🚀 go-pugleaf

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
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