Composing Software

Forums Guitars, Gear, Software & Education Composing Software

  • Post
    Sean Conklin
    Sean Conklin
    Member

    What composing software do you guys use, if any? When I compose, I usually start out just messing around on the guitar. Then when I’ve formulated some ideas, I go the computer and start putting the song together. I use a program called Anvil Studio. It’s awesome, and free! http://www.anvilstudio.com I especially like it because it doesn’t have any bells and whistles, just the bare bone basics that I need to compose my songs.

    Once the song is composed, I use other software to sample and enhance the instruments, but I pretty much use Anvil Studio exclusively to compose. I highly recommend it.

    What about you guys? What do you use?

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  • Replies
    Mike Edwin
    Mike Edwin
    Member

    Ususally its just me and the guitar.

    When I do want to arrange for other instruments though. It will be on Finale. Not long ago I got the 2008 release with the Garritan Personal Orchestra and Jazz Band Instrument Packages. So far there is nothing Finale wont let me do so far as production goes.

    Finale has quite a learning curve but definately worth the effort. Not to mention it has a massive collection of video tutorials that explain just about every aspect of the program. Which makes life easier.

    Along with ‘Band In a Box’, which is just a really cool program for making quick easy backing tracks.

    As far as composing software, I’m with mike on this one and use Finale as well. I mean, everyone at school uses it! But as of now, I can only use the free version of it, but it works.

    But alot of the teachers use Sibelius, especially the voice teacher when she composes stuff for her band as well as stuff for choir. Same with the Improv instructor as well when he charts out the jazz tunes we need to learn.

    Has anyone had any experience with using Sibelius and how does it compare pro and con-wise to Finale?

    I’m using Sibelius and i used Finale before. Sibelius is far more superior over Finale in everything especially details which are unnoticeable at the first glance. I just know that after going to Sibelius from Finale it was a HUGE change šŸ™‚

    Fingerspasm
    Member

    I use Reaper. You can use it for free for your own use. If you are going to use it for commercial purposes then you have to pay. Its free and they have a great website with plenty of users and they update it constantly. I use it along with Amplitube2 and TRacks.
    Here are some of my tracks. Some are kinda crudy but a few of them are not bad. I have only been playing for about 4 years. Seriously for the last 2. So you will have to take that into consideration.
    http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_music.cfm?bandID=685738

    skynyrdkoku
    Member

    Guitar Pro all the way. I don’t use it for acoustic stuff though. effects sound horrible. But for hard rock it’s decent.

    I use GuitarPro only for guitar tracks just to note the exercise/solo/idea. When i need to do the arrangement I do it on fly in Cubase. If I am after something more complicated than I use Sibelius.

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