Songwriting Software Express, Issue # 26

To help your songwriting with a focus on the benefits of innovative songwriting software, tools, resources and programs for your songwriting craft and career.

Play Music - Music Notation Software - Notation Technologies has revolutionized the music notation software market by creating Play Music…the easiest music composition software available and quite likely the most affordable.

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Play Music - affordable notation software.

First up: Editor's Note from
the laptop of Robert Curtis,
songwriter in residence at
Songwriting Software Plus.

1. Computer Considerations For Songwriting
2. One Minute To Better Songwriting With Evyn Charles (New Regular Tip Column)
3. This Month's Notable Quote
4. Songwriting Software Plus Super Savings Zone

The change of seasons is upon us once again. It's going into Fall in the Southern Hemisphere and here in the Northern Hemisphere we're heading into Spring.

Like the seasons change so does technology, although at a much faster pace, as we've all continued to witness in this computer and internet age we live in.

On that note today's issue focusses on issues pertinent to computers, at least as they're viewed today, and how to get the best scenario for your songwriting.

We'll look at, in a big picture sense, what to consider as you look to improve upon what you already use and what to consider if you're looking to start with a whole new system.

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When it comes to computer considerations for your songwriting endeavors there are a lot factors to consider, but they all boil down to what do you need the computer to help you do?

Specifically you need to address all the issues of your own personal writing approach to determine what kind of computer set-up will best suit you and how capable the hardware and software of your computer should be.

For example, are you a lyrics only writer, or a lyrics and music writer who'd also like to be able to record music into your computer - and will you be wanting to produce fully engineered demos or masters in your home studio too?

Let's break this down by need and discuss the major points to consider relative your computer choices and the popular programs that are often employed for each of these types of tasks.

Please note this discussion will be an overview to cover the bigger issues of writing songs - not so much getting into the nitty gritty technical particulars. Those are things that you will need to look into depending on the type(s) of software and sound processing hardware you may want.

For more technical software and technical guidance probe around the topics on Songwriting Software Plus and other fine sites on the net and consult with the crews at your local computer and music stores.

If you're a lyricist only you'll be well suited pretty much by any contemporary computer, namely Apple's Mac or Windows based PCs (from now on referred to as Macs and PCs in this article respectively).

Granted there are other operating systems such as Linux but most programs are designed for Apple's and Window's operating systems so we'll keep this discussion focussed along those lines.

The two most popular programs that have major lyric writing components, Lyricist and MasterWriter, can work with PCs and Macs.

Other lyrical aid programs like the virtual co-writer program ParaMind or the rhyme software Zillion-Kajillion Rhymes And Clichés will typically work just fine in today's standardly equipped off the shelf computers.

When you cross the line into the need for equipment to suit high end notation capabilities and or recording requirements the minimum configurations needed are upped.

The basic threshold you'll cross here has to do with RAM for PCs and processor power on the Mac.

You'll generally benefit by having more RAM on a PC, 512 or more is a good base point on PCs with at least 40 or more GBs of hard disk space and on the Macs opt for the G5 processor currently only available on their desktop models.

A Mac G5 PowerBook is in the works though so you could get equivalent recording capability with their laptop when it comes out.

In any event check out the needs of the particular software you intend to employ to see what the specific recommendations are so that you know if you currently have the optimum set up or need to upgrade.

If you currently have a computer that you're working with - here are some things to consider to better gage your situation and what you might consider doing to improve it.

Generally if you're on a Mac right now in most cases you're likely happy with it and the way your software works.

In my recent consultation with Peter Brunetta of midiguy.com here in Los Angeles he astutely noted that Macs operate in such a way that each program is independent of other programs' operations. In other words programs don't share certain operating files to function as is the case with PCs.

Also Macs are attacked much less often by hackers and don't suffer the same level of barrage of viruses and other types of computer attacks that PCs do.

As far as upgrading you're mainly looking at going to the G5 processor if you're not at that level yet.

Of course consider the most power, GHz, you can afford as this helps too. This may involve selling your current Mac and getting a new one.

Since PCs tend to be more prone to glitches from outside attack and other or newly installed programs interfering with other programs there are some things you can do to mitigate these problems.

Along these lines Peter further advised that with PCs, once you get everything set up, leave it that way and only hook up to the Internet for downloading updates to your hardware and software programs and of course have anti-viral and firewall software installed and up to date.

This of course presumes you've got or can afford a second computer for music only or don't otherwise ever go on the internet :-)

And as of this writing there continues to be two camps regarding directions to go for the best type of computer system for music production that being Mac or PC.

I use a PC in my lyric writing and music composition process however the prevailing computer of usage in the music industry particularly the more professional levels you cross is the Apple Mac.

Living in Los Angeles has afforded me the opportunity to come across and work in several studio situations and by and large I've encountered Apple's Macs in most of the studios.

One important thing to consider when your contemplating a new computer purchase, especially if you're going to switch from a PC to a Mac or vice versa, is what programs do you currently use on your computer and are they readily switchable to the other format?

PCs are by far the most prevalent computer type in the general public, practically %90 by some estimates of computers used, so they get a lot of attention as far as software development and hardware innovation. Accordingly being that the competition is higher the hardware and software prices tend to be lower than Mac items.

However, as I noted above the way that Macs operate allows them more program stability and you're much less likely to have program crashes and other programs interfering with your production process on the Mac. This is quite frankly why a lot of musicians and songwriters prefer Macs.

If you're looking to invest in a computer that is already pre-designed for music writing and recording check out the music configured systems at zZounds.com - Music Computers. Click on the Computer Music tab at the top of their homepage then click on Computers in the left hand menu bar.

zZounds has narrowed down what otherwise can be a dizzying array of choices into a select grouping of computers well suited to songwriters and musicians, both Apple and PC systems are featured including desktop and notebook systems.

The bottom-line is to make sure you match your writing needs with the computer or computer upgrade that will serve your needs best.

First of all recognize that a song is one idea and about only one idea. All your lines should support the idea of your song that is primarily summed up in your title.

Consider for a moment that you're writing a movie. In screenwriting one scene logically flows to the next. Your song should unfold accordingly.

You may start with a catchy hook line that may not fully sum up you big idea so you need to see where this idea is going, what is it about in the big picture and if you have to modify your hook to nail your big idea down then do it.

Evyn Charles is a full time independent singer-songwriter and musician in Los Angeles and a graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. In addition to regularly performing on his own he's played stints as varied as Club Med to currently being heard on the Orville Redenbacher popcorn commercial as well as playing with numerous classic touring acts.

Lyricist is the premiere indispensable and affordable lyric and lead sheet music writing program that incorporates chord charting (guitar, piano and the Nashville Number System), key transposition, word processing (formatting, spell checking, etc.), thesaurus, rhyming dictionary, media file launch, song organization, emailing of your songs capability plus more! All the essential tools of the trade for writing and polishing lyrics and preparing lead sheets of your songs.

Write lyrics masterfully with MasterWriter.

MasterWriter is the most powerful suite of songwriting tools ever assembled in one program and is as easy to use as your word processor. This revolutionary new software won Best of Show at MacWorld Expo and has received rave reviews in every major music magazine. It's endorsed by ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, NSAI and is used by hit songwriters including Gwen Stefani, Rob Thomas, Jimmy Webb, Kenny Loggins, Trent Reznor, Clint Black, Jeffrey Steele, and many more. Windows and Mac compatible.

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