Songwriting software...

cryssiekitty · Post by **cryssiekitty** » Tuesday Feb 19, 2008

I can not play an instrument...well, not a cool one anyway. I can read music ok, and I can pluck stuff out on a keyboard, but that's the extent. I was wondering if anyone knows of computer software that would let me enter the notes I want, pick a tempo, and then create tabs, etc. for guitar and bass...

If any of you can translate what I just said and have a suggestion, let me know!

Merge · Post by **Merge** » Tuesday Feb 19, 2008

PowerTab and GuitarPro should do what you are looking to do.

http://www.power-tab.net/

http://www.guitar-pro.com/en/index.php

Colton · Post by **Colton** » Tuesday Feb 19, 2008

Out of those two, id pick Guitar Pro, it just seems to be better.

As for regular music composition, FruityLoops is alot better, but it wont do tabs....

http://www.flstudio.com/

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Tuesday Feb 19, 2008

Band-In-A-Box has been around and developing since the DOS days:

http://www.pgmusic.com/

Jones · Post by **Jones** » Tuesday Feb 19, 2008

Finale is pretty ok too. Works great for drum parts.

cryssiekitty · Post by **cryssiekitty** » Tuesday Feb 19, 2008

Oooo, thanks guys. I was looking at Finale...I dl'd the free version to test it out.

I'm also wondering if any of them have a playback feature...?

Jones · Post by **Jones** » Wednesday Feb 20, 2008

I'm using the free version of finale, has playback but with crappy tones.

DrumAndDestroy · Post by **DrumAndDestroy** » Wednesday Feb 20, 2008

we bought this software for songwriting called beer.

so far no glitches

Merge · Post by **Merge** » Wednesday Feb 20, 2008

GuitarPro and PowerTab both have playback features. They aren't amazing, but that are useable.

Team Transylvania · Post by **Team Transylvania** » Wednesday Feb 20, 2008

I have every one of these programs.

cryssiekitty · Post by **cryssiekitty** » Wednesday Feb 20, 2008

Team Transylvania wrote:I have every one of these programs.

and now the question is: are you willing to share?

Team Transylvania · Post by **Team Transylvania** » Wednesday Feb 20, 2008

Are you serious?? Fuck no.

Of course i'll share. What do you want?

cryssiekitty · Post by **cryssiekitty** » Wednesday Feb 20, 2008

hahaha! i was totally kidding.

but which, iyo, is the best for notation and playback?

Team Transylvania · Post by **Team Transylvania** » Wednesday Feb 20, 2008

You should really see which prog works the best for you.

MeYatch · Post by **MeYatch** » Wednesday Feb 20, 2008

power tab works, and is free. Guitar pro works a little better, and costs money.

The RSE emulation does passable sound effects, powertab only does midi. I pretty much only use the midi anyway, because I don't really need to hear it drenched in effects.

cryssiekitty · Post by **cryssiekitty** » Thursday Feb 21, 2008

i'll take a look at that...honestly, i don't want to spend much. i just need something that will let me convey to my girls what i hear in my head

floodcitybrass · Post by **floodcitybrass** » Thursday Feb 21, 2008

Here's a summary of popular software tools and what they do. One thing to note is that many software products can do a particular task that you are looking for (such as music playback). However, each software package has a primary feature.

Finale- This is for writing arrangements and printing music with an emphasis on printed notation. Not really good for playback but it *can* do it. Can do some limited recording from an analog source (ie a microphone).

Cubase/Cakewalk Sonar - These are sequencing and are primarily geared for recording and playback. This is good if you like to play a keyboard tracks and have it play back. These are *ok* for notation and printed music but not the best. The main goal of these are recording and playback of midi type instruments. These also do a decent job recording from analog sources.

Band in a Box - really by a category of its own. You chords into a the screen (looks kinda like a spreadsheet). You pick the style (rock, heavy, shuffle,swing, waltz, etc). Then it plays the your song back. Its basically like having an automatic rhythm section and is GREAT for structuring out a song. It has a very very fast time to market but you can't edit the minute details of songs.

Sony Vegas/ Audacity - these are recording programs that are excellent for recording analog sources. They don't really do notation very well. They can also record midi but are not for use as primarily as a sequencer.

Here are the basic usages:

Make a home recording - use vegas or audicity type software. Cubase or sonar would be my next choice.

Make printable music - use Finale (the defacto standard)

Make a sequence for keyboards that you want to use live or for recording - Use Sonar or Cubase

Jam along - band in a box or garage band
Write structures of songs and hear them back immediately - band in a box
Write background music for singing or soloing - band in a box

Cheers

floodcitybrass · Post by **floodcitybrass** » Thursday Feb 21, 2008

Speaking of software....
What ever happened to the Rockpage get together for Computer Recording and Computer Music software????

I was willing to provide a classroom presentation environment at UPJ and was willing to in presenting any of the software items I use (see below). I thought there were some other people that wanted to show Audacity or garageband.

Maybe we can make this happen.

Naga · Post by **Naga** » Friday Feb 29, 2008

A little late on the subject, but I wanted to interject my own 2¢...

I've been using a program for YEARS called TabIt. It's designed around bass and guitar format, but it goes through an array of different instruments for playback. Unfortunately, in the free version, there's no MIDI importing and exporting. There's also no mult-track playing. However, the playback is pretty cool, and you can save what you make.