# Anyone using Sibelius/Finale/Dorico on a 13inch MBP?



## michaelrohanek (Oct 28, 2016)

Hi, Just about to look at a new MBP. I primarily use my iMac 27 5K for composing, recording, mixing, creating large scores, but for working on the road and general portability, will a 13 inch MBP i5 suffice? What's everyone using?


----------



## dcoscina (Oct 28, 2016)

I use Notion 6 and Sibelius 7.5 on a MacBook Air i7 and its stellar. Now I will add I'm using an Acer 27" led monitor when it's docked at home.


----------



## Dave Connor (Oct 28, 2016)

I think 13" is just too small for that kind of work. I would get a 15" and probably a 17" if they still made them.


----------



## dcoscina (Oct 29, 2016)

Dave Connor said:


> I think 13" is just too small for that kind of work. I would get a 15" and probably a 17" if they still made them.


It's even more challenging on an 11" MacBook Air! Lotta zooming in and out I can tell you.


----------



## michaelrohanek (Oct 29, 2016)

So it's not my main machine. Just for when i'm out. I've also figured a way to connect the iPad Pro 12.9 via the duet app to give me more screen real estate. Anyone tried this? It's all about screen space and not processor power i think.


----------



## JohnG (Oct 29, 2016)

For a "once in a while" thing it's a bit trying, but it works. I was in a hotel last weekend editing a full score. Proofreading a lot of staffs on that sized screen is wearing but it can be done.


----------



## michaelrohanek (Oct 29, 2016)

JohnG said:


> For a "once in a while" thing it's a bit trying, but it works. I was in a hotel last weekend editing a full score. Proofreading a lot of staffs on that sized screen is wearing but it can be done.


do you use a 15in for that? IMO any laptop is too small for large scores anyway.


----------



## Morodiene (Nov 11, 2016)

I have a 15" Macbook pro and I use it when traveling, but it's not the most efficient work. Better than nothing though!


----------



## wcreed51 (Nov 13, 2016)

Focus on Staves is rather clunky. You might want to try creating parts with the desired instruments. Makes it easy to switch back and forth to different groupings.


----------



## Morodiene (Nov 13, 2016)

wcreed51 said:


> Focus on Staves is rather clunky. You might want to try creating parts with the desired instruments. Makes it easy to switch back and forth to different groupings.


How does one do this on Finale? I've always felt that working around a full orchestral score is difficult when you want to see wha the flutes and the violins are doing at the same time without shrinking it all down too small to read.


----------



## Vavastrasza (Nov 13, 2016)

You would probably have graphic scaling problems with that set-up. When I demoed Sibelius and Finale on my Surface Book, which, like the MBP, is a powerful laptop with a small screen but very high resolution, I saw that the UI was tiny and, for me at least, unusable. Many programs have problems with this combination of high resolution and small screen real estate.

Notion is the only notation program I have found that copes well with this, although their last version made the VST UIs smaller.


----------

