There's also LilyPond, which I have yet to try. I haven't personally used it myself yet, but as it seems completely free and like it has a lot of functionality, I'm going to look into it. They've also said it takes awhile to master the basics. (Irritating for me as I compose very frequently.) I've heard good things about MuseScore from my composer friends who have used it. However, you can only create up to 10 scores for free, and there are only 15 instruments. Noteflight is online and has a free version. (Curse you, MakeMusic.) As a result of #2, I am currently forced to use an early version of Finale Songwriter, which (*gasp*) doesn't have dynamics or multimeasure rests. Depending on how frequently you save, you can lose a lot of work and 2.) They changed their policy so it can only be run one one computer at a time. The only major problems I've found with it are: 1.) It will occasionally crash. (That's mostly why I'm looking for a free alternative.) However, for its price ($119.95) it's well worth it. The software I currently use (Finale Printmusic) is not free, unfortunately, and it's got issues. You also may make mistakes in your writing that you don't catch until it's being performed. If your handwriting is anything like mine, it will be near illegible. However, writing by hand does have problems. While it likely won't be as tidy as if you used software, you are free from the many limitations that most composition software imposes upon you. (I'm looking for software in this area too because I haven't found anything without its drawbacks yet.) If you are able, I would first and foremost suggest doing it by hand. However, if you're composing music intended to be played with actual instruments, here is my advice. If you want to do electronic music, I can't help you because I have no experience in that area. This actually depends on what you're looking for. Good Paid DAWs: (extremely expensive) Cubase Reaper Logic FL Studio Ableton Live This is disorganised, but it should help (a bit). Ignite especially would be good for beginners, although it only comes with keyboards, and i don't think it can be used without one. Useful idea: buying midi keyboards often comes with good software free- i have an Alesis Vortex Wireless ketar controller, it came with Air Music Tech Ignite and Ableton Live 9- both of which are brilliant. it is a notator- for producing classical notation as midi data. use soundfonts for acoustic instruments you don’t have. more: visit kvr audio leaderboards for more vsts. VST Plugins (paid- extremely expensive): Visit the Native Instruments website. It is worth starting with a lot of VSTs and cutting them down once you find ones you don't like much. VST Plugins (free): Best must have's: Synth1 Tone2 firebird DSK techsynth pro Piano one Orchestral strings one also: mda effects collection visit the odo synth OneDrive page and get everything. Note on DAWs- expect to spend at least a year getting good with your chosen DAW and finding a good set of VST plugins that make the sounds that you want and need. Very good, i have it but i can't use it to save my life. Meant to be quite good famitracker- first ever open source tracker to emulate the first soundchips. OpenMPT- uses a tracker system, as opposed to a nice accessible piano roll. something acid-related is free though, but i've heard it isn't great. Ardour- not for windows Acid express- no idea. Garageband- useful as sketch software, or as a full on DAW. Demo limitations- you can save, but not open again afterwards. A piece of DAW software (Digital Audio Workstation) A collection of VST Synthesizers (VST stands for Virtual Studio Technology- you get lots of good free ones, look on the LMMS website for some good links to start you off) A collection of VST effects Also would be good: Previous knowledge of a real instrument Soundfonts (usually free) Kontakt player (free) some nice headphones A midi keyboard (google them- you can often find good ones relatively cheap) some notator software (musescore) DAW Software (free): LMMS- free equivalent to FL Studio FL Studio Demo- Brilliant Daw, my favourite, is brilliant for most genres including soundtrack, minimalism, orchestral rock, electronic, dubstep, and basically anything else possibly apart from pop, rock, metal jazz and blues). If you haven't already, go research it and get some. Hi, as an experienced musician and user of this stuff, i should be able to make a good list (should as in ‘if i can’t i've not only failed people here i've failed miserably myself) Stuff you'll need: Sound recording software (Audacity) Music theory knowledge.
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