lmm@labsms.UUCP (09/17/87)
I've got numerous questions concerning Music programs written for Mac. If Concertware+ and DMCS are both pretty good software packages for Sequencing & Scoring of Music with MIDI support, then what is the advantages of some of the higher-priced Macintosh packages, (ie. Mark of the Unicorn - Performer, and Composer and Opcode's Sequencer 2.5) Am I missing the point somewhere - Are these completely different animals, with different functions and purpose? Is what the higher priced packages offer worth it? (I know, It depends on what I want) Is Concertware+ and DMCS really sequencers per-se? You cant really do with them what a person can do with Performer and Composer can you? Or are they basically the same thing but just less powerful? What kind of person buys the higher priced Mac programs? - what do they do with them that they need the extra power they provide? If a persons interest lies only in being able to play something on a keyboard, have the Mac save it, and then be able to edit it on screen and then print it out in standard music notation on an Imagewriter or a Laserwriter. What software does he need? If on top of that he wants to be able to do some orchestration, I mean if he has a multi-timbral synthesizer and wants to put in several different tracks assigned to different MIDI channels and put together something musical what software does he need? Along another line, if a person does use a Laserwriter for printing out his music, does he have to have the sonata font? Which software programs support sonata? What are some of the other Programs available for the Mac that do some of the things I've talked about above? Which is the best seller? Larry McWilliams ihnp4!labsms!lmm
chow@batcomputer.UUCP (09/20/87)
In article <203200006@labsms.UUCP> lmm@labsms.UUCP writes: > >If Concertware+ and DMCS are both pretty good software packages for >Sequencing & Scoring of Music with MIDI support, then what is the >advantages of some of the higher-priced Macintosh packages, (ie. >Mark of the Unicorn - Performer, and Composer and Opcode's Sequencer 2.5) > >Am I missing the point somewhere - Are these completely different >animals, with different functions and purpose? Is what the >higher priced packages offer worth it? (I know, It depends on what I want) I can't speak for Concertware+ as I don't own it, but I do own both DMCS 2.0 and Opcode System's sequencer 2.5. For the musical work which I do, I consider DMCS 2.0 to be a toy. You can view DMCS 2.0 as a program which teaches simple scoring with music play back on the Mac's speaker. The MIDI implementation was an afterthought and you really can't do any "sequencing" with it. DMCS 2.0's one advantage over Concertware is that it Opcode's Sequencer 2.5 can save its sequences in DMCS 2.0's notation form. Lets briefly compare DMCS 2.0 v. Opcode Sequencer 2.5 for sequencing. In DMCS, I have to go through alot of fuss to get the correct duration in the score when I play in something. Furthermore, since you can only input on one staff in DMCS at any time, when you try to play two hand pieces that one staff looks really strange. In a real sequencer, you tell the sequencer what tempo you plan on playing on, and then, assuming you've got your midi cables hooked up correctly, you can begin to play. If you do it correctly, several people can even play at once. The sequencer will capture pretty much anything related to performance which you want it to record. Most sequencers allow you to selective record/ignore various midi events, quantize note-on/offs/duration, and edit midi data. Basicly, think of DMCS as a educational notation program with some playback capabilities, and Opcode Sequencer 2.5 as a full-featured midi recording/playback program w/o notation. > >Is Concertware+ and DMCS really sequencers per-se? You cant really do >with them what a person can do with Performer and Composer can you? >Or are they basically the same thing but just less powerful? No way -- see above. > >What kind of person buys the higher priced Mac programs? - what do they >do with them that they need the extra power they provide? A person who has at least one midi synthesizer, who wants to have an "electronic recording studio", and who could care less about the built-in Mac speaker for reproduction of music. It all depends on your goals - I have two polytimbral synths and a drum machine and I use the Opcode sequencer to get everything else to play parts for me while I solo. I also use the sequencer when I just play on my keyboard -- this way if I come up with any interesting ideas I can listen to them again via the sequencer. > >If a persons interest lies only in being able to play something on a >keyboard, have the Mac save it, and then be able to edit it on screen >and then print it out in standard music notation on an Imagewriter or a >Laserwriter. What software does he need? If you want to play something on a keyboard in real-time and have a program save it so that you can edit it, and then print out notation, then you'll need some pretty high power software. Notice that the keyword is _real-time_. If you're willing to enter things in step time via the keyboard, then you can just use DMCS 2.0. But to do real-time note entry you'll need something like sequencer w/ notation or a sequencer <-> notation combination. > >If on top of that he wants to be able to do some orchestration, I mean >if he has a multi-timbral synthesizer and wants to put in several >different tracks assigned to different MIDI channels and put together >something musical what software does he need? If someone is serious enough to spend