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Explaining Music Notation Software

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RayCampbel

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Jun 12, 1997, 3:00:00 AM6/12/97

A few days ago someone posted a message asking about notation software.

Here are some thoughts on the topic from those of us at zZounds Music
Discovery Center (1-800-zZounds).

There are a variety of products that allow you to record what you play on
a keyboard into a computer and display it as standard music notation. All
that is required some software. A simple keyboard and a MIDI interface are
optional but will facilitate your notating tremendously by allowing you to
play in the notes rather than placing them on a stave from menus and
toolbars. Minor adjustments of playing technique can greatly improve the
accuracy with which a program transcribes your playing into notation. (A
previous responses suggesting that editing can be tedious was accurate,
but in fact most editing can be avoided entirely by learning how to play
for the program. Most editing is required only if you wish to generate
publishing-quality scores or tablature or genre-specific markings--such as
for jazz--and even changes like that can be minimal.)

MIDI stands for "music instrument digital interface." It is a standard
that allows keyboards from various manuafactures to communicate with each
other and with computers. It is used everywhere from internet web sites to
pro studios.

MIDI keyboards can be obtained as inexpensively as $99 for keyboards that
will sit conveniently next to your computer. Weighted 88-key keyboards
(with a similar feel to a real piano) are available for as little as $749.
Or you can have a strip put into your real piano (nonobtrusively and
without damage) for about $1500 that will send MIDI information to your
computer.

It is not necessary for you to be a keyboard virtuoso in order to benefit
substantially from having a MIDI keyboard. In fact, a keyboard can speed
up your notating even if you can barely play at all. You can play in the
notes one at a time, specifying the duration of each, or you can play in a
fast song at a much slower tempo (determined by you).

A MIDI interface allows any MIDI keyboard to be connected to your
computer. A MIDI interface is included in nearly all recent
Windows-compatible soundcards and requires only a special cable (about
$25) to be connected to any MIDI keyboard. (We can advise you via email or
phone if you are unsure.) A nice MIDI interface for a Macintosh computer
can be had for about $55. It connects to one of your serial ports. If your
serial ports are already full, don't worry, because most interfaces
include a pass-through to allow you to connect your modem or printer to
the MIDI interface.

A wide variety of software is available to allow you to record what you
play on a keyboard into a computer and display it as standard music
notation. This class of products is generally referred to as "notation"
software. Fortunately, most of it is available for Windows and Macintosh.
Below we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each piece of
software. Generally, the program works very similarly on both the Windows
and Macintosh platforms (and in many cases is identical code, just ported
from one machine to the other).

Musicshop is a sequencer, but it displays and can print notation. Although
it doesn't do anything fancy, and isn't a strong notation program, it will
often do the job. An advantage of Music Shop is that it shares the same
interface (way of working with the computer) as Opcode's more upscale
sequencer products, so once you've learned this, it would be easy to
transfer your skills to one of the more comprehensive products. Our cost
for the Windows version is $99; we sell the Mac version for $149 with a
bundled interface.

Music Time is a basic, entrly level notation program. It is cheap (less
than $100) and very easy to use. It is great for lead sheets.. It is
limited to 8 staves, but this isn't a problem for most people. If what you
do is mainly piano and vocals, and you don't need complete editing
control, then Music Time is a great first choice.

Another virtue of Music Time is that it shares a similar way of working
with Passport's Rhapsody and Encore. Rhapsody is the next step up. It
allows you to enter 32 staves of music, enter more markings (but not
everthing). Rhapsody is probably the most appropriate choice for
intermediate users.

Encore is Passport's premier product. It has no practical limit on the
number of staves and allows you to enter a vast variety of markings. It
has extensive editing features and is a professional product. List on
this program is $595; street price at zZounds is discounted to a little
more than half list.

Overture is zZounds favorite notation program, but unfortunately it is
currently available only for the Macintosh. Many people find it to be the
easiest to use, but it is also extremely powerful. It is the only notation
software besides Finale that will allow you to print out in different
fonts (for big-easy note reading, or for jazz fakebook style look). List
is $495; we discount this as well.

Finale is the professional standard program. It tends to be more confusing
and sometimes slow even on fast computers. But it is used by Hal Leonard,
for example, to print out their books, and expert users are
plentiful--sources for advanced tutoring, consulting, or clinics if you
are after the ultimate look for publication.

Exclusively on the Windows side, Cakewalk is a very popular program. It
comes in different strengths -- ranging from a simple Home Studio version
to robust professional versions. Cakewalk combines sequencing and
notation, and, like most other combined programs, is not as powerful a
notation program as some of the high end, pure notation programs. On the
entry level side, the Home Studio version comes bundled in a $99 package
with a 48 key MIDI keyboard, a cable to connect it to your PC, and even a
sustain pedal.

We could go on. The point is that depending on your budget and your
needs, there are lot of great options out there. We would be glad to talk
with anyone interested in learning more.

Ray Campbell
zZounds Music Discovery Center
125 West North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60610
312/280-4664
1-800-zZounds (1-800-996-8637) (orders)
R...@zZounds.com
www.zZounds.com

Timur

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Jun 15, 1997, 3:00:00 AM6/15/97

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Also you can try "Mozart" : http://www.mozart.co.uk/
and "Lime" at http://datura.cerl.uiuc.edu/
--
////////////////////////////////////
To reply:
Remove " nospam" from the address
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Mike DeZelar <mi...@visi.com> wrote in article
<33a2900a...@news.visi.com>...
> Another notation program worth looking into is Noteworthy Composer.
> At $39.00, it is a great value for the person who can't afford or
> justify spending hundreds of dollars on a "professional" notation
> package.
>
> They have a web site at http://www.ntworthy.com where you can look
> into it for yourself.
>
> I have no connection to the people at Noteworthy except that I have
> purchased their product and find it a great program, regardless of its
......

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<html><head></head><BODY bgcolor=3D"#FFFFFF">Also you can try "Mozart" : =
http://www.mozart.co.uk/ and "Lime" at =
http://datura.cerl.uiuc.edu/ -- =
 //////////////////////////////////// To reply: Remove " =
nospam" from the =
address //////////////////////////////////// Mike DeZelar <mi...@visi.com> =
wrote in article <33a2900a...@news.visi.com>... > Another notation program worth looking =
into is Noteworthy Composer. > At $39.00, it is a great value for =
the person who can't afford or > justify spending hundreds of =
dollars on a "professional" notation > package. > =
 > They have a web site at http://www.ntworthy.com =
where you can look > into it for yourself. > > I have =
no connection to the people at Noteworthy except that I have > =
purchased their product and find it a great program, regardless of =
its ...... 
</body></h=
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