Lead sheet software
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Discussions about composing, arranging, orchestration, songwriting, theory and the art of creating music in all forms from orchestral film scores to pop/rock.
Discussions about composing, arranging, orchestration, songwriting, theory and the art of creating music in all forms from orchestral film scores to pop/rock.
- msmeritt
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Thu May 31, 2007 2:08 pm
- Primary DAW OS: MacOS
- Location: Red Hook, NY
- Contact:
Lead sheet software
I use Digital Performer 5, which does plenty of good stuff for music but has minimal functionality in terms of generating sheet music. More recent versions have some more features, but I'm not in a position to upgrade to them esp. given the need to upgrade OS along with it.
Also, right now, and foreseeably, I only need something to produce lead sheets -- melody, lyrics, chord symbols. Nothing fancy.
Know of any cheap/free but decent software out there for creating decent lead sheets simply? Would I be able to export MIDI from DP and import in to make it even easier by giving me a head start somehow?
Also, right now, and foreseeably, I only need something to produce lead sheets -- melody, lyrics, chord symbols. Nothing fancy.
Know of any cheap/free but decent software out there for creating decent lead sheets simply? Would I be able to export MIDI from DP and import in to make it even easier by giving me a head start somehow?
Mark S. Meritt -- http://marksmeritt.com/
Potluck Creative Arts -- http://potluckcreativearts.com/
MacBook Pro 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7 8 GB | OS 10.8.5 | MOTU Digital Performer 7.24 | NI Kontakt 5 | EW/QL Symphonic Orchestra Gold Complete | EW/QL Symphonic Choirs | QL Colossus | QL Ra | QL Stormdrum | EW Percussive Adventures 2 | EW/PMI Bosendorfer 290 Grand Piano | G-Force impOSCar 1.11
Potluck Creative Arts -- http://potluckcreativearts.com/
MacBook Pro 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7 8 GB | OS 10.8.5 | MOTU Digital Performer 7.24 | NI Kontakt 5 | EW/QL Symphonic Orchestra Gold Complete | EW/QL Symphonic Choirs | QL Colossus | QL Ra | QL Stormdrum | EW Percussive Adventures 2 | EW/PMI Bosendorfer 290 Grand Piano | G-Force impOSCar 1.11
- FMiguelez
- Posts: 8266
- Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:01 pm
- Primary DAW OS: MacOS
- Location: Body: Narco-México Soul/Heart: NYC
Re: Lead sheet software
.
At least one of the following seems to fit what you need (but NOT for free):
http://makemusic.com/notation_software.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I think their SongWriter package might interest you, and it's only 50 bucks.
At least one of the following seems to fit what you need (but NOT for free):
http://makemusic.com/notation_software.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I think their SongWriter package might interest you, and it's only 50 bucks.
Mac Mini Server i7 2.66 GHs/16 GB RAM / OSX 10.14 / DP 9.52
Tascam DM-24, MOTU Track 16, all Spectrasonics' stuff,
Vienna Instruments SUPER PACKAGE, Waves Mercury, slaved iMac and Mac Minis running VEP 7, etc.
---------------------------
"In physics the truth is rarely perfectly clear, and that is certainly universally the case in human affairs. Hence, what is not surrounded by uncertainty cannot be the truth." ― Richard Feynman
Tascam DM-24, MOTU Track 16, all Spectrasonics' stuff,
Vienna Instruments SUPER PACKAGE, Waves Mercury, slaved iMac and Mac Minis running VEP 7, etc.
---------------------------
"In physics the truth is rarely perfectly clear, and that is certainly universally the case in human affairs. Hence, what is not surrounded by uncertainty cannot be the truth." ― Richard Feynman
- msmeritt
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Thu May 31, 2007 2:08 pm
- Primary DAW OS: MacOS
- Location: Red Hook, NY
- Contact:
Re: Lead sheet software
I've been looking at Songwriter today and find it pretty compelling. Now I'm just weighing whether it's worth the extra for PrintMusic or whether I wouldn't really use those extra features. Ah, slippery slope to more expenditures!
