tuning and Sibelius

Sib can do more than this, but very badly. The method used by sibelius is to
attach a little piece of text to each affected note that contains pitch bend
information - it's not integral to the software - it's a plugin, or if you
want to do more exotic things, write your own, or if you are feeling
masochistic and a plugin won't do it for you, there's hand typed bends.

!!!!!!!!!YUK!!!!!!!!!

And it's a shame it can't even handle sharps and flats differently, for
things like 19 and 31, or other meantone tunings, in which you don't even
need any new funny looking accidentals.

World's best music program - not! But i still use it. And it's no use
griping to Sib Soft - they are too wrapped up in their Microsoft style image
to actually help people or listen to musicians. It can't even notate
Beethoven and classical stuff correctly.

It's just so hooked up into midi

"musically idiotic duodecimal indoctrination" (can anyone improve on this?)

for playback rather than being intelligent or easy to use.

- sibelius winge over -

Sorry

Mark G

> From: tuning@yahoogroups.com
> Reply-To: tuning@yahoogroups.com
> Date: 12 Oct 2002 11:17:50 -0000
> To: tuning@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [tuning] Digest Number 2246
>
>
> ***Well, let's be realistic. *Most* young performers nowadays play
> quartertones. That's partially because quartertones are so
> established in the contemporary repertory. That's one reason that
> music composition software manufacturers like *Sibelius* pretty much
> *have* to include quartertone options. So we're at 50 cents, there...

--- In tuning@y..., Mark Gould <mark.gould@a...> wrote:

/tuning/topicId_39529.html#39529

> Sib can do more than this, but very badly. The method used by
sibelius is to attach a little piece of text to each affected note
that contains pitch bend information - it's not integral to the
software - it's a plugin, or if you want to do more exotic things,
write your own, or if you are feeling masochistic and a plugin won't
do it for you, there's hand typed bends.
>
> !!!!!!!!!YUK!!!!!!!!!
>

***Yes, it is true that even quartertone playback is accomplished
through a plug-in, although it's my impression that that will be
better incorporated in a future version of Sibelius.

They *claim* they are considering adding the Sims accidentals of 1/6
of a whole tone and 1/12th of a whole tone, although I don't really
know how *seriously* they are considering them. Maybe with *me*
harping about it over on the Sibelius list all the time it will help,
although they claim not to like lobbyists...

> And it's a shame it can't even handle sharps and flats differently,
for things like 19 and 31, or other meantone tunings, in which you
don't even need any new funny looking accidentals.
>

***There is a plug in offered by Pete Walton that will do these
things but yes, I admit, it *is* a plug-in. I can get you in touch
with him if you're interested in it. It, basically, transforms
the "usual" accidentals of Sibelius into whatever you want through
pitch bends but, of course, it's *also* after you've run the plug-
in! :)

> World's best music program - not!

***Dunno. My friend Bill Holab, who is one of the master ingravers
in New York, feels it's the best to come along so far... that is the
best program that does *notation* as well as writing. Of course,
there are certain things that can be done in sequencers that it can't
presently do.

However, it's my feeling that Sibelius is still new and is very much
a work in progress, and I think there's going to be much development
on that front. Admittedly, they are presently thinking more of *plug-
ins* for "accessory" targeted applications at the moment...

But i still use it. And it's no use
> griping to Sib Soft - they are too wrapped up in their Microsoft
style image to actually help people or listen to musicians. It can't
even notate Beethoven and classical stuff correctly.
>

***What is "Sib Soft"... is that what you're calling the company? I
would have to disagree with you there, since I've found them
extraordinarily responsive, even if they haven't incorporated many of
my microtonal suggestions as yet!

> It's just so hooked up into midi
>
> "musically idiotic duodecimal indoctrination" (can anyone improve
on this?)
>
> for playback rather than being intelligent or easy to use.
>
> - sibelius winge over -
>

***Well, MIDI is a very important aspect. I'm coming from the SCORE
tradition, which did a better job on the overall of *calligraphy* but
didn't do MIDI hardly at all. I'd certainly rather have the MIDI
application, though, since it turns it into an *entirely* different
kind of composing tool, so I'm afraid I'd have to disagree with you a
bit there...

By the way, Mark, would you mind if I were to post your ideas on the
microtonal limitations of Sibelius to the Sibelius list?? (Or post
them yourself if you are so inclined)

The only way we're going to get the company to do anything is if they
hear from users about these things. I won't include any of the
really negative commentary about the company, but I *would* like to
include your comments about the microtonal limitations.

Is that OK??

Thanks,

Joe Pehrson