Personal Composer
Jim O'Briant
> I take it, that none of you folks can respond on the differances
> between Personal Composer and Sibelius?? EJ
Sibelius for any platform other than Acorn is so new (on sale for less
than a month) that we are all just feeling our way around the program.
We can't share years of experience with a product that we have used for
less than 30 days -- that that many of us have not yet purchased at all.
As for personal composer -- I think I've heard the name mentioned, but
I've never used it.
If you want information about Sibelius, you might go to their website
and order their free demo CD-Rom.
Jim O'Briant
Bayside Music Press
Gilroy, CA
Earl Macey
Earl Macey
was I believe the first notation program ever produced. I've used the
windows version for the last 5 years. It is getting long in the tooth,
but..... I'm comfortable with it. The time factor in learning new
software is a significant factor in making a change. Tjhose of you who
have switched over to Sibelius, did you have dificulty in doing this?
Earl:
>Earl Macey wrote:
>
>> I take it, that none of you folks can respond on the differances
>> between Personal Composer and Sibelius?? EJ
>
Dave Baird
>I take it, that none of you folks can respond on the differances
>between Personal Composer and Sibelius?? EJ
I think your asking for a user of both programs who's had time to
evaluate Sebelius for Windows.
As a Personal Composer user (and not a Sebelius user) I'd be
interested in knowing of anyone who is a user of both programs.
Personal Composer has a very flexible sequencing capability that
allows adjustment from the default of each indvidual note's start
time, stop time, and key velocity as well as access to all the midi
controllers. I'd like to know how Sebelius stacks up in this area.
Sebelius' attempt to interpret score markings by user defined midi
translations looks promising. But how about the ability to over-ride
all that and tweak a single note? Or to just insert a (non-printing)
controller change message in the score?
Keep Composing!
Dave.
--------------------------
David Olen Baird, Composer
Email: mailto:davb...@fileshop.com
Home Page: http://www.tfs.net/~davbaird/
Ken Ashcroft
<davb...@tfs.net> writes
Actally, I have had personal Composer for many years, I started, I
think, in 89 with the DOS version. I built up a library of real time
comppositions, although I found the notation a little difficult to play
back. It was sad that we lost the dos version author.
I think Sibelius is a move forward, although I still have the windows
version of Personal Composer and it can do a good job.
I do seem to have collected a number of *.sng files, which I thoought
came from Persoanl Composer but the win version does not want to know
them. Any ideas?
>>I take it, that none of you folks can respond on the differances
>>between Personal Composer and Sibelius?? EJ
>
>I think your asking for a user of both programs who's had time to
>evaluate Sebelius for Windows.
--
Ken Ashcroft
Earl Macey
Dave Baird
<g3...@g3msw.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>Actally, I have had personal Composer for many years, I started, I
>think, in 89 with the DOS version.
That's also when I started composing with PC for DOS. The technology
has come a long way since then.
>It was sad that we lost the dos version author.
Yes it was, I hope Susan, his widow is doing well. I met her over the
telephone when she was helping with customer support on the Windows
version initial release and talked to her several times. I should
mention that the current owners have continued the tradition of good
customer service.
>I think Sibelius is a move forward, although I still have the windows
>version of Personal Composer and it can do a good job.
Ah yes, and here's my problem - is Sibelius' move forward worth the
cost?
It's nice to hear from a fellow PC Win user.
Dave Baird
wrote:
>Earl Macey wrote:
>
>> I take it, that none of you folks can respond on the differances
>> between Personal Composer and Sibelius?? EJ
>
>As for personal composer -- I think I've heard the name mentioned, but
>I've never used it.
FWIW: Personal Composer is a capable notation program with an
attractive font and a decent built in sequencer. It handles all the
standard notation issues. I use it all the time for all my scores
including some orchestral scores with up to 24 staves per system (I
think it handles more) with a two port midi interface (it handles more
of these too). It runs tolerably fast on my 50 MHZ 486 and
practically instantaneously on my 233 Pentium. The most recent
release is quite stable (despite a few bugs that can be worked around
- if you don't panic) and I can recomend it as a low to mid price
notation program (about 1/5 the cost of Sibelius).
OTH it doesn't do everything. E.G. forget it if you're into a lot of
20th C modern notation. My biggest wish is that score optimization was
automated. I spend a lot of time making sure that note spacing is
good (e.g. accidentals aren't running into previous notes) and
determining the correct number of systems per page and measures per
system per page.
I'll also mention that customer support has always been very good and
that it is not copy protected.
Last time I evaluated Finale I rejected it for two reasons - ugly
font, and poor built in sequencer.
I'll also put my vote in for hearing more about Sibelius (bugs,
cockpit confusion, warts and all) in this forum.
Earl Macey
David, that is my take on PC Support is excellant, however I've asked
several times about features that I would find useful, but there has
been No feature improvemnts in the last two tears or more, and I am
growing restless...Earl
Mark Garvin
>Actally, I have had personal Composer for many years, I started, I
>comppositions, although I found the notation a little difficult to play
Hi Ken,
Just noticed your post, a bit late, as I just stopped in for another
reason.
Indeed it is sad. Jim Miller (author of Personal Composer) was a dear
friend of mine. We met during 1983 NAMM when we both showed prototype
MIDI sequencers (I admit that he kicked my butt <g>). We made plans
to work on a project together (notation software) before he fell ill.
Jim was one of the nicest, most caring people I have ever met. A very
forward-thinking musician (who else has designed LISP interfaces for
their notation programs?)
