[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference napalm::commusic_v1

Title:* * Computer Music, MIDI, and Related Topics * *
Notice:Conference has been write-locked. Use new version.
Moderator:DYPSS1::SCHAFER
Created:Thu Feb 20 1986
Last Modified:Mon Aug 29 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2852
Total number of notes:33157

1497.0. "Looking for Scoring/Notation Software for IBM PC" by NYJMIS::PFREY () Thu Jun 30 1988 16:24

    I'd like to tap into your collective experience..fellow noters.
    
    My husband is working for a 24 track studio, and trying to get
    them up to the 20th century computer-wise.   He has shown the
    owner Sequencer Plus (which we use). The owner thought that was
    OK, but HE wants to be able to enter arrangements into the system
    via music notation (notes on a staff, etc), which is not the way
    most sequencers work. This guy is not at all technical.
    
    So, my question is: is there a program that runs on a PC, that
    allows you score music by entering the notes and placing them
    on the staff?  I know there are plenty of programs that will
    OUTPUT a score, but how about INPUT?
    
    Has anyone tried the Roland MESA program? It sort of looks like
    it might do this...
    
    Thanks!
    Pat Frey
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
1497.1which pc?TIGER::JANZENTom 296-5421 LMO2/O23Thu Jun 30 1988 16:343
    Do you mean I*M PC? or any personal computer?  Deluxe Music
    ConstructionSet on the Amiga has music notation input.
    TOm
1497.2Check out "Score"CLULES::SPEEDIf it doesn't rack, it doesn't rollThu Jun 30 1988 16:438
    There is a new program called "Score" from the IBM PC which does
    what you are talking about.  It appears very capable but also very
    complex.
    
    There is a review in this month's issue of _Keyboard_ magazine.
    
    		Good luck,
    		Derek
1497.3SORRY, it IS an I*B-PC cloneNYJMIS::PFREYThu Jun 30 1988 16:538
    YES, I meant IBM (it's SO hard to say it) PC, or compatibles.
    
    I will check out this months Keyboard (that is the ONLY mag we
    don't subscribe to)(at least it seems that way) for that SCORE
    review.  I guess I should take the time to check the last six
    months MUSIC TECHNOLOGY, ELECTRONIC MUSICIAN, etc. etc.; since
    I usually save a years worth..
    
1497.4FinaleDYO780::SCHAFERBrad - DTN 433-2408Thu Jun 30 1988 17:565
    There is another product out for the Mac (and soon to be I*M) called
    Finale.  There have been two page ads in the last two issues of
    Keyboard.  The thing is quite pricey, though (ca. $1K). 

-b
1497.5Jim Miller's Personal ComposerNRADM::KARLThu Jun 30 1988 18:3715
    I use Jim Miller's Personal Composer (for IBMs and compatibles).
    I highly recommend it for inputting notes, as you want to do. It
    can be had from Musication in New York City for around $400.00. It's
    quite a versatile piece of software and does complex sequencing/
    editing as well. Keyboard magazine always has a full page add in
    it (under Jim Miller, I believe, in the advertizers index in the
    back).
    
    Musication has the best price that I know of. By the way, Score,
    mentioned in a previous note, seems to have good specs also, although
    I haven't used it.
    
    Good luck!
    
    Bill
1497.6strong reply from experienceSUBSYS::ORINAMIGA te amoFri Jul 01 1988 20:2516
I mentioned in an earlier note that I was working with a prof from Worcester
State College using MESA. I highly recommend that you avoid this product like
the plague!

reasons...

high price
poor documentation
no support
*VERY* user unfriendly

We finally got it working, but it is very difficult to use. I can't imagine
why Roland has chosen the IBM PC as its only official software system? Put
it back in the office and get an AMIGA!

dave
1497.7More about Personal ComposerNRADM::KARLFri Jul 01 1988 23:0928
    I'd like to make another comment about Personal Composer (note .5).
    It seems to work very well in extracting parts from a score, creating
    a new file with just the part you have extracted. If your score
    extends over several pages, it leaves each line exactly as you have
    entered it, but just compacts it onto however many number of pages
    you'll need for this particular part.
    
    You can then transpose the part up or down, and print it. This,
    to me, is a real compositional time saver. You can input the parts
    manually as you are describing, play them back through a
    synthesizer(s), extract, transpose, and print parts. It also supports
    Post Script Laser printing, which from the examples looks pretty
    darn good.
    
    The part I don't like about this software is that when you do it
    the other way, that is, play a melody and convert it TO a score,
    Personal Composer only puts 2 measures on a line, which is not the
    way the real world works. Four measures per line would seem more
    reasonable.
    
    Also, the documentation is incredible - I think it's about 5 or
    600 pages or so, and well written. There are so many features, that
    it would take some time to learn the entire system.
    
    
    Bill
                                     
    
1497.8OK it's not a PC answerANGORA::JANZENTom 296-5421 LMO2/O23Sat Jul 02 1988 01:5312
    I know this isn't the question, but anyway Deluxe Music for the
    Amiga can also select staffs for printing as parts, and it also
    has adjustable bars per line.  I usually use one because my music
,     is often fairly complex.	Sometimes I temporarily use say 8 bars
    per
    line to see the big picture, although everything gets squished.
    It can also transpose a whole piece up and down; I did it last night
    It has a fairly compact manual, in part
    because it runs on a system called Intuition (the window system)
    and is easy to learn.
    
Tom