the $$$ for multi-timbral synthesizers then I'd suggest using a sequencer or sequencer<->notation package(s). > >Along another line, if a person does use a Laserwriter for printing out >his music, does he have to have the sonata font? Which software >programs support sonata? You don't absolutely need to have the sonata font. But sonata is a pretty nice font. Since I don't own a laserwriter I can't really comment too much on this . > >What are some of the other Programs available for the Mac that do some >of the things I've talked about above? Which is the best seller? > Well, there are a few sequencing packages for the Mac: Opcode Sequencer 2.5 A sequencer with ability to save sequences as transcriptions for DMCS or Professional composer. Terrible copy protection - see my recent article on rec.music.synth. Mark of Unicorn: Performer & Professional Composer Performer: A sequencer, currently in version 2.<something>, although when then first came out with version 2 they had a bug in it and ordered the dealers to refuse the shipment on it. I don't know if version 2 is actually out yet. Composer: A notation program that probably handles everything - including orchestral transposition of instruments, checking of instrument ranges, double-{flats|sharps}, etc, etc. Very slow. Southworth: Total Music & Midipaint Total Music: A sequencer & notation program that claims to do everything under the universe. However, it requires the Southwoth midi interface (expensive), and is rumored to be very buggy. At least one recording studio has forbidden the use of Total Music. MidiPaint: I haven't really seen/heard too much about it, but its not copy protected, supposely comes with some Lightspeed C code for doing midi things. There advertisement mentions that Total Music was not the most realiable sequencer so MidiPaint was designed to be not as powerful, but rock steady. Passport MasterTracks Pro Got a pretty good review from _Keyboard_, and although I haven't seen it, I haven't really heard any bad things about it yet. Seems to have all the features, except currently it dosen't have notation support, but that's along the way. I'd look into this program. >Larry McWilliams >ihnp4!labsms!lmm Christopher Chow /---------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | Internet: chow@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (128.84.248.35 or 128.84.253.35) | | Usenet: ...{uw-beaver|ihnp4|decvax|vax135}!cornell!batcomputer!chow | | Bitnet: chow@crnlthry.bitnet | | Phone: 1-607-253-6699, USPS: 7122 N. Campus 7, Ithaca, NY 14853 | | Delphi: chow2 PAN: chow | \---------------------------------------------------------------------------/
oster@dewey.soe.berkeley.edu (David Phillip Oster) (09/20/87)
In article <203200006@labsms.UUCP> lmm@labsms.UUCP writes: >If Concertware+ and DMCS are both pretty good software packages for >Sequencing & Scoring of Music with MIDI support, then what is the >advantages of some of the higher-priced Macintosh packages, (ie. >Mark of the Unicorn - Performer, and Composer and Opcode's Sequencer 2.5) Performer/Composer does validation checking against real instruments for the composer: if you tell it you are writing a tuba part, it will give you warnings if you write notes outside a tuba's range. Opcode's Sequencer is a real sequencer: It can handle precise control of timing information on many different MIDI channels simultaneously (The interface is modelled after a multi-track recording deck.) DMCS, on the other hand, uses a single MIDI keyboard as a shorthand way of entering a musical score. You have to play in a very realistic, robotic, slow way if you want to use a midi keyboard for input. For output, you can assign each of many musical staves to a different MIDI channel with DMCS. Data manipluation is all in terms of sheet music. By comparison, Opcode's Sequencer gives you control at the millisecond level. See this month's Electronic Musician for an article on how to program "feel" using this. >If a persons interest lies only in being able to play something on a >keyboard, have the Mac save it, and then be able to edit it on screen >and then print it out in standard music notation on an Imagewriter or a >Laserwriter. What software does he need? If you want to play naturally, you need both Opcode Sequencer, and DMCS (and also a MIDI interface.) If you are willing to play robotically, and then do some editing with the mouse, DMCS alone is enough. >If on top of that he wants to be able to do some orchestration, I mean >if he has a multi-timbral synthesizer and wants to put in several >different tracks assigned to different MIDI channels and put together >something musical what software does he need? DMCS alone can handle this one. (as can Sequencer alone.) >Along another line, if a person does use a Laserwriter for printing out >his music, does he have to have the sonata font? Which software >programs support sonata? If you don't buy the Sonata postScript font from Adobe (I've heard it isn't copyprotected anymore.) then, when you print, the LaserWriter will do what it always does when you try to print a font it doesn't have in postscript form: it will do its best to synthesize it from the largest size of bitmap font available. (If you have a decent font editor, you can tell it to create a large bitmap size of Sonata, then hand tweak it.) DMCS supports sonata. Sorry all you ConcertWare fans for slighting it. I just don't happen to know it. --- David Phillip Oster --Inside Mac Vol. 5 documents Color Arpa: oster@dewey.soe.berkeley.edu --QuickDraw and NewtextEdit. Uucp: {uwvax,decvax,ihnp4}!ucbvax!oster%dewey.soe.berkeley.edu