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I have been looking into getting a music notation program with those gift certificates from Christmas. I am looking for things other than Finale. I have heard good things about Sibelius but I just don't know much about this area. Anything suggestions would be appreciated. By the way I run on Windows XP, no Mac here.

thanks
Ben

This has been much discussed here, as well as other forums. I think you will find as many opinions with this question as with "which is the best pick-up truck" or even "which is the best tuba?" Just decide what you want to do with the application... download demos... and buy the one that works for you.

Depends what you want really - I've used most software packages, bur find Sibelius the best standalone NOTATION package.

Even though they have tried to broaden the scope with enhanced Playback features, this is handled much better elsewhere (giga studio etc).

I know quite a few notation software. I find Finale and Sibelius the best choice. they are very different. but they are both very good allaround software.

I personaly use finale but just because I'm more used to it.

For a more professional layout, Igor Engraver is the best I know.
but it is a litle more difficult to use in my point of view.

in short, my opinion is:
Finale will do everything. (very fast writing)
Sibelius will do it easily. (very fast writing)
Igor Engraver will do a superb printig job. (not so fast)

none of these are compatible with each other (unless thru midi files).

none of these can easily make a modern looking score.

Sibelius works for me.... but whatever you decide to buy ...if you are a student or Teacher do look into the "educators" price... it is the same software just much much cheaper since it is being bought by someone involved in education.
just a thought

Anybody use Finale Notepad?

It's free, but doesn't do some of the large-scale stuff like the full version.

Most software publishers have demos that you can download to get a "feel" for their products. Certainly Sibelius does. You won't be able to print anything, but you'll get a good feel for how things work.

For pure clarity in engraving, it's hard to beat (free) Lilypond, but it's not a notation editor, but rather an engraving package.

Leland wrote:Anybody use Finale Notepad?

It's free, but doesn't do some of the large-scale stuff like the full version.

I've used Finale Notepad for a while. As you said, it doesn't do everything the full Finale package does, but it does what I need (so far, at least), and the price is hard to beat!

Thanks for the suggestions, I'm going to start downloading some of the numerous demos available for these programs now and look at some of the ones I hadn't heard of like Noteworthy Composer and Lilypond. thanks again,

Ben

Back when I used to run Digital Performer as my primary sequencing software, I bought Sibelius, having heard that it was the easiest to learn and had the power to do what I needed. DP has a terrible notation program.

Sibelius did turn out to be easy to use, but there are many things about it that I was unhappy with. There are serious formatting problems, especially when writing ledger lines. There are also many tasks that one might think you could do to the entire project, but as it turns out, I had to go through and do them one task at a time. This took too long for me, although I did come up with some nice looking scores.

Upon moving to Logic about a year ago, I found that Logic's notation editor is just as pretty and powerful as Sibelius, but even easier to use, without the formatting problems. If you are only running a PC, I would think harder about getting Finale.

i use finale to do stuff like transposition and for composing/arranging. i like it the best if you have the means to get it, but if your more limited in your spending, dollar for dollar notworthy composer is probobly the best.

Anterux wrote:For a more professional layout, Igor Engraver is the best I know.
but it is a litle more difficult to use in my point of view.

Igor Engraver will do a superb printig job. (not so fast)

none of these can easily make a modern looking score.

What do you mean, "modern looking" above?

You seam to say that Igor Engraver is good for printing, but then say it doesn't easily make a "modern looking" score.

FWIW, I don't want a modern looking score. They look bad, and are hard to read. I want the hand engraved look of 100 years ago. As discussed here.

Has anyone here worked with Denemo much yet? Looking for opinions on it as a GUI entry app.

What do you mean, "modern looking" above?

We can do almost anything with these notations softwares.

but all three I mention above and I may add to the list, Encore, Music Time, Noteworthy, Ouverture, have one big problem:
they are based in measures.
sure we can write music without measures with them, but we have to think in measures always.
that is a big andycap because sometimes (many times in my composition) it is more natural to write without measures. (not only without DISPALYING measure bars.)
I dont look for a "modern look". I use the look that can better represent on paper what I want to hear. Or so I try it.

Anterux "who thinks music is not on paper. but in our hearts. paper is just a guide. a map. with many gaps sometimes..." Ã

I'm a long term Finale user, but the comment about measures did ring a bell. If you want to write a piece that has frequent time signature changes, or one that is "free flow" without measures at all (I wrote one back in college that was "spacial" to read....everyone had a score and came in when it "looked" right) .... finale might not be right, or even Sibelius. I"ll be curious to see the new Overture.

Since I compose without a keyboard, just on the computer itself by inputting notes on the staff, playback is important for me. I don't need fabulous true-to-life instrument sounds (which is good, because I don't have them) but I'd be up a creek without playback. It continues to amaze and astound me how Brahms, Tchaikowski, Beethoven, etc...wrote symphonies with too many parts to play on a keyboard, and they got them right. I couldn't do counterpoint or multiphonics without playback. I mean, how do you hear Rite of Spring in your head?

MA

Shall I assume that is not a slam?

I find that when the counterpoint or melodic interplay becomes complex, that playback is extremely helpful, and that the parts are much easier to write on the fly. If that makes me not a "real" composer, well, I guess you are entitled to your opinion.

MA, who still greatly admires the "real" composers

It all depends on what you are more used to using. If you have used Finale more in the past, then it will feel easiest, and make the most sense. People who say Sibelius is easier to use than Finale do so because it's what they're familiar with; Finale seems foreign and complex. For me, I became acquainted with Finale first, so when I try to use Sibelius, I get easily frustrated. I would say Finale is easier to use, but again, that's because it's what I know.

Both programs are very capable, and can do really anthing you need to do. As for Noteworthy Composer, Lilypad, Overture, et. al., I am not really familiar with those, so I'm afraid I'm useless to you there. All I can tell you is, whichever program you choose, if it can support a MIDI keyboard input (which I imagine they all can), you would do yourself a huge favor to set one up. You will find the amount of time it takes you to write a score decreases by about half.

Tim Murphy, who wishes there was a quick and easy way to enter all dynamics, articulations, and other markings into the score, too.

"Internal audition" is good. I use it until a point. but with certain complexities it helps to hear "externaly". all thru the ages there was exelent composers who had it all in the head before witing. others didnt and experimented on the piano, the organ, guitar, or what ever came to hand. And they were also exelent composers. Creativity, musicality, are more (most) important to us. today we also use computers. great. they help alot. but they dont garantee anything. (I also use the tuba... to compose music for piccolo )