>I think Sibelius is a move forward, although I still have the windows
>version of Personal Composer and it can do a good job.
>I do seem to have collected a number of *.sng files, which I thoought
>came from Persoanl Composer but the win version does not want to know
>them. Any ideas?
The newer Windows-based program was written by a completely different
software team. As far as I know, little of the original code remains.
There was a rumor of a converter program to port .SNG files into some
other format (originated in the DOS-PC days). I have never seen it,
and I doubt it would generate anything compatible with the current PC.
I know one of the other engineers from the latter-day Personal Composer
project who may know. I will ask, but don't get your hopes up.
Your best shot is to check with the current PC software team. In case
you don't have it, their email is:
MGarvin
NYC
Jim Degnan
harmony?
I've seen some programs, plus sequencers, etc, but all I need is the ability
to layer notes, and select which way the note flag points, independent of
its position on the staff.
Bernard Hill
<de...@cyberramp.net> writes
You might like to look at Music Publisher 32. It's a *publishing*
system, not a sequencer etc. It concentrates on the visual, printed page
and even is the musical equivalent of a word processor - it allows you
total freedom to put exactly what you want to see on the page whether it
breaks the rules of music or not.
Visit http:/www.braeburn.co.uk/mp.htm for reviews, descriptions, a
storyboard and download a full-featured evaluation copy.
Price of £79.95 UK or $140 US.
Bernard Hill
Braeburn Software
Author of Music Publisher system
Music Software written by musicians for musicians
http://www.braeburn.co.uk
Selkirk, Scotland
01750 21854
+44 1750 21854
cars...@gmail.com
> In article <363c7048...@lisa.rz.hu-berlin.de>, Dave Baird
> think, in 89 with the DOS version. I built up a library of real time
> comppositions, although I found the notation a little difficult to play
> back. It was sad that we lost the dos version author.
> version of Personal Composer and it can do a good job.
> I do seem to have collected a number of *.sng files, which I thoought
> came from Persoanl Composer but the win version does not want to know
> them. Any ideas?
> >>between Personal Composer and Sibelius?? EJ
> >
> >evaluate Sebelius for Windows.
>
> Ken Ashcroft
Any idea how to convert original Personal Composer DOS files to use with Finale or Sibelius? Most have the extension = .scr
cars...@gmail.com
> >Actally, I have had personal Composer for many years, I started, I
> >think, in 89 with the DOS version. I built up a library of real time
> >comppositions, although I found the notation a little difficult to play
> >back. It was sad that we lost the dos version author.
>
>
> Just noticed your post, a bit late, as I just stopped in for another
> reason.
>
> Indeed it is sad. Jim Miller (author of Personal Composer) was a dear
> friend of mine. We met during 1983 NAMM when we both showed prototype
> MIDI sequencers (I admit that he kicked my butt <g>). We made plans
> to work on a project together (notation software) before he fell ill.
>
> Jim was one of the nicest, most caring people I have ever met. A very
> forward-thinking musician (who else has designed LISP interfaces for
> their notation programs?)
>
>
> >version of Personal Composer and it can do a good job.
> >I do seem to have collected a number of *.sng files, which I thoought
> >came from Persoanl Composer but the win version does not want to know
> >them. Any ideas?
>
> software team. As far as I know, little of the original code remains.
> There was a rumor of a converter program to port .SNG files into some
> other format (originated in the DOS-PC days). I have never seen it,
> and I doubt it would generate anything compatible with the current PC.
> I know one of the other engineers from the latter-day Personal Composer
> project who may know. I will ask, but don't get your hopes up.
>
> Your best shot is to check with the current PC software team. In case
> you don't have it, their email is:
>
> http://www.pcomposer.com/
>
> MGarvin
> NYC
cars...@gmail.com
chrisn...@gmail.com
norman...@gmail.com
> im also looking for the DOS version of Personal Composer.. can anyone help?
head...@zen.co.uk
This is all because of the Windows 10 debacle and the reactions of so many people. I have resisted upgrading until now but it is becoming increasingly difficult to hold out.
Mark Head
On Saturday, 31 October 1998 08:00:00 UTC, Jim O'Briant wrote:
>
> > I take it, that none of you folks can respond on the differances
> > between Personal Composer and Sibelius?? EJ
>
> than a month) that we are all just feeling our way around the program.
> We can't share years of experience with a product that we have used for
> less than 30 days -- that that many of us have not yet purchased at all.
>
> I've never used it.
>
kylebr...@gmail.com
> Earl Macey wrote:
>
> > I take it, that none of you folks can respond on the differances
> > between Personal Composer and Sibelius?? EJ
>
> Sibelius for any platform other than Acorn is so new (on sale for less
> than a month) that we are all just feeling our way around the program.
> We can't share years of experience with a product that we have used for
> less than 30 days -- that that many of us have not yet purchased at all.
>
> As for personal composer -- I think I've heard the name mentioned, but
> I've never used it.
>
> If you want information about Sibelius, you might go to their website
> and order their free demo CD-Rom.
>
> Jim O'Briant
> Bayside Music Press
> Gilroy, CA
If you download the DEMO file from this site, it will load on Win10! Run it in compatibility mode for Win8.
Hope that helps!
bill sanderson
Like many of you, I have got used to Personal Composer and am reluctant to move from it as my primary notation tol, though I also have Finale which helps me with ochestral sounds via Garritan. Maybe I will eventually get my head round direct input from Finale but it is written for Apple users and not easy for me to learn.
Is Personal Composer 3 full version still available anywhere?