JustinC721 Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 I want one that's good quality, and easy to use. I tried a few demos and they all sucked. They would play things out of time, and were just really buggy in general. This is mainly for composition/playing of my own music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 There are two things. One that is dedicated in creating sheet music visually. The other dedicated in sequencing music aurally. That said, when it comes to writing sheet music, Finale and Sibelius are the top brands. When it comes to sequencing music aurally, that depends on your preference (Reason, Cubase, FL Studio, Sonar, Protools, etc). So which one are you trying to do? Sequence or make fancy sheet music to print out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OverCoat Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 There are two things. One that is dedicated in creating sheet music visually. The other dedicated in sequencing music aurally. Though you make it sound like you sacrifice sound quality for the ability to view sheet music, which you don't. I believe Sibelius and Finale both come with high quality sample libraries now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustinC721 Posted May 3, 2009 Author Share Posted May 3, 2009 There are two things. One that is dedicated in creating sheet music visually. The other dedicated in sequencing music aurally.That said, when it comes to writing sheet music, Finale and Sibelius are the top brands. When it comes to sequencing music aurally, that depends on your preference (Reason, Cubase, FL Studio, Sonar, Protools, etc). So which one are you trying to do? Sequence or make fancy sheet music to print out? To print out would be nice. But mainly to write it, and hear how its gonna sound. I'm a keyboardist/pianist of 2 years experience, and so when I come up with a melody, I need to have a way to basically put pen to paper for future reference so I dont forget them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozovian Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 If you're just gonna use it for scoring and reference, not actually recording/mixing/all that jazz, Finale notepad is a cheap download and should do what you need it to. Dunno about free alternatives that have notation, but there could be something out there for free. For a DAW, there's Reaper, which is kind'a cheap and works just fine in its unlimited, unrestricted demo state too. A quick look didn't reveal any classical notation, but check the site and try it out in case writing with a piano roll works for you. If you're on mac, you could probably get by just fine with GarageBand's notation tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drack Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 If you want a very easy program to use, and cheap too ($40 with free demo) I have had good experience with Noteworthy Composer. Be aware, though, that it's MIDI only (in the strictest sense - any sounds you want it to play must conform to General MIDI) so the best sounds will be from soundfonts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennerstein Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 I tried a few demos and they all sucked.They would play things out of time, and were just really buggy in general. This is mainly for composition/playing of my own music. I'm curious as to what demos you tried, and how they played things out of time. If things are being played out of time, it usually means they weren't recorded into the computer accurately. The notation software programs I've used require you to record yourself using a metronome click in order to accurately reflect the correct notation. That being said, here are some of my recommendations: Professional Programs: These programs will cost you $$, and might have a pretty steep learning curve. But, they're mostly industry standard (i.e. features are used by publishing houses for sheet music engraving and such). Finale (I think they're up to version 2009) Sibelius 5 Hobbyist Programs: These programs are either inexpensive, or free, and would probably get the job done for you. But they're not going to have all the features of the programs above. Noteworthy ($49 according to website) MuseScore (free) I personally have used Finale (version 2004) and Sibelius. I switched to Sibelius about a year ago, because I was disenchanted with Finale's interface. I don't write sheet music enough to know either program's in's and outs, but I've definitely found Sibelius more user friendly. I can't comment on how good Hobbyist programs are, unfortunately. Hope that helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustinC721 Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 I'm curious as to what demos you tried, and how they played things out of time. If things are being played out of time, it usually means they weren't recorded into the computer accurately. The notation software programs I've used require you to record yourself using a metronome click in order to accurately reflect the correct notation.That being said, here are some of my recommendations: Professional Programs: These programs will cost you $$, and might have a pretty steep learning curve. But, they're mostly industry standard (i.e. features are used by publishing houses for sheet music engraving and such). Finale (I think they're up to version 2009) Sibelius 5 Hobbyist Programs: These programs are either inexpensive, or free, and would probably get the job done for you. But they're not going to have all the features of the programs above. Noteworthy ($49 according to website) MuseScore (free) I personally have used Finale (version 2004) and Sibelius. I switched to Sibelius about a year ago, because I was disenchanted with Finale's interface. I don't write sheet music enough to know either program's in's and outs, but I've definitely found Sibelius more user friendly. I can't comment on how good Hobbyist programs are, unfortunately. Hope that helps basically I want to be able to write my music as standard music notation. I need a prorgram that will allow me to use any form of notation that exists. I suppose I could try the other method. but I was trained to read/write in standard notation, so thats how I think. It would also be nice to have somehing that could translate midi into sheet music,. becuase playing everything by ear sucks,. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OverCoat Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Are you in college at all? Find a student version of Sibelius if you can, I really recommend it. If you're not in college, just get the "evaluation" Sibelius and see if you wanna plunk down $600 on it :3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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