Software for Transcribing?

flat five · #1 09-02-2004, 12:03 AM

Hi All,
I just got a laptop and I'm interested in finding out which transcription programs are best for bass. I've done a small amount of transcribing the old fashioned way and it has been beneficial but very tedious. Which programs do you prefer, and why? Thanks for your help.

godoze · #2 09-02-2004, 12:12 AM

Finale is my all time favorite.

flat five · #3 09-02-2004, 08:12 AM

Does Finale slow a CD down so you can hear the playing better or is it just for writing it down? If it does both, that would be great, but I've heard that it takes a while to learn it. I've also heard of Band in the Box. Is it any good? I'm new here and I didn't see any links about useful music software anywhere. Maybe someone could point me in the right direction. Thanks.

Wil Davis · #4 09-02-2004, 08:20 AM

The older versions of Finale are quite awkward to use. From about 2002 onwards, they started improving the user-interface - 2005 has just been announced and is even better (or so they would have you believe…).

My vote is for Finale.

- Wil

olivier · #5 09-02-2004, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tritone

Does Finale slow a CD down so you can hear the playing better or is it just for writing it down? If it does both, that would be great, but I've heard that it takes a while to learn it. I've also heard of Band in the Box. Is it any good? I'm new here and I didn't see any links about useful music software anywhere. Maybe someone could point me in the right direction. Thanks.

I'm using transcribe!, mostly for pitch/speed change of CD tracks, but it's pretty handy for transcription too, at least to find the notes. For the rythm, it's another ballpark.

Band-in-the-Box (BiaB) won't help you as far as transcribing is concerned. It's mainly a "play-along" programme: you enter the melody & chord changes and the computer generates the tune. You can change the tempo, the "style", and the pitch. You can also knock off parts such as the melody or the bass part. There's a huge archive of BiaB files available at the Yahoo users group.

Finale, Sybelius and the like are mainly music sheet editing and printing programmes. You can use them to edit (and play via the midi interface) the transcribed parts.

Hope this helps

flat five · #6 09-02-2004, 09:37 PM

Thanks for the great suggestions. I decided to go ahead and buy the transcribe program suggested by Olivier - it looks like exactly what I need, and more!

lownotes02 · #7 05-01-2005, 04:12 PM

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I had a question about Finale and Transcribe.
The biggest hole in my music reading ability is when it comes to interpreting highly syncopated rhythms. Lets say Im reading a piece and notewise, everything is kosher, but rhythmically, it's not happening. Id like to be able ck my accuracy by plugging in the notes and listening back to it to see if I read it right.
Based on Oliviers' statement, maybe Finale might be better than Transcribe?
Or, is there another program out there that would work better?

lownotes02 · #8 05-01-2005, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Finale, Sybelius and the like are mainly music sheet editing and printing programmes. You can use them to edit (and play via the midi interface) the trad parts.

Oops, just reread Oliviers' post.
It looks like Finale and Sybelius are more suited for my needs. Anybody have any input as to which one would be better for playing back intricate rhythms accurately before I plunk down the cash?
Thanks in advance for your help.

Phil Smith · #9 05-02-2005, 07:58 PM

If all you want to do is notate the rhythms and play them back you can use Finale Notepad which is a free download from the Coda Software site.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #10 05-02-2005, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lownotes02

It looks like Finale and Sybelius are more suited for my needs. Anybody have any input as to which one would be better for playing back intricate rhythms accurately before I plunk down the cash?

Flip-Flop!

iPlay15151515 · #11 05-02-2005, 11:34 PM

I use the Amazing Slowdowner for speed and or pitch changes of CD's MP3's and WAV's. It operates in real time and has the best sound quality of any of the others.

JimmyM · #12 05-02-2005, 11:44 PM

I second the vote for Amazing Slowdowner.

Tyler_W · #13 06-16-2005, 08:53 PM

I've been using finale notepad since 2003, and its pretty good.But I would have to go with Finale Printmusic... Even though you can get finale notpad 2005 from www.finalemusic.com, the extra $50 for printmusic is well spent. W/Printmusic you can edit instrument sounds, use MIDI keyboards to enter music and take MIDI files from the internet and turn them into hit-or-miss sheetmusic

well... even if you use notepad or printmusic, you'll still have a blast using them!

cheers

--Tyler

6 string demon · #14 06-25-2005, 09:28 PM

i use two plugin's for winamp with which i can slow down and loop sections, and then use sibelius 3 to notate. great programs. the slow down tool for winamp is called chronotron and the loop is called loop master. winamp and these plugins are free. sibelisu on the other hand.....

i find sibelisu much easier to use than finale. but its all personal preference.

thewanderer24 · #15 06-30-2005, 12:44 PM

just wanted to say thanks to you guys. I found "Transcribe" through this thread, and have been thrilled with it. Recently paid for the license. One of the best music related purchases I've made in a long time.