Mark S. Meritt -- http://marksmeritt.com/
Potluck Creative Arts -- http://potluckcreativearts.com/
MacBook Pro 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7 8 GB | OS 10.8.5 | MOTU Digital Performer 7.24 | NI Kontakt 5 | EW/QL Symphonic Orchestra Gold Complete | EW/QL Symphonic Choirs | QL Colossus | QL Ra | QL Stormdrum | EW Percussive Adventures 2 | EW/PMI Bosendorfer 290 Grand Piano | G-Force impOSCar 1.11
Potluck Creative Arts -- http://potluckcreativearts.com/
MacBook Pro 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7 8 GB | OS 10.8.5 | MOTU Digital Performer 7.24 | NI Kontakt 5 | EW/QL Symphonic Orchestra Gold Complete | EW/QL Symphonic Choirs | QL Colossus | QL Ra | QL Stormdrum | EW Percussive Adventures 2 | EW/PMI Bosendorfer 290 Grand Piano | G-Force impOSCar 1.11
- FMiguelez
- Posts: 8266
- Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:01 pm
- Primary DAW OS: MacOS
- Location: Body: Narco-México Soul/Heart: NYC
Re: Lead sheet software
Then it would probably be a good idea to really consider upgrading your OS and DP instead...msmeritt wrote:Ah, slippery slope to more expenditures!
With 7.21 you can do the things you want. And you KNOW you want to upgrade to 7.2 anyway... at least you will HAVE to at one point.
It can be a PITA, but it wouldn't take you longer that a weekend.
Mac Mini Server i7 2.66 GHs/16 GB RAM / OSX 10.14 / DP 9.52
Tascam DM-24, MOTU Track 16, all Spectrasonics' stuff,
Vienna Instruments SUPER PACKAGE, Waves Mercury, slaved iMac and Mac Minis running VEP 7, etc.
---------------------------
"In physics the truth is rarely perfectly clear, and that is certainly universally the case in human affairs. Hence, what is not surrounded by uncertainty cannot be the truth." ― Richard Feynman
Tascam DM-24, MOTU Track 16, all Spectrasonics' stuff,
Vienna Instruments SUPER PACKAGE, Waves Mercury, slaved iMac and Mac Minis running VEP 7, etc.
---------------------------
"In physics the truth is rarely perfectly clear, and that is certainly universally the case in human affairs. Hence, what is not surrounded by uncertainty cannot be the truth." ― Richard Feynman
-
- Posts: 1654
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 10:01 pm
- Primary DAW OS: MacOS
- Location: Hong Kong
- Contact:
Re: Lead sheet software
I use Sibelius First which is the lite version, and costs around 99 bucks. It's great for doing lead sheets, lyrics, and I think the limitation is there are only 8 staffs (which is 7 more than I use .
MacBook Pro 2021 (M1 Ultra) with 64 gigs RAM. DP 11.23
Re: Lead sheet software
I think Notepad is 10 or 12 bucks. Don't know if it does lyrics.FMiguelez wrote:.
At least one of the following seems to fit what you need (but NOT for free):
http://makemusic.com/notation_software.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I think their SongWriter package might interest you, and it's only 50 bucks.
Phil
DP 11.32, 2020 M1 Mac Mini [9,1] (16 Gig RAM), Mac Pro 3GHz 8 core [6,1] (16 Gig RAM), OS 14.5/11.6.2, Lynx Aurora (n) 8tb, MOTU 8pre-es, MOTU M6, MOTU 828, Apogee Rosetta 800, UAD-2 Satellite, a truckload of outboard gear and plug-ins, and a partridge in a pear tree.
- msmeritt
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Thu May 31, 2007 2:08 pm
- Primary DAW OS: MacOS
- Location: Red Hook, NY
- Contact:
Re: Lead sheet software
Part of me ponders putting money toward DP 7.2, but so far it's looking like Songwriter is the best option for me right now, so for that small amount of money, it's probably worth going for that and saving the DP upgrade for later. The only real advantages I see to PrintMusic over Songwriter for me personally are 24 staves instead of 8, and the ability to extract parts, neither of which I'm likely to need anytime foreseeably anyway. So if and when the time came that I needed those, I could decide then whether to pay to upgrade to PrintMusic or put that money toward the necessary things to upgrade to DP 7.
