Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!prls!pyramid!nsc!amdahl!krs From: krs@amdahl.UUCP (Kris Stephens) Newsgroups: net.micro.mac Subject: Re: Suggestions for music typesetting systems? Message-ID: <3201@amdahl.UUCP> Date: Tue, 13-May-86 12:30:12 EDT Article-I.D.: amdahl.3201 Posted: Tue May 13 12:30:12 1986 Date-Received: Thu, 15-May-86 04:59:01 EDT References: <108@ima.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale CA Lines: 54 In article <108@ima.UUCP>, johnl@ima.UUCP (John R. Levine) writes: > A friend of mine does music transcription for a living and wonders if there > are musical typesetting systems that would be worth her using. Absolutely. I've been arranging music for years now and the only thing keeping me from publishing was notational intricacies - I can handle the manuscript work acceptably but not at what I'd call "publishable quality". So I bought a Mac (512 required) and Professional Composer from Mark of the Unicorn. ImageWriter (dot-matrix) output isn't up to publishable, but it's certainly presentable. LaserWriter output is where *my* output requirements are satisfied. So far so good, right? Almost. Data-entry with the mouse is/was so damn slow that I shelved the project mid-stream until I added some more gear (Sequential Circuits MultiTrak synthesizer, OpCode MIDI interface) and Mark of the Unicorn's Performer, their MIDI driver/sequencer. Any MIDI synthesizer does the job in this layout. Using Performer in step- mode recording, the left hand on the Mac keyboard sets note durations and enters rests and the right hand on the synth keyboard enters notes. Entry is done a voice at a time for who-knows-how-many voices maximum (16? More? I'm at work so I don't know for sure). When entry is complete, "Save as Composer file" and quit, call up Composer on the file and put the finishing touches on. From Composer, print score and parts, transpose parts as needed, print alternate instrument parts (trombone for horn, for instance). Composer will handle up to 40 staves, has almost every clef including percussion, and will handle multi-verse lyrics. If you need exotic notation, you can save print output as MacPaint files and do what you want to it. I've already (two nights work so far) gotten to the point where I can enter, edit, and print a 100-measure quintet in a single evening. Alternative: Prefessional Composer Version 2.0 includes some new keyboard mapping (for the Mac keyboard), such that you can almost duplicate the "left-hand duration/right-hand pitch" work of Performer. This might be a fine middle-ground, as Performer ($225 or so), a MIDI interface ($100), and a synthesizer ($500+) aren't required. In any case, an external disk drive is more than convenient, as Composer takes up over 300K. A major strong-point with Mark of the Unicorn is their penchant for listening to their users. They've got a Marketing phone number (617, 576-2760) for general questions and a technical hotline (617, 576-3066), both covered on first-shift Eastern-time. They are constantly enhancing the capabilities of their programs, install requested changes from users (they won't actually *commit* to it, but in fact they do it), and are very friendly. I already feel like it's a long-term professional relationship with them. On pricing, make sure you check out MacConnection and NorthEastern (both are listed in MacWorld). I got quite a good price from ComputerWare in Palo Alto, CA, as well as all the time I wanted to demo Performer. Enjoy! -- Kris Stephens (408-746-6047) {whatever}!amdahl!krs [The opinions expressed above are mine, solely, and do not ] [necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Amdahl Corp. ]