Sibelius® For Macintosh® Released
July 23, 1999Sibelius Software Ltd. announces the release
of their award winning scorewriter designed expressly for the Macintosh® platform.
Sibelius® for Macintosh is a true object-oriented, Mac native application
--not merely a Windows(TM) program ported to a Mac. With speeds far faster than
other music notation programs, Sibelius for Macintosh instantaneously updates
and reformats even the most complex score in just a fraction of a second. Sibelius
for Macintosh handles music of all kinds and complexities, from keyboard and
vocal music to complex orchestral scores with over 100 instruments. Offering
full Internet compatibility, playback feature options, and publishing quality
printing, Sibelius for Macintosh is the most comprehensive composition tool
available.
Sibelius Software Ltd., has been a leader in the development of notation software
since the early 1990's. Founded by identical twin brothers who are talented
musicians, composers, and programmers, the company has focused on developing
software that offered not only the most advanced feature set, but would also
demystify the computer notation process.
"We are very proud of this product," explains Ben Finn, Managing Director
at Sibelius Software Ltd. "Simplicity and ease of use has always been a
major factor in our product development strategy. Being a creative process,
composition should not be hampered by notation software, but enhanced and made
easier. Sibelius for Macintosh brings the art of music composition to the elegance
and simplicity of the Mac OS Platform."
Sibelius for Macintosh has been developed as a stand-alone Mac program, bringing
the massive feature-set of Sibelius to the Mac platform in a completely native
format. Offering familiar key commands and a true Macintosh interface, aficionados
of Mac OS will appreciate the interface, dialog boxes, tool bars, and other familiar
characteristics of the software.
Not only lightning fast in execution, but unlike other notation programs, Sibelius
isremarkably easy to learn. Sibelius for Macintosh instantaneously updates
and reformats even the most complex score in just a fraction of a second. Whether
you are adding a bar to the start of a two-hour film score or a complex piece
of music such as Wagner's complete Ring Cycle -- requiring massive reorganization
of every page -- Sibelius will update the work in 0.1 seconds.
Redefining the standard user interface, Sibelius works very much like a word
processor -- music can be input from any MIDI (electronic) keyboard, or notes
and symbols are placed on the screen using a computer's mouse and keyboard.
Music notation is constantly updated and displayed on the screen exactly as
it will print out -there is no need to change modes or waste time moving through
different screens.
"Unlike other music notation software products, Sibelius has virtually
no learning curve -- it is so intuitively designed that our customers can begin
composing right away, even if they have no previous computer experience,"
continued Finn. "The software was written for musicians, by musicians, and
puts the fun back into music notation. Sibelius for Macintosh provides a creative
environment for composition without interrupting the process with endless computer
commands -- allowing musicians the same seamless creativity as manuscript paper,
while saving countless hours by doing hundreds of musical chores automatically."
For added convenience, Sibelius for Macintosh offers exactly the same features
and functionality as the Windows version -- with even the same keyboard shortcuts,
making it easy for users to switch between the two. The Mac and Windows versions
also use the same file format, making them 100% compatible -- a score created
on the Mac can be loaded straight into the Windows version and vice versa.
Sibelius for Macintosh also offers unparalleled flexibility. The software's
open architecture design, allows users to customize the program by creating
new features with the easy-to-learn ManuScript language. Sibelius is also the
only professional scorewriter that is fully Internet compatible. It allows users
to publish their scores on websites, so site visitors can view and play the
scores from any standard web browser -- even if they don't have Sibelius.
For playback, Sibelius' Expressivo(TM) feature uses artificial intelligence
to produce a lifelike performance straight from a score -- the program reads
all standard markings such as dynamics, articulation and text, and adds its
own phrasing and interpretation as well. Sibelius also has sophisticated sequencing
facilities -- its unique "Flexi-time" feature lets the user play music
in from a MIDI keyboard to a metronome, and the tick automatically speeds up
or slows down to keep in time with the user's tempo.
Sibelius' publishing capabilities are second to none. Music publishers have
extremely stringent graphical specifications to which scores for publication
must conform. Sibelius is one of only a few systems that satisfy the requirements
of music publishers. The program offers remarkable formatting options, all at
lightning speed. All page formats can be instantly changed, including the paper
size, page shape, or size of the staves. All markings stay correctly attached
to their notes, and lines such as slurs and hairpins stretch or contract to
suit the new layout.
Sibelius for Macintosh is available now through better musical instrument retailers
in the United States and Canada. Sibelius for Macintosh and Sibelius for Windows
are bundled together on one CD-ROM, making it easy for composers to install
the version of their choice. For more information, contact
Sibelius at www.sibelius.com. | 
