Sibelius 6...definitey worth the updrade price! (Sibelius 6)

Member Name: Ostinato

Product:	Sibelius 6
Date:	04/07/09 (552 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Many many improved features and tools, saving you time and effort!

Disadvantages: Price to upgrade or purchase is quite high, I presume due to it being specialist software

Sibelius 6 is the latest version of Sibelius notation software. Each new updated version contains better and improved features, and new functions, designed to make musician's lives easier when composing, arranging, playing back, amongst other things.

I have to admit, whilst I am an avid fan of Sibelius, and have been using it since I first got Sibelius 2, (way back in the early 2000s!!) I haven't always found the updates in the new versions to be particularly useful for my needs, and for the price it costs to buy and then to upgrade, that can be a little disappointing. None-the-less, I use this software a lot, both in my studies and for fun, and would not be without it, and I have to say the improvements in Sibelius 6 are well worth the price of upgrading in my opinion!

Here's a brief list of the updated features, which I'll then talk about in more detail: (Warning, there's a lot to mention, so this is quite a long review, and it might be worth skipping to the bits which are most relevant to you!)

1. Magnetic Layout
2. Versions
3. Comments
4. Playback Improvements
5. ReWire
6. Live Tempo
7. Chord Symbols & Guitar Diagrams
8. Keyboard & Fretboard Windows
9. Improved Notations
10. AudioScore
11. Power Tools
12. Educational Tools


1) MAGNETIC LAYOUT

The biggest and most noticeable improvement for me, is what they refer to as "Magnetic Layout". Finally!! Anyone who has used earlier versions of Sibelius will know just how frustrating it is when you input dynamics/lyrics/rehearsal letters, and everything collides and overlaps, and you have to spend ages moving things around to appear in the right place. Well, in Sibelius 6, this is no more! Things snap to the right places, and move out of the way when you change things or the staves readjust, which has really saved me a lot of time. Any unavoidable collisions are highlighted in red, making them easy to spot and correct.

Having fiddled around with this to test it out, so far I've had no problems, and it really has saved me a lot of time!


2) VERSIONS

Sibelius 6 allows you to save versions of a score as you add/delete/update/re-arrange or change pretty much anything at the click of a button. There is a special "save version" button, located next to the save button in the main tool bar, and simply by clicking on this a save box appears with a pre-created name (Version 'x'), the date, and the time. There is also an optional box to add a comment, which you can type notes to remind you what you changed, and so keeping the versions easily identifiable.

Sibelius 6 will also allow you to compare too versions, make an older version the current version, copy and paste from previous versions, and see two versions at the same time. In this view, changes are highlighted, making comparison easy to see.

This is really useful to track your progress, it's like a little diary, and would be really useful for students who need to record what changes they make to their projects for submission or coursework, and is also marketed as useful for teachers who want to keep an eye on what their students have done in each lesson!! No getting away with doing anything at the last minute anymore!


3) COMMENTS

This is yet another new feature, one which I'd not thought about needing before, but that I now see will come in very handy!

You can add post-it-note style comments to scores, with little reminder, queries, or anything you want really! Again, there is a new button added to the main toolbar, and a simple click will bring one up. You can customise these "notes", and there are also options to minimize them or totally hide them will you are working on the score itself.

Comments from different people are shown in different colours for easy recognition, and I'm sure this will benefit many Sibelius users, whether it's students with a query on how to improve/change something, teachers leaving notes for their pupils, editors leaving notes for composers/arrangers, or simply leaving yourself a reminder to finish or come back to this.

I cannot wait to make full use of this feature when I go to uni and need to remember to fiddle with or change bits of coursework!


4) PLAYBACK IMPROVEMENTS

There is now integrated playback within Sibelius 6, no more Kontakt Player! This is great for me, as I never had a clue where to start with adjusting/loading/fixing sounds and, also had problems with waiting for sounds to load, every single time I played or opened a score! Alas, these problems are no more! Everything is controlled via the mixer, which for non-technologically-able folk like me, is absolute genius and saves much frustration!

There are also more new sounds and effects...each time Sibelius brings out an upgrade there are new sounds, and they continue to sound more and more realistic, which is really useful in hearing how melodies with different instruments will "actually" sound together.


