Maybe this is old news, but I didn't see any mention of it here. I just opened a 1-week old email from Sony advertising a clearance on Cinescore. Towards the end of the email it states:

"Cinescore software and Theme Packs will no longer be available for purchase from Sony Creative Software after December 31, 2009, so take advantage of these prices now, or miss your chance to load up on a lifetime of royalty-free soundtracks!"

Dave

Hi David

I haven't heard about any replacement in the offing so I think that SmartSound basically just overcame them. There is some more news about Cinescore on the SmartSound website.

Chris

Sony Creative Software - Newsletter - November 2009 (http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/news/newsletter.asp?keycode=64147)

Cinescore continues to create exciting soundtracks worldwide, but it's time to move forward. We're currently developing next generation music creation technology and the current version of Cinescore will be the last.

I look forward then, to the next generation music creation technology, from Sony.

I currently use Smartsound, but it's not creating anything, just altering the timings of already-created, royalty free, quality music in a variety of genres. I do like the quality of it, and the ability to export discrete sound tracks for each instrument makes possible unique surround mixes.

So is worth to buy cinescore right now?

thx

Is it worth it ? Hmmm.

I have used Digital Juice, Smartsound, and Cinescore. Each has its benefits. Cinescore has a lot of variations on the basic theme, for each piece, which can be used at a specific length. And with the individual track purchases available at $4 a track, you can cherry pick each of their theme packs. I think that makes it worth it.

My only major hesitation with Cinescore is the relatively limited number of themes/tracks, compared with the substantial portfolio that SmartSound has.

I think there are something like 20 themes in total, each containing about 10 tracks. Of course you can tinker with the themes to change the intensity, tempo etc and add 'hints' here and there, but there's only so much you can do to make the results sound very different. Some of the tracks really do sound great, but there are many that certainly would not work in my line (corporate video) such as Polka Time and Klezmerada!

At the current special price I guess it's pretty good value, but you would still be spending something like £350 to get the full set of themes (should you want them all, of course, and I really don't know why anyone would, even at a few quid each!).

I am not really sure what the market is/was for Cinescore. Home video creators will presumably just go ahead and use whatever their favourite current piece of music is, regardless of copyright - who would ever know? And corporate video makers can only really use a particular theme once or twice at most. Amateur filmmakers? Maybe. Wedding videos probably is a good bet, where the assumption is that you could reuse themes over and over. All just my opinion, though . . .

Roll on the 'new generation', whatever that might be.

While I hold SonicFire (SmartSound's offerring) in high regard, Cinescore allows major variations in a soundtrack ... so much so as to actually turn each one into many multiples. SmartSound not so much so...

Each has advantages, but for variations on a theme, Cinescore is the hands down winner.

I'd still consider cherry picking the selections, and have. I will continue to use it, even after it is no longer augmented. And, who knows, maybe you will get a discount on whatever replaces it a a registered user !

Chris S.

I've been wondering about the Cinescore deal as well...

Looks like a bargain as described at a little over $50USD:
Includes Cinescore application and content DVD containing 20 Themes and over 300 audio transitions and sound effects,

I take that to mean it includes the themes in the deal, sounds interesting, anyone using it have a take on it?

Hi, i was thinking to buy Cinescore for eay instrumental loopos for historical-nature documentaries, but i didn't find a lot of music (that could fit with that style)....Ok i didn't float on any pack,maybe somebody could give me suggestions on that!
thx

MM

At the end of december, who of you guys took advantage of the offer?I m still looking for good feedback on that,,,,

thx

I have bought several of the individual themes...

Tom suggestions on the packs?

I have several of the theme packs. In addition to what it comes with, just bought !con ritmo! (latin, sounded really hot), have bought previously Pass the Ring, Ideal Vacation, and Adrenaline Surge. Have used Cinescore quite a bit for sound tracks in slide shows and shorts.

I really like the flexibility that Cinescore brings to my tool box. In fact, not too long before Cinescore came out, I was complaining about not being musical enough to put loops together and didn't anyone have something that I could use right out of the box with the ability to tweak a little for different videos and not worry about license issues for less than $500? Cinescore hit the mark for me. The more I discover about how to use the hints and different mixes, the more valuable Cinescore becomes.

At the on sale price, it's a no brainer. Grab it while you can.

Randy

Hi, i m trying to buy it through download but after i put my datas and credit card number it brings me on another page writing me nothing.It s a page with the products on offer.Very mad

As far as packs I guess it would depend on what your needs are. Click on additional themes - and listen to the samples I "cherry picked" several but also have the full Adreniline Surge and Hyper Culture - which I think comes with the full package now.

Otherwise I tried to pick some of different generes - Rock, Metal, Wedding, light rock etc. so that I had a good variety.

i bought CS.I canìt find such a nice instrumental flow for nature docs.Any ideas where to pick from the libraries?Too much techno music

Hi Marcus

I still find that SmartSound is a better option if you need flowing music. CS is great for Industrial Documentaries and the like but I do agree the music seems to be mainly techno style which doesn't suit weddings (even Pass the Ring is not "romantic" enough for me!!)
You might need to run SS as well so you get a few nice libraries with a nature theme

Chris

Happy new year!
Where can i find SS?
Yesterday i tried to place my second order at Cinescore but i couldn't but my last 4 songs....How come?Today you can't even find cinescore on line....

