Hello everyone again

Thanks to Jim, I know how I should set up my VDL2 once I purchase it.  Now I have a question about Sibelius.  I will be using VDL2 mainly for Battery percussion only right now.  It won't be for about another year that I will need to write any pit percussion parts.  I have been looking at all the different Sibelius software that's available.  To save some money, should I buy the Sibelius Student addition?  It's only $99.  If that version will allow me to write for Battery percussion and use VDL2, that would be great.

Opinions?

Brian

I am not familiar with the student edition but fro what I can tell, the student edition is very limiting. According to the comparison chart on the Sibelius website, it is only capable of general midi only. That pretty much means that external midi sounds like VDL 2 are not useable in this version. You also can't extract individual parts and you are only able to do triplets and sextuplets.

I would think the templates would technically work but the software is designed to restrict its use to only very basic tasks.

You can get the ";regular"; version of Sibelius with the academic pricing for $239 through [url]http://www.academicsuperstore.com/market/marketdisp.html?PartNo=749612[/url].  This also includes an USB audio thing (says it is a $40 value) to help boost the signal when listening with headphones to a laptop.  You will need to show a valid student or faculty IS but this is a great place to get academic pricing on a bunch of different software.

Or if you already have a version of Finale, you can order the competitive upgrade -- much cheaper. And definitely worth looking into whether you'd qualify or not.

Good point Eric!

Congrats on the new gig.  Go Eagles!

Thanks man!