Avid Releases Sibelius 6
Avid has just announced Sibelius 6, the latest version of its notation software. The big highlight of version 6 is a feature called Magnetic Layout. When activated, it automatically positions score objects like dynamic and rehearsal marks and lyrics, the kinds of things that in the past (and in other notation programs) you’ve had to constantly re-adjust. I saw this feature demoed and I was very impressed. It promises to take a lot of the time and tedium out of putting a score together.
The Live Tempo feature is designed to let you control the tempo of playback the score from a MIDI controller or footpedal, or even from your computer’s keyboard. This allows you to “conduct” the playback, a capability that will be really helpful when performing with live musicians.
Also new to this release is the Sibelius Player, a sample playback engine which replaces the Kontakt Player that was used in earlier versions. It’s loaded with sounds from Garritan, AIR, and Tapspace, as well as a General MIDI instrument it comes effects like convolution reverb, chorus, EQ, and distortion that can be applied to individual parts.
ReWire support is also new to Sibelius 6, allowing Pro Tools or any other DAW to slave to Sibelius. So if you wanted to play back a score that was mostly MIDI tracks, but with a few actual audio files (a vocal, or maybe some real strings), too, slaving your DAW to Sibelius using ReWire would make that process easy.
Also new and cool is the Versions feature, which tracks changes by others to the score, so that, say you sent your score to an orchestrator, you could easily see the changes he or she put in. Versions will be useful in the classroom, as well.
The other big additions are keyboard and fretboard windows that allow you to see the notes in real time as Sibelius plays them, and also let you enter notes from them.
Sibelius 6 is available now, for an MSRP of $599 ($329 educational price). Upgrade pricing is $169 USD $129 (educational price). Check out the Sibelius Web site for more info.
