System Editor – Too many staves per system?

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System Editor – Too many staves per system?

🎯 Common User Issues

“I’m using ScanScore Melody, which should recognize one staff per system. My sheet has exactly that – one line per system. But ScanScore claims there are more and asks me to upgrade. Why?”

“I have ScanScore Ensemble, which allows scanning up to four staves per system. My score is just piano and vocals – three staves – yet I get an error and the scan fails!”

These are some of the most frequent support tickets we receive. The problem? It isn’t always is just your license – it’s the way ScanScore interpreted the system layout of your score. And that’s exactly where the System Editor becomes essential.

🛠 What is the System Editor?

The System Editor is a powerful feature in ScanScore that lets you manage which staves belong to which system – and adjust them manually if needed.

📍 You can find it here:
Organize Menu → Organize Staves → Connect or Disconnect Staves

This is especially helpful when the automatic recognition process doesn’t quite get things right. Upgrade or ask the someone or the support with a higher version than yours to take a look at the System Editor! You can not split or edit scores out of your license range yourself.

❗ Why Does ScanScore Sometimes Misinterpret Systems?

  • Scans with background lines or scanning artifacts

  • PDF scores with invisible connecting elements

  • Sheet music with tight staff spacing

  • Vertical elements that appear to connect multiple systems

These conditions can confuse the software, causing it to combine multiple systems into one – which can exceed your version’s limit and trigger an upgrade message.

✅ Solution 1: Clean the Scan Beforehand

Before scanning:

  1. Open the file in ScanScore.

  2. Use the eraser tool in the Prescan window to remove unnecessary lines or markings.

  3. Pay attention to vertical lines or noise that may visually “connect” systems.

🧽 Clean input often leads to perfect output.

✅ Solution 2: Fix System Assignments with the Editor

If the scan still detects the systems incorrectly, here’s how to resolve it:

  • Use “Split System” to break apart mistakenly merged systems.

  • Move individual staves to a different system where they belong.

  • Adjust the number of staves per system to comply with your ScanScore license (Melody, Ensemble, or Professional).

💡 This also solves issues where different parts play back simultaneously even though they should be separated — another common symptom of system confusion.

🔊 Playback Errors? This Is the Fix!

“Why is my playback combining instruments that should be separate?”

When unrelated staves are grouped into the same system, ScanScore plays them as one. By correctly assigning staves using the System Editor, you restore the proper musical structure and playback accuracy.

🚀 What’s Coming Next?

ScanScore is working on:

  • Improved recognition of shared voices

  • Smarter instrument assignment in orchestral scores

  • Dynamic staff detection for instrument changes within a piece

These updates aim to reduce manual intervention while increasing scanning precision.

🔗 Helpful Resources

✅ Conclusion

Whether you’re hitting scan limits or facing playback issues, the System Editor gives you complete control over system layouts. Combined with careful preparation in the Prescan stage, it ensures your scores are scanned correctly – every time.

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