[tinfoil]

what is a good (preferably free) music composition program that is based on actual musical notation? the program would need to play back the music and be able to save an audio file. is there anything like that around? i don't play enough instruments to be able to do that myself

[blackhole]

sibelius

[portej05]

But watch out - it's not cheap, even the student version is really expensive.

[tinfoil]

  tinfoil can't afford that!!!

anything er free-er? 

[Mobius]

Try FL...

[tinfoil]

FL? link? i can't find it and if it stands for something i don't know what that is

[Angelus]

I'm probaly wrong on this, but maybe Mobius means this:

http://flstudio.image-line.com/

it's not free either, but has a free Trial.

[Dark Hunter]

Finale has a few low-level programs that look promising. Finale Notepad is $10 (that's USD, not Canadian), and there's Finale Reader for free.

Songwriter looks a bit more useful, but it's $50.

Haven't used Finale's stuff myself (I use Sibelius), so I don't know if they're what you're looking for. They all have free demos, though, so perhaps you could check them out.

[tinfoil]

i have finale (the old free version) it doesn't do what i want. thanks though. i'll find something

[blackhole]

Sibelius is the only program I know of that does what tinfoil is describing. That is probably why it costs so much.

[tinfoil]

well it's got a trial. maybe i can pull the old calander trick on it.

[Androgeos Exeunt]

You could try Open ModPlugTracker, if that's valid...

[shiv]

Reason 4 is good program.

[Excalibur]

You could try Open ModPlugTracker, if that's valid...

Yes I have that too - and it is actually free. But is lacking in super high-tech effects - I think. I don't know if you can get Adobe Audition 1.5 (which I have) any cheaper than the US$349 3.0 version.

Erik McClure (blackhole) uses FL Studio, if that's any help.

[Flipside]

I use Cakewalk, but that's not really notation based, though it does support it, and besides, 'Free' is not really applicable here as the phrase 'Bloody expensive' is closer to the truth

[Androgeos Exeunt]

I would be doing a great disservice if I mentioned Mario Paint Composer.

[Rick James]

I would be doing a great disservice if I mentioned Mario Paint Composer.

O rly?

[tinfoil]

I use Cakewalk, but that's not really notation based, though it does support it, and besides, 'Free' is not really applicable here as the phrase 'Bloody expensive' is closer to the truth

i can find bloody expensive on my own thank you very much. i know how to use google 

it really does seem that nothing exists that is free and does what i want but thanks anyway. i think i will go and try the calendar trick on Sibelius tho. you never know

[Androgeos Exeunt]

I would be doing a great disservice if I mentioned Mario Paint Composer.

O rly?

Yeah.

[eliex]

it really does seem that nothing exists that is free and does what i want but thanks anyway. i think i will go and try the calendar trick on Sibelius tho. you never know

I'm once discovered a little program that injects a false date into a program without you having to reset the date on your computer itself . . . I'll have a look and I'll link it once I've found it.