Encore 4.0 is a high-end music notation program which accepts real-time input from a musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) compatible instrument, such as a music keyboard. Using Encore, you can compose original music, edit your composition, and print out sheet music.

Installation:  Encore comes on two 3.5? floppy diskettes. I had no problem with software installation through the Windows Program Manager (File/Run). Hooking my PC up to my MIDI keyboard was a little trickier (due to my ineptness rather than the software); Passport's technical support staff was a big help here.

Documentation:  An excellent tutorial booklet ("Getting Started", 46 pages) and Reference Manual (232 pages) are provided with Encore. There is also a reference card ("Encore Shortcuts") for folks who prefer keyboard commands over Windows-type commands. On-line help is provided through the Windows interface.

The Product:  Encore 4.0 for Windows is a powerful tool for people interested in writing their own music. The usefulness of this product is not limited to professional musicians; anyone with the slightest bit of musical inclination will find this to be an exceptional tool to capture musical thoughts, edit them, and save them for future modification and use. Encore allows a total of 64 staves and eight voices, and can read three types of files: Encore/MusicTime, Master Tracks Pro/Trax, and MIDI. I tried several standard MIDI files, and Encore had no problem reading and playing any of them.

The tutorial is very informative in learning the basics of the program, leading the user through importing a standard MIDI file, editing the song on a piano staff, and playing it back on a MIDI instrument (or speakers). I had no problem setting the key signature, adding pickup bars (at the start of a score), entering notes and chords, and playing the music back on either the PC stereo speakers or my MIDI music keyboard (Casio CT-6000, but any MIDI compatible keyboard should do fine). Note entry is simple, either by using the mouse or your MIDI instrument (Note: You have to specify in "MIDI Setup" how input/output is to be handled.). With the mouse, the right button previews (plays) the note and the left button enters the note. Mistakes are easily removed with the eraser tool. Note entry from a MIDI instrument can be either real time (requires sharp timing skills) or step time (requires choosing duration as individual notes are entered). There is a built-in metronome ("click" sound) to assist with timing. A new addition to Encore 4.0 is a graphic on-screen keyboard that can be "played" either with your mouse or from the PC's QWERTY keyboard, enabling music input in step or real time without a MIDI instrument. Another new feature is the floating, customizable Toolbar (nice!).

Notes can be dragged horizontally to change their placement or vertically to change their pitch. Notes with the same duration can be combined as chords. It is simple to change the duration of notes and rests. Encore also makes it easy to enter accidentals, tie notes together, copy notes/rests or segments of music, justify notes and rests, insert/copy measures, beam notes, construct repeat endings, move staves and/or systems, add staves, and add lyrics to your composition.

Encore 4.0 provides ten palettes (for entering notation, graphics, text, symbols, and marks), some of which affect MIDI playback: Notes (notes, rests, and accidentals), Clefs (8 choices), Graphics (text, lyrics, chord names, and guitar chords), Tools (slurs, tempo, trills, arpeggios, etc.), Dynamics (ppp to fff), Marks 1 & 2 (ornaments, symbols, and marks), Symbols (more!), Guitar (graphics for tablature notations), and Expressions (custom text items, e.g., Adagio, poco, etc.). Guitar chords can be entered as either chord spellings or fretboard graphics, and will be transposed automatically if the section of music is transposed. Among the many advanced features (e.g., nudging notes in half-step intervals, grace/cue notes, swing playback, etc.), my particular favorite is the ability to convert lines of music to guitar tablature. I was impressed that Encore could handle any music notational chore I tried.

Encore 4.0 occasionally crashes for an unknown reason, indicating a Windows "general protection fault" (this seems to occur immediately following entry of a flurry of notes with the mouse); however, it restarts with no problems and this is only a minor inconvenience. Encore works with any Windows-compatible printer, and produces professional-looking printouts of sheet music.

Bottom Line:  Encore 4.0 for Windows is an excellent tool for composing, arranging, editing, and printing music transcriptions. Although the retail price is rather steep, if you're looking for a good music notation tool you won't be disappointed. Encore is highly recommended.

System Tested On:  IBM compatible PC (Gateway 2000) with a 80486-DX2 at 66 Mhz; Windows 95; 8 Mb of RAM & 420 Mb hard drive; 16-bit Soundblaster-compatible sound card; mouse

Minimum System:  IBM PC or compatible with a 80386, 80486 or better, MS Windows 3.1 or greater, Windows compatible soundcard or MIDI Interface, including Sound Blaster and MPU-401, at least 4MB of RAM (not specified, but you'll want a mouse)

The suggested retail price for Encore 4.0 is $595.

Passport Designs, Inc., 100 Stone Pine Road, Half Moon Bay, California  94019; phone 1-800-443-3210 or 415-726-0280