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If you aspire to compose digital music, you need to be aware of two main types of software programs: musical notation software and digital audio workstations (DAWs). You use this software to input digital music into your computer and compose digitally:
- Musical notation software: Sibelius and Finale are examples of musical notation software. Notation software is very easy to use and has lots of features that allow it to work and play well with other types of music programs. Either package is great.
- Digital audio workstations: Sequencing programs, today often called digital audio workstations (DAWs), are, after plug-ins, probably the fastest growing area of music software. Programs such as Logic, Digital Performer, SONAR, ACID, and Cubase are the biggest sellers in the music business, and every year the DAW software vendors come out with more ways to make music easier and better, with features you can't live without.
The DAWs have a big advantage over the notation programs: You don't have to know how to read music to use them. Most DAW software has a modified notation function, but you don't have to know everything there is to know about music notation before you use it.
Choosing the software that's right for you will depend upon several factors. Mostly it comes down to how comfortable you are with the program, how easy it is to understand what it does, and how easy it is to make it do what you want it to.
How complex the music is that you'll be composing, and how much music training you've already had are also big factors. If you're a music student, you're familiar with music notation, or you want to be able to print out parts for other musicians, the notation software will probably be the best choice. But if you're just looking to add a drum or piano part to a nifty guitar ditty you wrote, sequencing DAW software will surely fill the bill.
Your history with composing digital music may also help you make your decision. If you've had experience with either a DAW or a notation package, you'll probably want to continue working with the same type of product.
Each of the software packages mentioned in this article is MIDI-compatible. None of these packages is an isolated island, unable to interact with packages from other companies. Some are even designed to interact with as many software products as possible, like plug-ins. This takes some of the pressure off of your choice, because you don't have to pick something that's the final and perfect choice forever.
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