Cubase is what is called in English DAW: has workstation digital audio. It is about a working station allowing to manipulate as well the MIDI as the audio. Although it declines under different versions (Cubase Essential, Cubase Studio, Cubase) notably offering plugins and functionality in less, basic principle remains the same.

In this range of software, competition articulates with tools such as Sonar, pro Tools, Ableton... What are therefore the strong and weak points of Cubase?

Having tested several tools, the general ergonomics of Cubase is apparently very nice. The sequencer midi occupies tools the majority screen encircled with bars (transport, information). They do not spend its time to manipulate windows, everything can be concealed or shown in a click. There is a reflexion really on behalf of the editor to return the very intuitive and easily manipulable (shortened, contextual menu).

There are 3 main types of tracks that can be added to a project:

• Audio track: to manipulate directly a recording, a piece, a sample...
• Trace midi: packaging of data midi entries belongs with the aid of a master keyboard either directly to the mouse in the editor of sheet musics or the sequencer.
• Trace instrument: it is a couple traces midi + instrument VST allowing to link a track directly to a plugin.

Cubase has group of practical functionality. To note the editor of sheet musics who can help to correct or to show your composition fast. Medium Bay allows to organise easily all sounds, pieces, presets that tempo, style are manipulated under form of key words or other criteria (). To relieve the processor and the random access memory, it is possible to freeze a track. It returns to convert her automatically under audio form to liberate the used plugins.

I particularly appreciated the management of the automation. Contrary to Ableton or Sonar where I found difficult to be definite by editing a curve of automation, in Cubase, this is very easy. It is however necessary to note that it is sometimes laboured to topple over between all automated parametres. Cubase 5 seems to remedy this problem.

Concerning weak points of software, I will name its price in first and especially the cost to evolve towards the upper versions. On the other hand, he does not offer simultaneous export of tracks, however essential functionality for such tool (Cubase 5 will offer a solution). The base plugins remains basic and be able to fix. There will always be better count to turn to specific plugins as regards treatments such as levelling out, compression...

In conclusion, Cubase is a very delightful part tool its stability and its complete material. As very is a matter of taste and usually use, you should not hesitate to test software and to think about his needs (platform PC or MAC, had plugins VST-DX-RTAS, midi and/or audio).

In the category of the editors of sheet musics, there are mainly two big rivals: Finale and Sibelius. To my taste, none of two is perfect and there remains another long way to go to have an entirely exploitable and practical tool.

Finale 2009 declines under different versions more or less rich in functionality: Finale 2009, Finale Allegro, Finale PrintMusic. Anyhow basic concept is the same: edit sheet musics.

During the launching of software, a helper offers us to configurer our new sheet music through models (orchestral, piano, guitar). Rather practice, they succeed easily in getting the type of desired sheet music (instruments, disposition). It is even besides scanner possible a document to convert it automatically into sheet music. Result is correct and will require some modifications nevertheless.

Main Final interface is the window in which sheet music is written. View can overbalance between a mode by page (Word type), a mode where they march horizontally in an infinite way and a mode close to a console to regulate the level of tracks. Concept is rather good and practical depending on circumstances.

First weak point however, the general ergonomics of the soft. There are toolbars to the left, to the right, above, a main menu, a contextual menu... Difficult to meet there. Second remark, if you click on a button allowing to define ranges, measures the main menu in the top of application (classic File, Edition) exchange rate dynamically and show options of the concerned button. This concept is unacceptable because they have little chance to note that the menu changed. Furthermore it is a basic rule in conception of interface that to change never dynamically a main menu.

To enter notes on sheet music there are different modes:

• With the mouse, the length of the note is chosen and it is positioned on sheet music.
• With one abbreviated keyboards, numeric keypad allows to choose the length of the note (round, white) and the letters of the keyboard the note in American ciphering (In for).
• With a keyboard midi, notes are directly added on sheet music.

What are possibilities given to supplement our sheet music? There are different tools allowing to point expression out (dynamics, articulations) introduced through the boxes of dialogue. It is rather complete but one more time not really intuitive. If to put a vibrato is rather simple, to insert a bend can become a course of the combatant. The investment of sign is sometimes strange, the parametres of sign (1/2, 1 tone) must be changed in the menu which has just appeared in the toolbar between plugins and helps.

Concerning sound reproduction, there are two modes to hear its sheet music:

• Sounds clean basic midi à la carte sound.
• A PLUGIN VST in the choice. Garritan Aria (a selection of Garritan Personal Orchestra) is given with Finale 2009. He offers the instruments of the orchestra with a limited number of articulations. Its interest is that he allows to get a return more correct than with sounds midi without being too fond of good food therefore. An instrument uses until 10Mo of Ram. It is therefore possible to have an orchestra under hands for less of 500Mo.

Finale can also play sheet music "by humanising" the return, that is to say by returning the way of playing more realistic. Finale will interpret expression signs, tempo indications, articulations. This is even more interesting if you use a sounds bank, Finale will undertake be played good articulation for every passage.

Last more amazing, this new version of Finale includes the possibility of adding audio tracks to its project as well as of synchronising the reading of sheet music with a video. Interesting at first glance but from this perspective, the music notation software turns more to DAW such as Cubase in the place to concentrate on the edition of sheet music.

