Help: Music Software

Subject: Music Software
From: Gypsy
Date: 17 Jun 02 - 11:32 AM

So, the handsome mando player is building yet another computer, and is weary of handnotating tunes. Any experience out there with the current programs. WHat is more versatile? Any you can use a mouse with for notating? Whattaya think,guys? Thanks, all.

Subject: RE: Help: Music Software
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Jun 02 - 11:47 AM

See recent thread

Subject: RE: Help: Music Software
From: GUEST,Lynn
Date: 17 Jun 02 - 12:33 PM

I've been using Sibelius for a year and a half and am very pleased with it. It's versatile, flexible, and you can modify it to suit your tastes. It's alos VERY easy to get started with. You'll quickly find, though, that mouce-input is the slowest possible means of inputing music with Sibelius. With a standard keyboard (including a number pad) You can choose the note values with the right hand on the number pad and type in letter names with the left hand. If you have midi connections and a synthesizer keyboard, you can do step-time input - again, choosing your note values with the right, but inputing notes from the keyboard (saves having to change octaves periodically). Alternatively, you can use what they call 'flexi-time' input, where you choose the parameters then input entirely by playing. Sibelius determines the proper note values to use (which you can then edit if your time wasn't as perfect as the machine's!) Finally, if you have a scanner, you can scan sheet music directly into the program and edit it as if you'd input the whole thing yourself. Check out the website at Sibelius.com. You can also view scores made by thousands of composers (and would-be composers) at SibeliusMusic.com.

All the best

Lynn

Subject: RE: Help: Music Software
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 17 Jun 02 - 01:18 PM

But gee Lynn, I'm drooling and jealous.

Sibelius is the one I've been saving my bucks for, but unless you can get an "educational discount" it's over $600 US.

The closest competitor, Finale, is similarly priced. I've looked at both, and either is "publisher grade" stuff, but Sibelius does seem to offer easier (and very flexible) tab notation. (I hate working with tab, but many of my friends always seem to want stuff that way.)

The link (clicky) provided by guest will lead you to some extensive discussion - with links to other recent threads. I'd suggest checking it out.

Also - you should be able to get a free CD "demo" version of Sibelius (and/or Finale) from any music store that handles "band and orchestra" stuff.

You may be able to download the trial version for Sibelius - it installs about 4.6MB. Finale installs at about 23.7MB, so download isn't too practical, even if available.

Printing is limited/disabled, and the "Help" file is disabled - same for both.

While it seems rather stupid to me to have the Help disabled (isn't a demo so you can see what it can do?), in either demo program you can "select" any tool and hit F1 and the help file will open. Once you're "in through the back door" you can look over anything in Help.

Check out the link. There is some good info there.

John

Subject: RE: Help: Music Software
From: Mr Red
Date: 17 Jun 02 - 04:53 PM

Gypsy
PM Pavane. He has written a program. It will be described in other threads. I have a copy but have yet to install it.

Subject: RE: Help: Music Software
From: Gypsy
Date: 18 Jun 02 - 12:01 PM

Thanks, will check out with Pavane, and thanks for the headsup on prior thread. There is so very much stuff out there, really want to talk to people who have USED it, rather than reading the website/box. Thanks all. Any more input, or favorites?

Subject: RE: Help: Music Software
From: MMario
Date: 18 Jun 02 - 12:18 PM

I use Noteworthy Composer- inexpensive, quite powerful. Will allow input by mouse but I find it much faster using the keyboard.

Subject: RE: Help: Music Software
From: pavane
Date: 18 Jun 02 - 01:31 PM

Welcome to use my program, and help is available here!

Quickest way in my experience, for simple stuff, is write or type it in a text format, e.g. abc notation. It comes down to about 2 or 3 keystrokes per note on average.

The other quick way, if you have the expertise and equipment, is to play on a MIDI instrument into a file or program, but you will then probably need to quantize it.

There are just too many parameters for each note for a mouse to be efficient.

Once you get the basic tune in, the mouse is good for making changes though.

Subject: RE: Help: Music Software
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 19 Jun 02 - 05:47 AM

I use Personal Composer - it's very good for setting up complicated scores with lots of annotation, slurs etc. It also lets you "Print to Clipboard" from a box selection. This is great when you want to put the music into a DTP program. If you want something simpler, then NOTEWORTHY is fine.

Subject: RE: Help: Music Software
From: BanjoRay
Date: 19 Jun 02 - 07:17 AM

Muse is good for £20. Easy inputting, reads ABCs and generates tabs from music.

Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: Help: Music Software
From: GUEST,T-boy
Date: 19 Jun 02 - 07:52 AM

I've got Music Works, which I find slow and cumbersome. Also, it insists on counting an anacrusis as Bar 1, whicj I hate. Also, I'd like it to do a treble clef but 1 octave down for the left hand (useful for concertina) but it won't. One day I'll get something better.

Subject: RE: Help: Music Software
From: pavane
Date: 19 Jun 02 - 01:30 PM

Maybe I could provide custom clefs in HARMONY.

(PS it also does concertina tablature).

Subject: RE: Help: Music Software
From: Gypsy
Date: 21 Jun 02 - 11:29 PM

SOooooooo, Pavane, where is your software available, and perusable?

Subject: RE: Help: Music Software
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 22 Jun 02 - 03:16 AM

Gypsy -

I think Pavane's program is the one he refers to in this thread.

There is a link there to a download, that hopefully is still current.

John

Subject: RE: Help: Music Software
From: pavane
Date: 22 Jun 02 - 04:43 AM

Thanks John. It is at my site www.greenhedges.com