Sibelius 6 New Features

[carl]

A review from my ex-colleague Peter Kirn:

http://createdigitalmusic.com/2009/05/19/sibelius-6-notation-software-gets-magnetic-layout-rewire-more-details/

Versioning is interesting... -Carl

[Torsten Anders]

Dear Carl,

Anything new in Sibelius concerning microtonal stuff?

Thank you!

Best
Torsten

[Cody Hallenbeck]

No, Sibelius 6 does not seem to add any features relevant to microtonal music.

Sibelius has had notational support for tartini quartertones for a
while, but it's required a plugin to insert midi pitchbend commands.
This hasn't changed in 6. It's too bad, because Sibelius 6 ships with
a new in-house playback engine (it used to be Kontakt), which could
make it easier to add playback features, like quartertone playback.
That would at least be a start, although of course what I'd really
love would full support of sagittal, or user-defined accidentals.

[Oz.]

In my opinion, it is futile to wait for drastic microtonal
implementations to occur in Sibelius or Finale. There is a realistic
option for microtonalists using such notation software in Apple
computers: "Scordatura" from H-Pi Instruments, programmed by Aaron
Andrew Hunt.

While still in the process of beta testing, this soundfont synth with
custom control surface designs can simultaneously map any number
of .csv tuning tables to a total of 16 ports x 16 patches and playback
microtones thru soundfonts.

Integration of Scordatura with other midi programs is quite simple.
Just assign the appropriate Scordatura virtual midi input port in
Sibelius or Finale, choose the type of virtual port: "Master" (one
synth, 16 channels) or "Multi" (16 synths per 16 channels), configure
each port's 16 channels to accomodate instrument patch groups for your
orchestration needs, load the tuning tables you desire for the patch
groups and go!

It is as easy as doodle to switch on the fly a tuning table using
silent trigger notes. These trigger notes can be placed at the highest
or lowest registers and hidden in Sibelius or Finale.

Ability to save configurations assures that you don't have to worry
about your microtonal settings for a particular composition.

Scordatura is a marvelous and promising new microtonal tool for tuning
adventurers and xenharmonic composers.

Check it out: http://www.h-pi.com/SCRDsoftware.html

Dr. Ozan Yarman

[carl]

Hi Oz,

Thanks for your post. Scordatura does indeed look very promising.

I agree that nobody should hold their breath for microtonal
capabilities
in Sibelius, but I also think it's prudent to stay abreast of
developments,
and even to continue to lobby for microtonal features. The market of
existing music tools shows us that a broad variety of tools is
conducive
to music making, even in plain 12-ET. There are dozens of models of
trumpets to choose from, hundreds of mouthpieces, several major score
editing packages, dozens of sequencers, and thousands of synthesizers.
If we want micro music to be as diverse and easy to make as 12-ET
music,
we'll need all the help we can get.

-Carl