Sibelius 7 is more than just a notation software program. It plays back scores in the correct instrumentation, it can also play back high quality samples from various 3rd party sound developers and has a host of other unique features which should appeal to the more traditional form of score-writing composers.
Although it is primarily a very smart scoring program it’s fairly hard to enter incorrect note values when creating a score – any rests, ties etc are put in automatically – just like an automatic spell checker!
I’m not sure if Sibelius can add any more features to future upgrades apart from adding a full blown production and mastering package onto it – although this would have to be better than the market leaders – namely Pro tools and Cubase and would take a heck of a lot of development. Maybe that’s why Sibelius or AVID have extended their original direction towards notation.
You can of course record directly into Sibelius via the more common ways of playing along to a click from a MIDI keyboard. Musicians have always had difficulty with latency – mainly because there are so many contributing factors to think about when setting up your music environment. If you’ve had problems with delay problems – you may like to read our article on what is latency?
ReWire opens up all kinds of possibilities for using Sibelius with other audio software. For example, you could add an acoustic solo instrument line to your Sibelius playback by recording your score into your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), or by making Sibelius and your DAW play back simultaneously.
ReWire is so widely used that you can connect Sibelius 6 to almost any audio program—not just Pro Tools, but also Cubase, Logic, Digital Performer, Cakewalk, Reaper, GarageBand, and more. And again, no other notation program can do this.
Sound Cards Recommended by Sibelius
The M-Audio Fast Track USB is a good basic interface that provides good performance with Sibelius. It does not have built-in MIDI inputs, but works well with all USB MIDI controller keyboards. If you are using a keyboard that uses standard MIDI cables, you will need to purchase a separate MIDI to USB cable such as the M-Audio Uno.
Alternatively, if you prefer to have your Audio and MIDI interface in one unit, the Fast Track Pro has built-in MIDI capability and therefore a separate MIDI to USB cable is not required with this device.
If you prefer to have an internal sound card in your desktop machine, any Audiophile or Delta series sound card is recommended. Alternatively any card aimed towards the Audio Recording market with good ASIO drivers would also be suitable.
If you are buying Sibelius 7 in the UK – Lowest price here – Sibelius 7
If you are buying Sibelius 7 in the US – We have still to find the lowest price….Retailers can send us their lowest price to sibeliusprice@canmoremedia.com
Academic Status to Buy Sibelius 7
Don’t be fooled by the different flavors of Sibelius 7 boxes – those are primarily for the following and all contain the same software:
- Sibelius 7 Academic for Teachers
- Sibelius 7 Academic for Students
- The Professional Edition – If you don’t qualify for academic status
Academic Verification Process
The version you should buy depends on your educational status - whether you qualify for the discount or not. All dealers will ask for educational / academic verification via registration documents with a college, university or school. Parents may also buy on behalf of their children or students attending further education. Full details of buying Sibelius at academic price are supplied by every dealer.
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