Klarinet Archive - Posting 000300.txt from 2001/01

From: "Dee D. Hays" <deehays@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Music Programs for PC??
Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2001 17:24:01 -0500

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ian Black" <clarinet1@-----.uk>
Subject: Re: [kl] Music Programs for PC??

> Sibelius is fantastic. I'm only using the demo version for playing around
> with features at the moment (while dreaming of having the money - or the
> wife's permission - to buy the full thing). I also use Noteworthy Composer
> (shareware program for which registration was $40 if I remember correctly)
> which I have found to be very good. It does, however, have its limitations
> in the more advanced features, and many of the markings which can be added
> (hairpins for cresc. etc.) are only font markings, and so have no effect
on
> the MIDI output
>

I haven't checked Sibelius but in all the other programs I have sampled,
even expensive items like Finale, things like hairpins are only font
markings. You must separately go in and actually adjust the dynamics of the
notes to get this effect. Once you do that, playback is correct and so is
the MIDI file. This is easy in Encore & MusicTime Deluxe. It is difficult
in Finale and cannot be done at all in Allegro, PrintMusic! and Finale
Notepad (all lower level Finale products).

In Noteworthy you can assign dynamic properties to each individual note to
get the effects of decrescendo, etc but I have played with it enough to know
how. I've just read about it in the help files. Note that the dynamic
property of a note is not the same thing as a dynamic marking on the visual
representation of the music.

Also what is your main purpose in choosing a notation program. Are you
publishing music? Just transposing a few simple pieces? Is your main goal
printed music or MIDI files? Is ease of use more important than a plethora
of features? Who are you going to be sharing files with? What can you
afford? These and many more are questions that should be asked and defined
before looking at programs. Define your criteria to evaluate what will best
suit your needs.

Dee Hays

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