egv@aicchi.UUCP (Vann) (07/30/85)
WOW! I don't know about most of you, but I program computers for a living. And after spending 8-10 hours in front of a CRT about the last thing you might imagine I'd want to do is sit for another 2-3 more at HOME! But the fact is I do and enjoy it. The Macintosh is simply a joy to work on. Aside from the many programs I own that serve a purely functional purpose I have three which are simply diversions. I have Sargon III, MusicWorks and Videoworks. All three are from Hayden; well-done and relatively in- expensive as far as I am concerned. This Saturday I found another music program. I thought long and hard about buying another...but...this one is superb! I take nothing away from MusicWorks, but ConcertWare + has simply got the others beat in the SOUND department. Without waxing (or perhaps only trying to) eloquent about the many features in the program, let me simply suggest that you go and hear it for yourself. If you like it fine. Maybe like me you'll buy it. If not then consider me as a person with a tin ear and let it go at that. But I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised. -- Eric Geoffrey Vann Analysts International (Chicago Branch) (312) 882-4673 ..!ihnp4!aicchi!egv
mike@smu (07/31/85)
Regarding ConcertWare+, I agree that it's got MusicWorks beat in the sound and capabilities department. However, the MusicWriter section of the software is ANNOYINGLY BIZARRE. I mean, it works OK, but behaves very strangely sometimes. It is also hellishly slow when messing with large documents. I miss the little window in MusicWorks that tells where the cursor is on the staff; I find myself having to count notes from a couple of reference points frequently. By the way, you really should hook the Mac up to a stereo for either of these programs. The sound is improved beyond belief. It's also great to crank up Megaroids or MacBugs! until the neighbors come 'round to investigate an alien landing. Mike McNally SMU mike@smu ...convex!smu!mike
al@aurora.UUCP (Al Globus) (08/01/85)
> > I take nothing away from MusicWorks, but ConcertWare + has simply got the > others beat in the SOUND department. Without waxing (or perhaps only > trying to) eloquent about the many features in the program, let me simply > suggest that you go and hear it for yourself. If you like it fine. Maybe > like me you'll buy it. If not then consider me as a person with a tin > ear and let it go at that. But I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised. > Before becoming a computer jock I was a professional musician. I tried MusicWorks, ConcertWare+, and Professional Composer before buying ConcertWare+. ConcertWare+ is superior to MusicWorks in a number of ways besides sound, pieces can be longer, meter and key can change in the middle of a piece, many more meters are available, etc. Professional Composer is the most powerful system but it costs $500 and is in some ways inferior to ConcertWare+, particularly in user interaction. HOWEVER. None of these programs is really useful to a professional jazz or pop musician. You can't add chord changes, the sound should be a midi interface to a real instrument not these silly computer synthesizers that sound like a joke, ... I could go on for a while. Bottom line: I bought ConcertWare+ but it's for sale now.