Mark S. Meritt -- http://marksmeritt.com/
Potluck Creative Arts -- http://potluckcreativearts.com/
MacBook Pro 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7 8 GB | OS 10.8.5 | MOTU Digital Performer 7.24 | NI Kontakt 5 | EW/QL Symphonic Orchestra Gold Complete | EW/QL Symphonic Choirs | QL Colossus | QL Ra | QL Stormdrum | EW Percussive Adventures 2 | EW/PMI Bosendorfer 290 Grand Piano | G-Force impOSCar 1.11
Potluck Creative Arts -- http://potluckcreativearts.com/
MacBook Pro 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7 8 GB | OS 10.8.5 | MOTU Digital Performer 7.24 | NI Kontakt 5 | EW/QL Symphonic Orchestra Gold Complete | EW/QL Symphonic Choirs | QL Colossus | QL Ra | QL Stormdrum | EW Percussive Adventures 2 | EW/PMI Bosendorfer 290 Grand Piano | G-Force impOSCar 1.11
- mikehalloran
- Posts: 15409
- Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:08 pm
- Primary DAW OS: MacOS
- Location: Sillie Con Valley
Re: Lead sheet software
>I think Notepad is 10 or 12 bucks. Don't know if it does lyrics.<
Notepad does 1 verse only. Songwriter meets your minimum requirements
You can compare features here:
http://www.finalemusic.com/CompareFeatu ... songwriter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
$30.00
Notepad does 1 verse only. Songwriter meets your minimum requirements
You can compare features here:
http://www.finalemusic.com/CompareFeatu ... songwriter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
$30.00
DP 11.31; 828mkII FW, micro lite, M4, MTP/AV USB Firmware 2.0.1
2023 Mac Studio M2 8TB, 192GB RAM, OS Sonoma 14.5 b4, USB4 8TB external, M-Audio AIR 192|14, Mackie ProFxv3 6/10/12; 2012 MBPs Catalina, Mojave
IK-NI-Izotope-PSP-Garritan-Antares, LogicPro X, Finale 27.4, Dorico 5.2, Notion 6, Overture 5, TwistedWave, DSP-Q 5, SmartScore64 Pro, Toast 20 Pro
2023 Mac Studio M2 8TB, 192GB RAM, OS Sonoma 14.5 b4, USB4 8TB external, M-Audio AIR 192|14, Mackie ProFxv3 6/10/12; 2012 MBPs Catalina, Mojave
IK-NI-Izotope-PSP-Garritan-Antares, LogicPro X, Finale 27.4, Dorico 5.2, Notion 6, Overture 5, TwistedWave, DSP-Q 5, SmartScore64 Pro, Toast 20 Pro
- msmeritt
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Thu May 31, 2007 2:08 pm
- Primary DAW OS: MacOS
- Location: Red Hook, NY
- Contact:
Re: Lead sheet software
It would definitely be Songwriter over Notepad.
I also discovered that I had a wire crossed in my head about DP. It's not true that I'd have to upgrade my OS in order to run more recent versions of DP. It's that if I had upgraded my OS too far I would have had to upgrade DP since my lower version DP wouldn't have been compatible. So a DP upgrade, including its own lead sheet functionality, is a viable possibility after all, even without an OS upgrade.
At this point, with the project I had in mind turning out to be not so urgent, I'm going to hold off on a decision and may end up just upgrading DP when the time comes, otherwise I'd definitely go with Songwriter. Thanks to all for the input.
I also discovered that I had a wire crossed in my head about DP. It's not true that I'd have to upgrade my OS in order to run more recent versions of DP. It's that if I had upgraded my OS too far I would have had to upgrade DP since my lower version DP wouldn't have been compatible. So a DP upgrade, including its own lead sheet functionality, is a viable possibility after all, even without an OS upgrade.
At this point, with the project I had in mind turning out to be not so urgent, I'm going to hold off on a decision and may end up just upgrading DP when the time comes, otherwise I'd definitely go with Songwriter. Thanks to all for the input.
Mark S. Meritt -- http://marksmeritt.com/
Potluck Creative Arts -- http://potluckcreativearts.com/
MacBook Pro 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7 8 GB | OS 10.8.5 | MOTU Digital Performer 7.24 | NI Kontakt 5 | EW/QL Symphonic Orchestra Gold Complete | EW/QL Symphonic Choirs | QL Colossus | QL Ra | QL Stormdrum | EW Percussive Adventures 2 | EW/PMI Bosendorfer 290 Grand Piano | G-Force impOSCar 1.11
Potluck Creative Arts -- http://potluckcreativearts.com/
MacBook Pro 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7 8 GB | OS 10.8.5 | MOTU Digital Performer 7.24 | NI Kontakt 5 | EW/QL Symphonic Orchestra Gold Complete | EW/QL Symphonic Choirs | QL Colossus | QL Ra | QL Stormdrum | EW Percussive Adventures 2 | EW/PMI Bosendorfer 290 Grand Piano | G-Force impOSCar 1.11