What do you use?

Hello Everyone, I am new, and I would like to know what composing program you use for composing (that has a free trial;)) I use finale allegro, but my offer has expired, and I love that program. So, that is it. Thanks for your suggestions. :D

There's also Finale Notepad (completely free, if lacking the more advanced features). Still, more than adequate for beginners.

I use Sibelius. The demo doesn't allow one to save, but it basically shows all the features it has. However, I have always felt like I am missing something when I use Sibelius. I used Notepad for a while before I bought Sibelius, and I was used to Notepad's entry method a lot more than Sibelius. Sibelius' "easy entry" just confuses me and often makes me angry. But other than that, it's great for me.

thanks everyone! :)

robinjessome- thanks for the link! sadly though, i already have notepad, but thanks!

Rafn- yeah, i know what you mean, sibelius DOES confuse me! anyway, thanks for your help!

I prefer Finale, guys, thanks. BTW, if you haven't noticed, whenever your trial has expired in Finale Allegro, you can still save if you open a previously made project and make changes to it. I may have a glitch, though, which could explain that...Anyways, try it out to see if it works to confirm my myth. :)

My advice to you (if you don't want to pay for a composing program) is to just do what youve been doing and using the old saved files as templates for new things. However I would reccomend to just go out and buy one- it's definately worth the money.

Thanks Phoenix!

The 2008 version of Finale is right around the corner. Don't buy anything yet, or you will be dissapointed.

The 2008 version of Finale is right around the corner. Don't buy anything yet, or you will be dissapointed.

That will cost like a fortune. :toothygrin:

haha yeah. i cant wait for it. new demos!! xDD lol, dont mind me! well, plus, its most likely going to have somewhat of a good percussion midi section, not like 2007's toot tooot bling! for a midi snare drum, lol.

Right now just Notepad and some demos. But at the end of summer, I'm getting Finale 2007 and GPO.

I currently use Allegro 07 for sheet music. But I also like using FL Studio (index) for piano roll composition. I began playing the piano, so it's still much easier for me to use a piano roll. The demo version allows you to create MP3s, and to save MIDIs.

Before using Allegro, I've tried MidiIllustrator (MidiIllustrator music notation software), and Noteworthy Composer (NoteWorthy Composer - MIDI Music Composition and Notation Processor Software ) which both have usable trial versions. Out of the two, I liked NWC the best before Allegro.

do you create scores on GPO?

I use Sibelius and i love it. I couldnt think about switching.

I have 4 right now, but my upgrade to 5 should be here any day now.

Harmony Assistant

I use sibelius and its cool but it does confuse me sometimes. I prefer to use pencil and paper to sibelius; Sibelius is what I use if I can't hear what something will sound like in my head.

do you create scores on GPO?

GPO is a sound library. It is used to play the scores made in other programs, such as Finale.

does GPO create scores?

**edit** sorry didnt notice that bob! thanks anyway

I used notepad then switched to Sib. Once you learn to hit the ESC key before you do anything, then it works great. I plan on upgrading to sib 5 w/GPO shortly. If you are a student it costs alot less than Finale and will do the same and more.

what is the cost for a student?

I use Notepad

I use Notepad, and I also use the old fashioned pencil and paper technique too.

I paid like 225$ for sib 4 with the student discount. Finale doesn't come anywhere near that. It will cost me 120 more for sib5 w/GPO. But I gotta wait til fall when I get my student loan.

Sonar 6 - the crappiest addition to the Sonar series + Goldwave.

Finale

Cubase SL3

Audition 2

and many others + samples + whatever else...

I’m currently using an old version of Notepad Plus that allows me to create midi files. I love the user interface, but it has a few limitations that are just now becoming problematic for me.

I’m currently writing a piece that I would like to use more than 7 staffs. I never thought I’d ever need to worry about having more than 7 staffs, but I’m actually writing a pretty interesting piece right now and I could use more staffs.

Another thing that is really bothering me right now is that I need to have instruments fade in and out and I can’t do that with Notepad. This is really important in the piece that I’m currently writing. I have a lot of instruments playing a beat together in the background and I’d like them to play it very softly so as not to drown out other melodies. Moreover, I’m trying to have the beat slowly change by having some instruments slowly fade out and other ones fade in. I just can’t do that with Notepad, everything is at a constant volume and I’m finding it impossible to get a feel for how I want things to evolve.

So I’m thinking about moving up to “Print Music” and if that won’t do what I want, maybe I’ll have to move up again to “Allegro”. I hope I don’t need to go all the way to Finale 2008. I simply can’t afford it right now.

I don’t know much about Sibelius, but from what I hear I think I’ll like the Finale user interface better. I really can’t say because I haven’t seen what Sibelius is like. I just know that I want to have more control over the articulations and expressions than Notepad can handle. And a few more staffs would be nice too.

I never thought I’d get into writing ‘symphonies’ but right now I’m working on a major piece that is actually four movements long. I just got inspired to write this and the creative juices are flowing. By the time I get all my software needs met, I’ll probably fall back into an uncreative slump again.

I am writing this in Notepad right now, but it’s really frustrating not being able to fade things out especially. I really need to be able to hear that because in some sense I get my inspiration from the sound, and if I can’t hear it then it doesn’t evolve right. It’s too complex with all the instruments. My brain can’t keep track of it all, I need to hear it as I go.

Thank god for computers! I could never do this on paper.