SmartSound (aka SonicFire Pro) is at SmartSound Software (http://www.smartsound.com/)
As far as buying Cinescore products, yesterday was the last day but, as it was also New Year's Eve day, that may have had a bearing on purchasing times.

Mike, did u buy anything?
Now all the cinescore buyers what can do to buy themes packs?

i bought CS.I canìt find such a nice instrumental flow for nature docs.Any ideas where to pick from the libraries?Too much techno music

Marcus, this is a very common problem with loop library music, since it is easy to create techno, and hard to do everything else.

Unfortunately it looks like Sony has removed Cinscore from their site entirely. All pages and links to the product just bounce you to their main products page.

Hi Marcus

I still find that SmartSound is a better option if you need flowing music. CS is great for Industrial Documentaries and the like but I do agree the music seems to be mainly techno style which doesn't suit weddings (even Pass the Ring is not "romantic" enough for me!!)
You might need to run SS as well so you get a few nice libraries with a nature theme

Chris

I should point out that I have switched almost entirely to using Stock20.com (www.stock20.com) for my corporate music & wedding films (what little of them remain in the business plan). You can't change the song length, but the songs come in many common lengths (60s, 90s, 30s, 15s stingers, etc) that are easy to cut your footage to fit.

How can i find new music from cinescore right now?

How can i find new music from cinescore right now?

I'd be very surprised if any new music is developed for Cinescore - it's reached the end of the line as far as Sony is concerned. No-one is likely to be creating new themes for a platform that is no longer being developed, promoted or sold by the developers.

You may find a few resellers of the existing theme packs, but the couple I found on Google (e.g. Amazon Amazon.com: Cinescore Theme Pack: Everything Else (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-TPTF10-Cinescore-Theme-Pack/dp/B0018PQXBG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous&qid=1262535696&sr=8-4)) were not selling at anything like the low price Sony were selling them for.

Is Sony not selling Themes anymore? I can understand that they think Cinescore is at the end of the line and therefore they stopped selling it. But it's a little abrupt to concurrently stop selling theme at the same time. What kind of customer support is that!?

Well, they did give us notification in November last year:

>>>Cinescore software and Theme Packs will no longer be available for purchase from Sony Creative Software after December 31, 2009, so take advantage of these prices now, or miss your chance to load up on a lifetime of royalty-free soundtracks!<<<

Well, they did give us notification in November last year:

>>>Cinescore software and Theme Packs will no longer be available for purchase from Sony Creative Software after December 31, 2009, so take advantage of these prices now, or miss your chance to load up on a lifetime of royalty-free soundtracks!<<<

One month's notice on themes as well! I'm sorry but that just doesn't cut it. That's not a reasonable notice; it's a year-end revenue gouge hustle. Cinescore is a "razor" and the themes are "razor blades". How would you like to hear from your car or camera manufacturer that you have one month to buy any accessories or spare parts that you may need in the future because your model is being discontinued? Sony's demonstrated proclivity to leave you high and dry with respect to "parts and accessories" is worth keeping in mind when considering future purchases.

Fair enough, Jim. I'm just reporting what I know, not commenting on whether it's fair or not.

Is it safe to call this a 'demonstrated proclivity' on the part of Sony? Have they done this sort of thing before?

Well, sort of yes, Ian, if you consider their prosumer cameras a few years back when they introduced a mini hot shoe on the new models but anyone who had supported them with accessories such as expensive camera microphones, lights etc. they expected everyone to simply replace them with new ones to suit the new shoe. They didn't even remotely consider loyal customers by making a converting adaptor available.

I have not bought a Sony camera since and am really enjoying my Canon & Panasonic.

RonC.

Ah, OK. I was really thinking in the Sony software world but that's a good example, Ron.

However, I'm still not seeing Sony's 'proclivity' (tendency, inclination, leaning) to leave us high and dry.

In the case of the hot shoe presumably people had a choice - 1. DO, or 2. DO NOT buy new Sony cameras if you want to protect your investment in accessories.

In the case of Cinescore we were given a period of notice (agreed it was short) and very low sale prices to capitalise on a bit of technology that was coming to the end of its life. Let's face it, Cinescore has clearly not performed as Sony would have wanted. If it had, it would have been further developed and would not still be in it's v1.0 incarnation after four years. There's a pretty hefty clue as to what Sony thought of it right there.

I'm not defending anything Sony has or hasn't done. My point is that IMO this is not an indication that Sony is in the habit of doing this sort of thing simply to gouge its loyal customers. Find me a huge corporation like Sony that hasn't done something, sometime to upset a segment of it's customer base! IBM with MCA, Epson and Canon with their genuine cartridge software, Adobe dropping Ultra from Creative Suite, Microsoft with [INSERT PRODUCT NAME HERE].

There are a handful of people on this forum alone who are clearly delighted that they were able to get hold of Themes at knock down prices. And you can still buy Themes - just not from Sony and not at the sale price they offered them at 'for a limited period only' (which is how most sales work!). Further, there are lots of us who are keen to learn more about Sony's promised 'next generation music creation technology'.