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Compositions on Staffpad.

Yeah the question for me is will it be a smoother, more successful process to write in StaffPad than it is to write by hand and perform via a DAW.

Can you export the MIDI of what's done in StaffPad?
 
Yes, you can export midi, xml and even stems which is the most awesome part. You basically export every instrument individually in high quality .wav files and can then edit them in any DAW of your choosing.
That means you can export the midi if you want to use your own libraries or export the stems if you want to work with the addon libraries from staffpad.
 
Yeah the question for me is will it be a smoother, more successful process to write in StaffPad than it is to write by hand and perform via a DAW.

Can you export the MIDI of what's done in StaffPad?
I enjoy writing on paper but don't have the patience for it. The nice thing about writing out in SP is the instant auditioning of what you are writing. I can also quickly approximate what I hear in my head and then refine the notes or rhythms. Copying, pasting, and quick transposing is something not possible on paper.
 
It's really a wonderful tool. But yes i'd have to agree the control in a DAW is superior

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There is no doubt that, in the right hands, a DAW mockup with great libraries will sound superior to StaffPad, but who has time for that crap? If you're looking at the DAW mockup as a final product, sure go ahead and invest the hours and hours and hours in a mockup. But I am writing for a live orchestra. I need something credible. I don't need a replacement for the live musicians. So the question for me is do I want to spend my time as a programmer or as a composer?
 
There is no doubt that, in the right hands, a DAW mockup with great libraries will sound superior to StaffPad, but who has time for that crap? If you're looking at the DAW mockup as a final product, sure go ahead and invest the hours and hours and hours in a mockup. But I am writing for a live orchestra. I need something credible. I don't need a replacement for the live musicians. So the question for me is do I want to spend my time as a programmer or as a composer?
yes that makes total sense. for that purpose it's perfect

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Well, the people who don't have ready access to a live orchestra have to make the time for it.
Everyone has this problem, but for me, the end goal is a live performance. I don't think of mockups as final products. I also have seldom heard a mockup that I thought sounded on par with a live performance. Personally, I think most StaffPad mockups sound as good as most DAW mockups that I hear. In fact, most of them sound better because I am not having to listen to the meager programming skills of the composer.
 
I don't think of a mock-up as a final product either, in principle, and I'm not interested in a mock-up being "on par" with a live performance as this is folly. I am however interested in it having enough of a degree of production value to not distract from the listening experience itself. I will see how well StaffPad can achieve this, and with what level of ease compared to other approaches.
 
Dwarven Theme Draft

This is the first draft of something I'm working on for an indie client and he's given me permission to share on the forum for feedback. All libraries are StaffPad: Cinesamples + SF Chamber Strings which I was finally able to get at the sale. Audio is Raw Output on StaffPad.

Brief: A wizard is returning an enchanted sword to an Dwarven Princess.
Reference Tracks: The Hobbits Misty Mountain, Phil Rey Axe of Honor, Phil Rey Masters of Stone.

Comments and Criticism welcome
 
Just finished revising the last movement of my Piano Quartet. It's a theme with variations and fugue and the melody is the famous Final Fantasy Theme by Nobuo Uematsu.

I used Berlin First Chair Solo Strings, Berlin Woodwinds and CinePiano. And this time, I think I got the balance right. Berlin Solo Strings actually work really well in chamber music setting

 
really ?...that does surprise me. I own both and have a fortune invested on my drives from sample libraries and as much as I love staffpad I can get a lot closer on Cubase


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It seems many of us are not at the level with sample library based productions that they would sound better than SP. At the risk of hijacking the thread a bit, lets say I have a SP file, and want to redo it properly in a DAW, what is the secret for getting that quality result, and if it is beyond my skills/inclination, what is the going rate to pay (per bar/staff/whatever) to hire a DAW gunslinger to get it done ? (Answers requested from any gunslingers here ..... ;) ) Thanks !
 
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So, I had 20 bucks left when I bought antique keys and thought: why don't I buy ambience one, which I didn't really know anything about. Let me tell you, it was the best 20 bucks I spent in a longt time. That library is awesome. You can write so many ethereal or moody stuff with it and the waveshapes let you basically write 8-Bit NES style music if you choose to.

You can also hear the 1960 Celesta (with much reverb) from Antique Keys in my piece which sounds really awesome in the ambience one environment. I'm so glad I started purchasing the staffpad add-on libraries. I haven't been this creative and productive in years.

 
Everyone has this problem, but for me, the end goal is a live performance. I don't think of mockups as final products. I also have seldom heard a mockup that I thought sounded on par with a live performance. Personally, I think most StaffPad mockups sound as good as most DAW mockups that I hear. In fact, most of them sound better because I am not having to listen to the meager programming skills of the composer.
I find that StaffPad's legato treatment is very very good, especially in the strings. No sucking sound or artifacts that plague DAW composing. But that's just me....
 
The nice thing about writing out in SP is the instant auditioning of what you are writing.
I had a question about this...when you are inputting notes, does it have the option to play it as you write it, or do you need to render the measure first?
 
I had a question about this...when you are inputting notes, does it have the option to play it as you write it, or do you need to render the measure first?
You have to render first. So you won't hear instant pitch or note feedback when you draw/write a note in. But I've been able to create some pretty complex harmonies by just dragging notes around afterwards if my transcription from my inner ear to the Apple Pencil is a bit off. Pretty easy workflow.
 
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