5) REWIRE

This function is one that many will have been waiting for for some time! It allows you to link up Sibelius with audio programmes such as ProTools, Garage Band, Cubase, Logic, and Reaper, amongst others! Whether that be for sound effects, or adding in live sound, or to sync up MIDI and other audio. The function syncs up the two programs, for ease of use, and starting playback in one programme will automatically start it in the other.

I haven't actually had chance to make use of this function yet, but when I do I shall update...I'm sure it will prove to be useful for so many Sibelius users!


6) LIVE TEMPO

Live Tempo, essentially allows you to virtually conduct your piece to give the playback recording a more real feel. You can add detail into rits, record different speeds for different repeats of a passage, and hold a pause for as long as you like, simply by tapping along with your piece and Sibelius will wait for you and follow your beat.

Personally, I have found this somewhat hard to get used to, but then, I am not a conductor which I imagine makes it easier!! Just be aware, it might need a few goes to get right, but that you can rerecord sections or even all of your piece, and even turn it off completely if you decide you don't want to use it any more!


7) CHORD SYMBOLS & GUITAR DIAGRAMS

Sibelius 6 has updated its chord diagrams and guitar symbols, supposedly making them easier to input and use.

I have always found these so difficult to use I have avoided them, and s I admit I haven't investigated this feature yet...I will update when I do!


8) KEYBOARD & FRETBOARD WINDOWS

You can now input music from a keyboard/fretboard window, instead of by tradition notation. Apparently you can even play your QWERTY keyboard as if it were a piano, but I haven't tried this yet!

I know many a grateful guitarist who will love this feature!!


9) IMPROVED NOTATIONS

Sibelius 6 includes many more notation options, including more control over slurs (both positioning and thickness), automatic additions of cautionary accidentals, jazz and modern articulations, and various other useful little bits and pieces.

For me, by far the most important and appealing of this improvement is the ability to add 1, 2, or 4 bar rests from the keypad, which then work in playback, without a plug in! That's right, they ACTUALLY work! Massive bonus!


10) AUDIOSCORE

As standard, Sibelius comes with AudioScore Lite, although it's possible to upgrade to the Pro version if you're going to use this feature a lot.

Essentially, this feature lets you play in live sound via a microphone, either instrumental or vocal, and it'll create the score for you, and can also show you exact tunings.


11) POWER TOOLS

This basically includes all the other little tweaks and changes in Sibelius 6. Including;

11 new plugins; with the ability to manipulate fragments of melodies by, for example, retrograding,

Enhanced filtering and finding options,

and page direction tools.

These are great, but less obvious, and you only really come across them when you start getting into using the software, and you need a certain function or facility, and I've come across a few when looking through the help section.


12) EDUCATIONAL TOOLS

There are many new educational tools in Sibelius 6, including the ability to freeze and take over all computers, the ability to send scores to all computers, and automatically take copies of all scores at the end of the lesson.

There is also the ability to create a "Creative Diary" to track progress, and these can be printed off in word format if I remember correctly.

I have no experience of using these functions, but I'm sure they will come in very useful!

There's a full price listing here ---> http://www.sibelius.com/shop/bestsellers.html, but to summarise*;

Sibelius 6 - £582.34
Upgrade to Sib 6 - £159.85
Sibelius 6 (Educational Discount) - £363
Upgrade to Sib 6 (Educational Discount) - £113.85
Upgrade to Sib 6 from Sibelius Student** - £303.60
Upgrade to Sib 6 from Finale - £386.75

*This list is not comprehensive and there are also discounts for Instrumental Teachers, Multiple User Licenses, and when combined with other products. (See the link for more information!)
**Please note, Sibelius Student is not the same as Sibelius 6 with Educational Discount.

Overall, I'd say that there are tons of great new features in Sibelius 6, and it's definitely worth the upgrade! If like I was, you were a little bit disappointed in the upgrades and improvements in Sibelius 5, then fear not, this one is definitely worth the money!

Summary: If you were disappointed by the upgrades for Sib 5, then Sib 6 definitely makes up for it!

Variety of features:
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