In conclusion, my opinion is reserved. Finale has good ideas but badly exploited. First of all, it involves about an editor of sheet musics therefore the management of PLUGINS VST, of audio and of video is superfluous. Interface is draught, I have more the feeling that the developers collect according to versions of additions here and there. It is apparently missing a coherence in the functioning of software which even assistant had to badly to fill up. Personally I always wait for a competitive software on the edition of sheet musics, I hear there a tool which really makes us gain time.

Guitar Pro is reference software in the edition of tablatures for guitars and basses. It is not simply its intuitive which made its success but rather the considerable number of available tablatures on the net. It is quasi impossible not to find its favourite piece.

Guitar Pro comes as a classical music notation software with a view understanding different ranges and other one with the tablature. They choose the track then to be changed or shown. Modes of display allow to have a réprésentation in form of pages or infinite vertically / horizontally. This last being very practical to play in front of the screen.

At the level of the sound, by default, Guitar Pro works with instruments in MIDI. In other words the basic sounds of the card sound. Guitar Pro offers however more realistic sound banks (RSE: Realistic Sound Engine) for guitars, basses and drum kits. This engine allows to simulate better bends, vibrato, harmonic... For all other possible instruments (piano, strings), it will be necessary to use sounds MIDI. Result is very good and Guitar Pro takes out well to simulate guitars.

The edition of a tablature or of a sheet music is intuitive. They notes are put, they choose effects (bend, they slide) which are defined via windows. Edition is therefore easy especially since many bugs were corrected in the last version of Guitar Pro.

Some points are however regretted. Although Guitar Pro is orientated guitars / basses, why not nevertheless not to offer ranges with treble clef and bass clef as for a piano. Since they want to add instruments such as the piano, strings it will be necessary to use two separated tracks, the one for the treble clef and other one the bass clef. On the other hand, the management of the tuning of instruments (Drop D, Drop C.) is ambigue. The height of notes on tablature corresponds to that without tuning, it is therefore necessary to pay attention to stay in the same tonality.

Guitar Pro is an extremely practical software to advance in guitar. First of all because there is a very big variety of available tablatures free and of very good quality. On the other hand because Guitar Pro offers full of elements allowing to train: modification of the tempo (100 %, 75 %, 50 %), a mode curl to repeat the same sections, the display of the guitar handle to know tacts and ranges. The track guitar will be generally deactivated besides to play over accompaniment.

In conclusion, Guitar Pro, for about fifty euro is a software of very good quality. Simple, intuitive, complete and of whom the number of tablatures has an abundance on the net, Guitar Pro will allow to every guitarist to listen to his favourite pieces while advancing.

Reason is one rather an atypical software in musical production. Indeed it is about a sequencer MIDI "all-in-one". He does not allow to manage audio tracks and does not support PLUGINS VST. Sounds banks are created in a possessing format: they are Refills.

Reason is a tool which I thought very interesting to start to learn in COMPUTER MUSIC because it has all that is necessary to start a composition: group of sounds banks of any types (orchestral, synthé, guitar, drum kit) and all necessary effects (levelling out, compression, delay). It is not therefore necessary to construct a library of plugins to begin working, as it is generally case with DAW such as Cubase, pro Tools...

Other interesting point, the interface of Reason is very visual. There are not interminable consequent menus and a number of screens. there are two windows: the sequencer MIDI (introduced in a classical way with tracks and of the automation) and a system stand which represents instruments and effects such as an engineer of the sound would see them physically in its studio. Comparison does not stop there since it is possible to link up manually the elements of the system stand via cables. Entries on the console of sound mixing, effects send are therefore configure ourselves...

Reason offers several types of instruments very close to the functioning of sounds banks available in VST:

• Synthesizers: SubTractor, Thor and Malström (manipulation of one wave and of its envelope).
• Samplers: NN 19 and NNXT (recorded instrument notes by note according to different velocity).
• Readers of loops: Dr Rex (in possessing format REX created with Recycle software).
• Box with rhythm: Redrum (creation of patterns according to different kits of percussions).

Integrated effects remain classical: levelling out, compression, reverberation, delay, distortion, vocoder, arpegiator.

Reason was the tool which seemed to me the most accessible to start COMPUTER MUSIC. It is thanks to him that I acquired basic concepts before launching into a more complex tool such as Cubase. This means therefore no that Reason is beginner's tool. In part his sounds banks, he is apparently portrayed for some music types (electronics, hip hop). There are many sounds banks of the even upper very good quality in some VST. However in term of orchestral libraries, Reason is not the most adapted tool.

Concerning the weak points, Reason does not allow to manipulate the audio. Impossible therefore to import a performed recording (unless is by-passed problem by importing recording via a sampler). On the other hand, it is not possible to add effects of better quality (sound mixing, mastering). Some people reproach for the quality defect of a sound mixing performed under Reason and export their tracks generally to perform treatments on another flat form.

Concerning this policy, the editor is clear. Their philosophy does not consist in creating a complete station of job. They see Reason rather as "Plugin". It is for it besides that they developed an interface Rewire allowing a chief software such as Cubase, Sonar to use Reason as a plugin. It is so possible to use instruments of Reason while working under another platform. Concept works while requiring slightly more processor.

In the final, Reason is a very good easy software of use, loan in job with borders which it is necessary to keep in mind. In certain cases (only of midi) it is self-sufficient to himself but in other projects (recording), he is not exploitable. Therefore do not hesitate to test the tool to be sure of its functionality and its original interface.