I saw there were some other threads asking about sound software but I have a more specific question. I am a 20-year-old composer and I have a broad experience in music so you could say I know what I''m doing with the stuff. Does anyone know of any good MIDI editing and creation software? Right now I basically compose all my stuff in Finale but the MIDI with that leaves a lot to be desired. I wonder if this board accepts Japanese... Only one way to find out... ‚Ü‚Á‚½‚ˁI

Japanese didnt work on my computer....

If you want stuff to look nice on paper then finale is just about the best. But if you want it to sound real nice, you need to use a proper midi sequencer.

Do you need it to look nice AS WELL as sound nice? and what kind of music you produce? The ability to make stuff look right on a score and have the freedom to mess around with midi and make it sound spot on aswell, with the right feel and everything, seems to have eluded most music software manufacturers. I know.... I did a whole module trying to answer that question at Uni!

Seeing as you are using finale now Im guessing budget isnt a massive problem. Try the demos of ''VSTscore'' or ''VST32'' or ''SX'' versions of cubase, they all have very good scoring and sequncing facilities. I believe the latest versions of Logic Audio and Digital performer are equally good but I cannot vouch for them personally.

Goto sound on sound website and forum(perhaps I shouldnt say that!!), there is loads of good advice there...


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wiggly-worm.com - Media Music Factory...

there''s a really crap version of logic called ''logic fun'' ONLY on the german language version of emagic''s site.. think it''s under a link for ''educational materials'' or somesuch.. the v. is kinda crappy.. it''ll crash when you od stuff like resize some windows while the sequencer''s running.. oh.. and the midi file export doesn''t even save volume or pan settings.. emagic are kinda total bastards about making oyu pay thru the nose, but it''s a good tool if you have it.

having said that... i don''t even understand how people can compose with cubase.. i use matrix (as opposed to the score composition) myself, and imho logic''s system is soo much easier, using a customisable ''hot keys'' system, ie. one hand on mouse, one hand on keyboard to make changes to your tools so you don''t have to drag all over the screen to alter params. notes are colour-coded for velocity instead of that silly ''velocity graph at the bottom of the screen'' cubase thing

you may like ''harmony assistant'' as an option for scoring, hardly used it, but i''ve seen positive feedback.

I'd recommend Cakewalk Music Studio or Home Studio for your MIDI creation. There is also a program called MIDI notate, http://www.notation.com, that can seperate MIDI channels, classify them, and you can play them while watching the musicsheet. It also allows you to solo the channels and extract various ones for beat recoginition and so on. There is also a site called AnalogX that has plenty of music software, some of which are freeware to play with although not neccessarly MIDI.

I can see the Japanese, kanji.

[edited by - xiachunyi on June 27, 2003 11:41:31 AM]

quote: Original post by wiggly-worm
Do you need it to look nice AS WELL as sound nice? and what kind of music you produce?

I''m just looking for the best sound I can get out of midi. It doesn''t need to look nice at all (I can always just go and redo it in Finale if I want it to be pretty).

As for music I produce... I do almost anything from large orchestral works to stuff for my band.

quote: Original post by wiggly-worm
Do you need it to look nice AS WELL as sound nice? and what kind of music you produce?

I''m just looking for the best sound I can get out of midi. It doesn''t need to look nice at all (I can always just go and redo it in Finale if I want it to be pretty).

As for music I produce... I do almost anything from large orchestral works to stuff for my band.

go with a vst compatible host.. it is byfarbyfarbyfar the most widely spread format; as such availing you of millions.. (if you count soundfonts) of free sound sources. unless you write your own, there''s no other choice worth considering.