Need to get a copy of 4.5.xWin and Mac both

[polarbreeze]

I need to do some work that involves fixing up existing scores that were created in 4.5.x. Due to the various anomalies between versions, this will be a mammoth job if I do it in 5.0.x but relatively straightforward if I do it in 4.5.x. Unfortunately I have trashed my 4.5's as well as their install files. How do I go about getting new copies? Can I download from somewhere?

I'm posting this here because GVOX support site is broken.

Thanks.

[treebear]

ME TOO!

I would like to recommend Encore to several budding composers, but since there are so many conflicts with Win 7
(Microsoft no longer sells XP) and with Encore 5x, I can only recommend Encore 4.5 (which is no longer sold by Gvox).

I feel that the matter of double computers chips (64 bit) and threads is what is at the heart of the incompatibility problems,
This requires some profound rethinking of Encore's inner structure. Encore needs to do two things, 1)to
to start making Encore 4.5 available again, if possible with an upgrade to insure it will be working in a 32 bit
envelope even when it is in a 64bit environment , and 2, to solve the conflicts by rewriting Encore 5x so
that it works in a 64 bit environrnent just as the other major notation programs do. Encore is a 16 bit program
modified to be a 32 bit program. It seems now after several years of waiting that it is going to stay that way. I
hate to see encore passed by as a relic. The current state of Encore 5x that it is at best a "beta" version and not ready for prime
time consumption. There is no way you can present this to the amateur musicians whom you wish to cultivate.

Encore is a truly wonderful program which can speed a composers output with a minimal learning curve. This is
testified to by the large group of faithful users. I for one have reverted to pencil and paper and am composing less, (although
I have both Finale and Sibelius). I am frankly depressed by the state of Notation software. Some one of the brilliant
musicians who contribute to these forums should use some of their influence to rectify things. Just fixing bugs
and adding features is no longer enough.

I have read for two days all of the forums including some posts in french and dutch, I must conclude that I can no longer regard
Encore as a dependable and useful tool. The older 4.5 is still needed for older scores. It is still needed as a dependable tool.
My Xp laptop has an " on-and-off" screen, so I need to use a separate monitor and keyboard for 4,5. I have replaced my xp with new
computers running win 7 (with virtual xp and compatibility mode), (Xps are no longer sold), but midi won't work
because the Encore engine does not permit 64 bit with four usb channels, nor handle "threads". I have worked with a
Psychologist to pull me back out om my composing frustrations. I see that I will just need to work something else
out. All I can say about Encore is, wake me when it's over, and we have a dependable tool which will run right out of the
box. I will be one of the first to cheer. And it will seem like Christmas morning.

I apologize for my rant but maybe someone will wake up. I care about Encore, but I have to move on.

All of the best, to a beautiful and brilliant group of contributors to the forums. I have enjoyed your company. I hope
we meet up some day.

sincerely
Tom aka Treebear

From Winnie the Pooh:
(Pooh sings while rising in the air,
holding a baloon),

"How nice to be a cloud
Floating in the blue.
Every little cloud
Always sings aloud.
Ow! Ow! Ow!
These are the
wrong sort of bees."

[Hotch]

HI Tom,

Encore is one of the oldest music notation software programs still on the market, because it's a great program. The strength of this product has survived two company bankruptcies, Passport in 1995 (chapter 7) and Gvox in 2002 (chapter 11). Encore is an 8 bit program, it was patched to work with 16 bit and patched to work with 32 bit. Another patch may make a mess. We are in the process of trying to rebuild Encore in a new environment, however, this is a time consuming and costly process.

Both Finale (Make Music!) and Sibelius (Avid) are products developed by publicly owned corporations. Gvox is not. We are a very small company of musicians who think Encore is a great product (conceptually as well as functionally) with some quirky bugs (some of these bugs come from the original code, get suppressed and come back a few versions later). Since we are a small company, we invest our profits back into the business so we can continue to develop Encore. Nobody here is making a lot of money, we're really doing it for the love of music and Encore (I know that sounds corny, but it's true).

We know and respect our customers, it's not just about selling software (I could hire a bunch of used car salesman to do that), it's about being a musician. To that end, we have been offering version 4.5.5 to any registered Encore user of Encore 4.5 or higher through our support system, if requested, so you can put the pencil down.

[stavro]

Hi Tom, Encore is best viewed like a tool just like your pencil & paper. As with all tools if it does the job well then there is no need to consider alternatives. The same is true of computer hardware. If you must run 4.5.5 then why not simply find an older machine to use it with? Good for the environment & your wallet. It's not always necessary to upgrade to the latest & greatest version of Windows either (which in recent years has become an obvious cash-cow).

[Denkster]

Hi Jennifer,

Since your question is off topic, I suggest we continue in a separate thread:
MIDI keyboard input problem

You will find my answer there

Best regards
Eveline