Though it's limited to four staves, SmartScore MIDI Edition is enough for most users looking to turn their sheet music into MIDI and notations files. The interface goes a bit overboard with the floating tool palettes, but the program does a very good job transcribing simpler sheet music. At $49, it's a lot more affordable than the $400 Pro version, though you'll need that pricier option if you're looking to recognize full orchestral scores, or lyrics and text. There is a full version comparison on vendor Musitek's Web site.

--Jon L. Jacobi