Music Composition Software

[starrgrl24]

I'm just curious to what music program do you guys compose with? (or arrange music)

For my composition lessons, I compose with finale so my teacher can actually see the notes. lol I do also use FL Studio to compose as well! I prefer using FL Studio to compose because its ability to use VSTs and it's just extremely flexible. If I wanna make sheet music though, Finale is the way to go. xD I will be taking intro to music technology at my college, so I hope to gain experience with Reason as well. Reason sucks because of its lack of support for VSTs, but the "refills," which are equivalent to VSTs, are still pretty good.

(I am not a composition major, I am just taking the lessons for the fun and experience.)

[Shadoninja]

Finale. what versions I have are in my sig.

[MaestroUGC]

Finale is able to support VSTs as well. I don't quite remember the process in getting them into the program, though.

[starrgrl24]

Finale is able to support VSTs as well. I don't quite remember the process in getting them into the program, though.

I completely forgot about that! Funny because I am using a piano vst in Finale. It's cvpiano modeled. It's FREE and it sounds amazing with a few tweaking.

[Shadoninja]

Finale is able to support VSTs as well. I don't quite remember the process in getting them into the program, though.

midi/audio-> play finale through vsts-> then instrument setup -> vst instruments...

I tend not to use play through vst as it freezes finale for 30 seconds and that's really inconvenient.

[Greg]

I never understood the point of VST, whenever I try to use it the music sounds terrible. I'm missing something. 

[starrgrl24]

I never understood the point of VST, whenever I try to use it the music sounds terrible. I'm missing something.  

If you're using a piano vst...well most do sound terrible if you try to mix it with other orchestral vsts. If you have finale you should also have Garritan which is a vst itself. It's the crappy version of Garritan though. I want Garritan Personal Orchestra 4...ooor even better East West/Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra! It's not so great on finale though. Garritan is better for finale. Now...I don't know about Sibelius....

My only guess is that the vsts you're using just do not mix well.

I always use VST in finale, and it works great for me! I still prefer using sequencers if I want to make music that people just want to hear.

[Dudeman]

I use MuseScore. That's why I'm always asking someone to convert my midis to mus format. MuseScore does mscz.

[MaestroUGC]

Yeah, theGarritan with Finale sucks, hard. I just decided to buy GPO4 and installed in Finale, proper. Much, much better.

[Bespinben]

I use Sibelius 6, albeit not the full version, as it costs some $500. I'm perfectly fine with the almost just as good Sibelius 6 First version which costs $100. I recently tried to give a shot at learning to use Finale Notepad 2008 so I could submit my arrangements in the .mus format, but my experience in trying to write using that program was so infuriatingly frustrating that I gave up trying to learn it. I couldn't even add 8va or 8vb, which seriously limited my options in arranging.

[starrgrl24]

Finale notepad SUCKS. It is very limiting, which is why I just got Finale 2011. I got Finale 2011 at an amazing discount that my music theory textbook offered. I was pretty lucky. So yeah...I don't really suggest notepad if you wanna do more than just insert notes.

Sibelius is great though. It is a lot more user friendly in my opinion, but I prefer finale only because I am more comfortable with it. xD

Musescore...is okay....

[SlowPokemon]

Finale notepad SUCKS. It is very limiting, which is why I just got Finale 2011. I got Finale 2011 at an amazing discount that my music theory textbook offered. I was pretty lucky. So yeah...I don't really suggest notepad if you wanna do more than just insert notes.

Sibelius is great though. It is a lot more user friendly in my opinion, but I prefer finale only because I am more comfortable with it. xD

Musescore...is okay....

I prefer Finale Notepad to Musescore... I don't particularly like Finale Notepad, but the worst you'll have to do is ask somebody to combine two files since you can't change time signature, tempo, or key signature, or add a grace note somewhere. Unless you're doing something really advanced, it gets the job done at an alright level.

[starrgrl24]

Actually, I would have to agree that notepad is better than musescore. When I had musescore, it was a pain for me to insert the notes and the program constantly crashed when I do not insert the notes properly. I do like how musecore can save it instantly in .pdf though, which is very handy for sharing music. xD Well...you can save it in .pdf as well with notepad if you have programs that can convert it to that file.

When I had notepad, I was alright with it until I wanted to change time signature, tempos or keys. It was especially frustrating since I had compositions lessons and I gotta be creative. xD I never really did have a good experience with notepad....I'm keeping finale 2011 for sure.

If you wanna be cheap though, then you may as well get musescore. It still gets the job done. xD Notepad is pretty cheap though...it's a shame they make you pay for notepad now though. It used to be free.

[starrgrl24]

I have musescore, and it's horrible. I can't put a metronome, I can't undo most of the time, and it's a little cumbersome in general. I heard Finale 2011 is good, so i'm thinking of buying it after I get enough money in september. until then i'll just partner with someone to make music on nsm.

I hope you get the student discount for Finale.

[Oritendo]

what student discount?