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Music teachers will agree with me or at least
recognise that we are now at a point in time
where any music composition work,
arrangement or presentation has to be
submitted as a printed score or audio file.
The days of writing music out by hand on
manuscript are past, the ability to manipulate
music on a screen whether to change notes,
copy and paste, or be able to hear work
played back is now the norm. Realistic
playback with sampled instruments, so the
sounds the pupils hear match the notation on
the screen, is a must when teaching
composition in an effective way which
encourages pupils to write pieces that sound
musical and convincing.
Investment in music writing software is notan easy task. If a school opts for the excellentFinale or Sibelius with a site license then thiscosts a considerable chunk of the annualbudget, but both contain far more functionsthan all but the most advanced GCSE or Alevel pupils will need. Whilst the wider worldsees these programs as standard, are therealternatives that are more accessible to pupils,easier on the budget? More importantly, isthere software which helps the process ofcomposition develop quicker rather thanspending too much time learning how to workthe software?
Notion 5 from Presonus may be the answer.If other reviews are anything to go by, it ismaking a lot of friends in the music educationworld as it is very user friendly, and anyonecan get on with writing a score in a shortspace of time. At a cost of just £129 for theboxed product it compares with theeducational version of Sibelius, (which canswap files with the full version of Sibelius if
CONTACT: WWW.PRESONUS.COM/PRODUCTS/NOTION-5 REVIEWED BY: STEVE LEA
PRODUCT REVIEW | Notion 5
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VERDICT:Perfect scoreNotion 5 is an ideal package foranyone wanting easy-to-use notationsoftware on a budget. If you are usingprimarily for teaching score-writing orproducing exam coursework then it hasmore than enough for your needs. Andif you don’t need the full functions ofthe bigger market leaders, then it is areal winner!
Notion 5
needed), however I like the user friendlyscreen of Notion 5 and the fact that pupilswith limited experience in notation can startwriting music quickly without fuss. The on-screen keyboard will allow input through‘playing’ the keys as well as clicking anddropping each note. Moreover, a site licenceallows you to download Notion 5 on up to 100machines without having to buy a separatebox each time. Priced at just £40.00 per seat,this offers the best value solution for anymusic educator.
Taking notesThe audio is very clear using samples takenfrom players from the London SymphonyOrchestra ensuring the instrument sounds arevery realistic. There is a guitar amp simulator,and the software links with Presonus Studio 1virtual studio to include EQ control, a limiterand compressor. There is an integrated videowindow for scoring to pictures and for mediastudents wanting to synchronise music tovideo there is a timecode display above thescore and the software supports a variety ofnewer video formats. This takes the packagetowards the direction of a Digital AudioWorkstation from its starting point of anotation oriented work tool.
The version 5 now incorporates Finale andSibelius keyboard shortcuts for pupils who areused to other software. There is a real-timeMIDI record facility, and a useful movable splitpoint for notating keyboard parts between twostaves. There is a sequencer staff whichoverlays the normal notes with coloured linesto show the exact length of the notes whichmeans notes can be manipulated for velocityand timing as for sequencing software, whichthen is changed on the staff notation.
The software requirements are either a MACOS X 10.7 or higher, or Windows 7 or 8 (32 or64 bit) with a minimum of 2GB RAM and 8GBfree hard-drive space. But this software hasthe advantage that it has a version that can beused standalone on an ipad, which for schoolswho use these in the classroom may make it ano-brainer if they want pupils to keep theirwork on their personal tablets. (Althoughcheck your syllabus requirements assometimes this may lead to issues withmonitoring exam coursework if pupils areworking outside directed time in the class.) To start a discussion about your school’s
needs, email [email protected], or
call 020 7395 0382.
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