Overall
Flat.io is an online freemium music notation program. Flat.io allows composers to edit, annotate and listen to compositions in real time without the need for other software, simply requiring an internet connection. Its intuitive UI, inbuilt integration with many learning management systems (LMS) and cheap premium price makes Flat.io an accessible and approachable tool. Many of the notation options offered are available in the non-premium version of the software, which is beneficial to students who are not able to afford the money to purchase a notation program, or who would like to try one out first before making that financial investment. However, certain notation errors do affect the quality of the program, and teachers must consider then when deciding if Flat.io is right for their classroom. Overall, Flat.io is a good program to introduce to people new to notation software.
UI
Flat.io's user interface is beautifully simple and intuitive. Similar to most other modern notation software, Flat.io makes use of a ribbon style navigation menu, and does so to great effect. Headings for each ribbon section are clear and unambiguous, making the task of finding the right tool quick and easy. This is a boon for both experienced users and new users, who will be able to very quickly pick up on how the product is designed.
Any experienced user of music notation software knows that using shortcuts saves a huge amount of time and effort. Flat.io makes learning these shortcuts by making them (generally) straightforward and consistent, as well as by displaying the corresponding shortcut when hovering over each tool. Unfortunately, for some shortcuts (such as dynamics), the correct ribbon must be selected as the same shortcut is used for multiple tools. Shortcuts are also not always clear, with '1' possibly meaning the numpad 1 or the number bar 1, which do two different things and have different affects depending upon the ribbon currently selected. Like I said previously, most shortcuts are straightforward, but there are some examples of ones that are not (e.g. to create a hairpin has the shortcut [Shift + ,]), and other times they are not given when hovering or only work sometimes, such as numpad enter sometimes creating ties and sometimes not. These are small issues, but are unfortunate considering how well done the ribbon and shortcuts are otherwise.
The more expansive menus in Flat.io are relatively easy to find, and the effect each different tool will have on the score is made clear to the user. Again, like the ribbon, the headings for each menu are clear and unambiguous, allowing users to know which menu they should look for each tool in. Adding and removing instruments is easy and straightforward, as is changing score order and viewing and editing individual parts.
Options
For a freemium program such as Flat.io, the number of options available, both in the free version and overall, is rather extraordinary and shows that the team at Flat really care about making a good quality and accessible product. In the free version, I was able to create a variety of time signatures, add a variety of tuplets*, had access to a huge range of different instruments, could add as many instruments as I liked (I will get back to this later though), and even change note beaming. The only issue I faced in notating Prologue in the free version was that custom beaming was not available to me. The fact that custom beaming is available at all, however, is fantastic, and considering in most educational circumstances the premium version would be the one being used, this is a bit of a non-issue.
Where Flat.io's options are limited is in layout and style options. The few options that are available are locked behind the premium version, which makes working with more than 6-8 staves impractical and thus adds a soft limit to the number of instruments you can use at once in the free version. Even if you do invest in the premium edition, you are limited to changing page size, stave size, bar distribution and numbering, note-heads and font styles. As such, composers are limited to traditional forms of notation, with graphic notation or box notation being impossible to implement.
Flat.io is fantastic at giving options to teachers. This includes fingering and bowing marks, note name note-heads and Kodaly hand signs. I will go through these options in greater detail later in the review.
Accuracy of Notation
Unfortunately, this is the area that Flat.io falls disappointingly short of expectations. In terms of simple things such as note-heads, directions of beams, time and key signatures and the like, Flat.io is perfectly fine, as you would expect from a notation program. There are, however, two basic notation rules that Flat.io gets wrong, and you can see them circled below.
The first one is that performance instructions are placed below the stave. You probably thought I was asking the cello to play arco from the start of the bar, and the viola to play arco from the 3rd note, but in fact those instructions are to the violin 2 and viola. I am a viola player and have encountered this in the past, and it is very frustrating when I see it. We are trained to look for those things above the stave, not below, so to see something so simple made incorrect is a little concerning, especially when considering whether to use this program as an educational tool or not. The second issue is with slurs, which always occur outside the stave, even when inappropriate. Furthermore, there is no option to change this when the program gets this wrong.
Speed
To notate the example took 48 minutes. Once I have done more tests, I will be able to compare the different programs and make a judgement on this time.
Cost
Flat.io is one of the cheapest of the available notation programs I will be reviewing. Flat.io has the cheapest subscription price (you do not need to subscribe to MuseScore) and third cheapest outright cost, behind the free MuseScore and Dorico Elements. This makes Flat.io one of the most financially accessible full notation software, losing only to MuseScore, and tied cheapest simplified version. The fantastic thing about the simplified (and free!) version of Flat.io is that, compared to trial versions or free versions of nearly every other software, there are so many options available and the software has not been crippled by the use of a pay wall.
Flat.io is free to use as a simplified program, with the premium version available for subscription at $65 a year a one-off cost of $199.
Utility For Students
There is a lot going for Flat.io in terms of utility for students. The cheap price makes it accessible to students on more of a budget, and the power of the free version is not to be overlooked. The easy to understand UI means students are spending less time wrestling with the software and more time creating music. As Flat.io is an online notation software, students can work anywhere on any internet connected device, making working between home and school simple. This is fantastic as it avoids the far too common problem of version differences, and has the added benefit that the student does not need to purchase the software. Again, this saves the student money and makes Flat.io more useful in schools where this can be an issue.
One often overlooked aspect that really matters to students is playback. I am personally of the belief that when working with notation software, you do have to put up with some level of unrealistic audio. The playback sounds that come with Flat.io, although not the best on the market, are quite reasonable and do not cost any more.
Utility For Teachers
Many of the benefits experienced by students are similarly experienced by teachers. As such, I will just focus on other aspects that are particularly relevant for teachers.
Flat.io integrates in directly into many LMS's, including Google Classroom, Canvas, Schoology, Moodle and more. This means it can seamlessly fit into the LMS your school is already using,with the ability to submit assignments online, check on student progress, and all of the other benefits that come with an LMS!
Flat.io also has a few useful tools for teachers built into the software. The first of these are the note-name note-heads mentioned earlier, as well as the Kodaly hand signs. These are great if you are working with younger students or students who are just starting to learn about notation. This also means that students can start using notation software and use these settings to help them understand what notes they are choosing. These options are available in the 'layouts and styles' menu, as you can see below.
As mentioned at the start, teachers do have to be aware that not all notations are accurate. Although it is fantastic Flat.io includes markings such as pizz and arco, these are placed underneath the stave, rather than above where they belong, which can lead to students learning bad notation habits. Similarly, issues with slurs can lead to a similar outcome. Although useful for the teacher, these are factors that need to be considered.
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