Developer(s)Musitek Corporation
Initial release1991; 33 years ago (1991)
Stable release
11.6.109 / August 6, 2024; 4 months ago (2024-08-06)[1]
Operating systemWindows, Mac OS
TypeMusic OCR
LicenseCommercial proprietary
Websitewww.musitek.com

SmartScore 64 NE is a music OCR and scorewriter program, developed, published and distributed by Musitek Corporation based in Ojai, California.

History

SmartScore was originally released in 1991 as MIDISCAN for Windows. The product line was later changed to "SmartScore" and re-released for Windows 98 in 1998, and for the Macintosh Power PC in 1999 as a scanning/scoring hybrid product.

Software

SmartScore is a software product which performs optical character recognition on scanned music and converts it into a digital musical score that can be played back as a MIDI file, or exported as MusicXML to music engraving programs such as Sibelius and Finale.[2][3]

Reception

Maximum PC reviewed SmartScore in 2000 and said that it "gets the job done easily", but was difficult to navigate and had a crowded layout. Also, some scores scanned by Maximum PC weren't recognized by the software.[3]

Researchers at the University of Florence conducted a performance assessment of optical music recognition software in 2007, and found that software developed at the University, Object Oriented Optical Music Recognition System, as well as SharpEye 2 outperformed it.[4]

In 2009, a review of SmartScore X in Music Educators Journal found the scanning performance to be "extremely accurate" with professionally engraved music, but said the program was only able to "minimally interpret" handwritten scores. The reviewer stated that the user interface was confusing even for advanced users, and that the manual offered "little or no help, especially for the novice".[2]

In 2011 a review in PC World said the results with clearly printed sheet music were accurate, but that the interface had too many floating and docked toolbars. The reviewer said there was "no more effective musical OCR/editor on the market", but that PhotoScore 6 Ultimate gave superior results with handwritten music.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ "SmartScore Updates". www.musitek.com. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  2. ^ a b Adam Michlin (June 2009). SmartScore X eMedia Music Corp (review). Music Educators Journal 95 (4): 16. (subscription required)
  3. ^ a b Daevid Vincent (January 2000). Makin' Madness: Put on your boogie shoes. Maximum PC 5 (1): 94. ISSN 1522-4279. Accessed July 2013.
  4. ^ Pierfrancesco Bellini, Ivan Bruno and Paolo Nesi (Spring 2007). Assessing Optical Music Recognition Tools. Computer Music Journal 31 (1): 68–93. (subscription required)
  5. ^ Jon L. Jacobi (February 2011). SmartScore X Pro (review). PC World. Accessed August 2013.