Music Composition Programs?

[Vaderbait1 1]

Hey, I'm entirely new to this, and aside from playing alto sax for a few years in middle school (and on and off during high school), I've never had any experience actually studying other instruments or musical theory. However, I've heard of these programs that composers use, several posters on these boards use them in fact. Now, I know there are really two price levels for these programs: Expensive and Life Savings (at least for me ), so I'm very reluctant to buy a program that A) I don't even know if it's something I would devote Expensive or Life Savings' amount of time on or B) if the program is even to my liking.

So, here I ask for recommendations on what programs are the best, and the question that assuredly pops up in all threads like this: Are there any with good free trials?

Some of you who have experience with these thigns might scoff at me, because I noticed it seems like several posters have extensive schooling and studying of these matters, but hey, stranger things have happened than someone teaching themselves how to do something like I am curious to try.

[Henry B 50]

I use Garritan Personal Orchestra, Garritan Jazz/Big Band, and Overture 4.0. That's a combined value of, uhhhh, $650. I'm serious about making composition my life, however, so it seems a reasonable price, for the moment.

[Damo 0]

I use Sibelius. Great software and easy to compose.

[Vaderbait1 1]

I've heard some samples, and most of them save to midi files, correct? I know nothing compares to a true orchestral score, but are there any that have music that sounds similar, though undoubtedly still electronic-sounding?

[Musicmaster 0]

www.vsl.co.at

[Salacius 7]

I've always been using cubase

I am now using Cubase SX and it's very similar to protools,

very good program

[robthehand 3]

Sibelius, if you can afford or download it.

[OrchDork 0]

For notation, I use Sibelius. I love it; it's very user-friendly, and it's visually appealing. For audio and midi editing, I use Sonar 4 (Producer Edition), which I also find to be very good. Sonar is sort of the PC equivalent to Digital Performer (which, if you have a Mac, is a good program). I've also used Cubase a few times, and it's good too, but I prefer Sonar.

[Vaderbait1 1]

So, what's notation? Can someone give me a crash course on the basics of composing?

[Henry B 50]

Notation is... notes.

[robthehand 3]

Or more specifically: the act of putting notes on paper (or a into a program like Sibelius).

[Salacius 7]

I use Sibelius. Great software and easy to compose.

How do you compose with Sibelius?

With the mouse or do you play and record?

[robthehand 3]

Either. You can use MIDI stuff too.

If you can work out where to plug the damn thing in!

[Damo 0]

I use Sibelius. Great software and easy to compose.

How do you compose with Sibelius?

With the mouse or do you play and record?

I use the mouse because i dont have a MIDI keyboard connected to the computer.

[SturgisPodmore 0]

I use Finale 2004.

~Sturgis

[OrchDork 0]

You can also use the numeric keypad on your computer keybord to enter notes - which is a lot faster than clicking with the mouse. That's what I've been doing lately while my piano keyboard is being repaired. Both Sibelius and Finale have these options, though personlly, I find Sibelius' setup for this way of entering notes to be easier than that of Finale's.

[Salacius 7]

I use Sibelius. Great software and easy to compose.

How do you compose with Sibelius?

With the mouse or do you play and record?

I use the mouse because i dont have a MIDI keyboard connected to the computer.

I see,

I write with a keyboard, I find it a bit hard to write on music programs, is it feasible to record through keyboard to Sibelius?

Wouldn't the notation be all messy?

[robthehand 3]

There are two ways (that I know of). One way means that you select (with the mouse) the length of the note - crotchet, minim, quaver etc. - and then press the note you want - A, B, C etc. - on the keyboard. This is great if you're doing a huge long set of quavers, but be a bit of pain if you're changing note length all the time.

The other way is to do it "freehand". This way you are given a metronome beat, and you play whatever tempo/notes you like, and it will notate them exactly how you play them. However, unless you have super-human timing, this is difficult to do to any accuracy.