Notation and Sequencing and Recording and back-and-forth
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    Are there any programs — or collections of programs — which provide a decent experience moving back and forth between preparing USABLE scores and doing audio production?

    OR Does anyone have any suggestions for a workflow that makes sense?

    I'm interested in being able to produce near-professional scores (but nothing more complicated than a choral work with accompaniment --- not orchestral or crazy modern), and also go form there --- in as few steps as possible --- into a sequencing and recording environment.

    Thoughts? Ideas?


    I would prefer Open Source software if available, but the big one (Audacity) doesn't support midi sequencing. I don't know if there are other options or if I'm eventually going to have to break down and buy Protools.
  • barreltone
    Posts: 32
    What OS do you use?

    I don't know of any one program that does both of these functions well, although there are a few commercial products that claim to.

    There are a couple of open-source programs with MIDI sequencing, so you would be able to import a MIDI file from a notation program like MuseScore.

    LMMV is one that works on Mac, Windows, and Linux:
    https://lmms.io/
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    I have a Mac.
  • barreltone
    Posts: 32
    Well, Ardour is another option, then. It's open-source but they still expect you to pay for a Mac version, unfortunately:

    http://ardour.org/
    Thanked by 1Adam Wood
  • CGM
    Posts: 683
    20 years ago I used to use Digital Performer, and it produced decent notation from its track windows (although at that time, there was no lyric entry). You could try it free for 30 days and see if it does what you need, before dropping the phat ca$h.
    http://www.motu.com/products/software/dp/
    Thanked by 1barreltone
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    Finale's strength is scoring, but has grown more powerful in its ability to export audio and MIDI. Digital Performer is an EXCELLENT program for creating MIDI files for performance though it may be overwhelming in other aspects.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    I use Sibelius and it is completely friendly to MIDI sequencing both in and out.
    Thanked by 1Adam Wood
  • barreltone
    Posts: 32
    Hey, I got an email that the group that develops Tracktion (another DAW software) just made their version 4 of the software FREE. It's a couple of versions behind, but may have the features you need/work for you, if you're still looking around for this.

    Link to download:
    http://www.tracktion.com/downloads/tracktion4

    It's a bit of an unorthodox UI for a DAW, and that's its niche.
  • ghmus7
    Posts: 1,465
    Well, in not sure exactly what youbwant to do. ARE you wanting to use midi sounds/patches to make an audio file that you can reproduce for others?
    I use finale and sony sound forge. I can create a score in finale and assign the garritan instruments to it, probably the best out of box sounds...then you can just export the midi file into anything that will process it. You can also just copy that midi file as a wav and reproduce in in cd, send it through email or whatever.
  • ghmus7
    Posts: 1,465
    Is digital performer expensive?
  • barreltone
    Posts: 32
    DP is about $400. $200 for each major upgrade, and minor updates are free.
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