# Free Music Composition Software?

Category: Jam Session

## Post 1 by Shell Script (I just keep on posting!) on Wednesday, 20-Nov-2013 11:21:10

Hi all. Is there a composition software, such as Sonar, that is free? I don't really want to spend much money on composition software, so if I can get one that is free (or next to free), that would be great.

## Post 2 by Dolce Eleganza (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Wednesday, 20-Nov-2013 15:11:28

Honestly, anything accessible isn't nearly free, except NVDA. There are programs out there, such as lime and dancing dots and sebelius, but you'd have to have jaws with them. I mean I'm not advertising, it's just that You could save money and buy something durable and good. I don't know other softwares. Maybe someone can back me up.

## Post 3 by Shell Script (I just keep on posting!) on Wednesday, 20-Nov-2013 15:14:16

No, not that kind of composition software. I mean software like Sonar, Reaper, and ProTools. I think I may try Ubuntu Studeo one day and see how I can get it to work.

## Post 4 by Faial (Zone BBS Addict) on Thursday, 21-Nov-2013 7:39:54

Jsonar scripts for Sonar are for free.
It's the same cost for sighted and blind people: I mean the cost of Sonar itself.
Jsonar are free scripts for Sonar.
There is of course Caketalk jaws scripts for Sonar from Dancingdots.
They are kind of expensive but they have a wonderful documentation of more than 400 pages which is really great to get you started in a accessibility point of view.
Reapper is cheap and there is also accessibility for it.
For me the best choice would be maybe to try Garage Band with Apple products. It's really cheap and you can do a lot with it!
Cheers

## Post 5 by mat the musician (Help me, I'm stuck to my chair!) on Thursday, 21-Nov-2013 21:11:29

As stated above, reaper is next to free (65 dollars for the full version), and if you can download some free VSTs, you can make it sound as good as Sonar. I don't use Reaper, but know that there are free scripts for it (ReAccess), abailable. It works well for both Audio and Midi, but doesn't have the midi-editing capabilities of Sonar (the event list, where each note can be individually deleted, changed etc), as far as I know.

## Post 6 by nikos (English words from a Greek thinking brain) on Tuesday, 26-Nov-2013 3:01:36

Hi.
Quick midi sequencer qws is very good but as the name says it is only for midi.
It doesn't come with any instruments either so you will need either a keyboard, vst or something like that.
http://andrelouis.com/qws/

## Post 7 by Shell Script (I just keep on posting!) on Monday, 02-Dec-2013 17:29:41

How does one hok a Midi keyboard to a laptop nowadays? I remember Midi ports, vaguely, but I'd assume that the connection is USB nowadays.

## Post 8 by Faial (Zone BBS Addict) on Tuesday, 03-Dec-2013 4:49:55

Yes MIDI controllers connect themselves to the computers Via Usb port. I own two and they work really well. Allmost all electronic keyboards since some years ago have Midi capabilities. I even have one that doesn't require any drivers or any software: you just connect, open the software you want and it just plays! Midi is much more simple than whatt normally people think about it. It's very easy to use and it is used in most professional recording environments!

## Post 9 by mat the musician (Help me, I'm stuck to my chair!) on Saturday, 07-Dec-2013 16:14:20

Though as Faial said, mot keyboards, have USb, and use that to hook up to a laptop, older mobels will still require standard midi cables and a midi interface, basically a midi-to-usb adapter. Options include the roland UM1 and M-Audio Midisport, as well as the MidiMan.

## Post 10 by LeoGuardian (You mean there is something outside of this room with my computer in it?) on Tuesday, 10-Dec-2013 16:28:24

Anyone remember Gate? Hahaha I did Midi before back in the 1980s when you used those MIDI cables and sequencers and samplers.
Anyway, Garage Band for the iPad is free with the iPad. I haven't used it though so I don't know how or what it actually does.

## Post 11 by mat the musician (Help me, I'm stuck to my chair!) on Tuesday, 10-Dec-2013 20:32:57

It's 95 percent accessible on the IPad with vo, and is espcially effective/fun with a midi keyboard/controller like the Akai SynthStation25.

## Post 12 by LeoGuardian (You mean there is something outside of this room with my computer in it?) on Wednesday, 11-Dec-2013 10:58:05

How would you hook that to your iPad? Are there connects between USB and Lightning port? Is that how this would work?

## Post 13 by mat the musician (Help me, I'm stuck to my chair!) on Wednesday, 11-Dec-2013 16:44:44

There's a device called the Camera Connection Kit, available from Apple, which is a lightning-to-usb converter. The Synthstation25, connects directly, via a 30-pin, which can be converted via an adapter to lightning.

## Post 14 by Shell Script (I just keep on posting!) on Thursday, 26-Dec-2013 16:48:54

Can you use it with the touch screen on the iPad itself?

## Post 15 by mat the musician (Help me, I'm stuck to my chair!) on Friday, 27-Dec-2013 12:34:15

Yes you can.

## Post 16 by Shell Script (I just keep on posting!) on Saturday, 28-Dec-2013 10:30:40

Oh, that was a screwup on my part. I misread the app name, it looked like something else, not Garage Band. Ninety-five percent accessible? Well, unless your counting the clunky metronome, I'd rate Garage Band at ninety-nine.