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This version of Sibelius allows you to compose using up to sixteen parts which are often enough for many less experienced composers or those who have no interest in exploring larger orchestral canvasses. The next step up is simply called ‘Sibelius’ and this will cost you $9.99 per month. There are as you would expect, restrictions with Sibelius First in that you can only compose with a maximum of four instruments.
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‘Sibelius First’ is the entry-level into the program and is free to use a piece of software.
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Sibelius is currently available as a subscription deal on three different levels to try and capture the full range of clients.
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Avid rightly felt that a first-class notation program alongside their industry-standard Pro Tools was a winning combination. Sibelius is now sold through Avid who became owners of the software in 2006.
The number of features now available to composers is more than many will ever need but most like to have available at their fingertips. With both software packages, the possibilities in terms of notation and playback are extraordinarily good. This has made it a rival of Sibelius with composers and publishers alike for many years. Like Sibelius, Finale is written to produce exceptional scores ranging from simple piano scores through to compositions for a one-hundred strong symphony orchestra. Phil Farrand is credited as the first author of Finale that is currently in its twenty-sixth incarnation.
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It is often assumed that Sibelius was the first notation software but Finale reached the notation market first in 1988 with versions for both Windows and Macintosh computers. This did not make a significant impact on the popularity of Sibelius that was soon adopted by many leading composers and publishing houses, celebrated for its ease of use, functionality, stability, and beautiful printed scores. In these very first years of Sibelius, it ran only on Windows and Risk computers, only a little later making its way onto the Macintosh computers. The result was Sibelius, named after the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. These guys had had enough of writing out music by hand and decided, very profitably as it turns out, to design a piece of software that could make the task less laborious. Sibelius was the first notation program I spent money on back in 1993 when it was first released by Cambridge based brothers Jonathan and Ben Finn. For this article, I am going to take a look at two of the leading software programs that are in the first category that musical notation. These are ones designed to produce professional-looking scores, the same as you would buy from a publisher, and those created to produce ‘sequenced’ compositions that use virtual instruments. You can also notate percussion instruments and create guitar tablature with your computer’s keyboard.Essentially, there are two different types of software programs in common use amongst composers today.
You simply press the Caps Lock key to transform your computer keyboard from a letter-entering tool to a note-entering tool. Like many of the music notation programs we reviewed, PrintMusic lets you enter notes using your computer keyboard no external MIDI equipment is required, but a midi keyboard is compatible. These brief tool descriptions cut down on the time you need to spend thumbing through a manual, scanning online help files or watching video tutorials.įinale PrintMusic performed well in our ease of use tests, but it doesn’t have a virtual piano to help you precisely place notes like Sibelius First does. Each tool on every palette includes a tooltip that activates when you place your cursor over it. This music composition software has an impressive set of note entry and editing palettes, yet it’s easy enough to use that you can quickly start composing quality music with very little instruction. Keep in mind that the PrintMusic version only works on Windows computers. The full Finale music notation software version costs $600, but if you can notate within the framework of 24 staves, the PrintMusic version is a good option – it works well for composers and musicians of all skill levels and only sets you back $120.
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Finale PrintMusic for Windows has most of the features you expect to find in the best music notation software, including manual step-time entry, a volume mixer and a guitar chord diagram creator.