Sibelius 7 Integrates Samples, MusicXML And More

US Flagship scoring package comes of age 27/07/11

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Avid Sibelius has to be one of, if not the oldest music scoring packages. Dating back to 1986 when it was first written for Acorn Archimedes computer in Assembly language by the Finn twins. Known then as Sibelius 7, subsequently it was named just Sibelius, but unlike the challenging Finnish composer, it fast became the scoring standard - particularly in education.

Around five years ago, it was acquired by Avid and souped up with built-in sample playback to allow for full score based composition without having to resort to an external MIDI or DAW. So here we are now at version Sibelius 7 again - what does it have to offer:

What’s New in Sibelius 7?

New and exclusive professional-quality sound library - Unique to Sibelius, the new professional-quality sound library delivers stunning musical realism to scores during playback. It includes the Avid Orchestra, a specially recorded full symphony orchestra, a collection of rock and pop sounds from the Avid virtual instrument team, a 27-stop church organ from leading virtual organ creator Hauptwerk, and a selection of sounds from Sample Logic Rumble and Fanfare featuring 14-time world champion Drum and Bugle Corps, The Blue Devils.
Completely redesigned task-oriented user interface - Optmised for single-display systems, the new user interface employs a rich graphical toolbar and dockable panels that don't obscure the working area, putting all of the software's features at the user's fingertips. The redesigned mixer also allows finer control of playback than ever before, delivering more balanced mixes.
Full MusicXML interchange - Complete MusicXML import and now export makes sharing files with hundreds of music applications, including Finale®, easier than ever.
64-bit performance - Sibelius 7 is the world's first native 64-bit notation software, and has been completely rewritten to take advantage of the performance of today's incredibly fast 64-bit hardware and operating systems.
Powerful text, graphic and sharing options - Publisher-quality typography and graphics import/export capability delivers finished scores with professional-quality text and graphics. Publish and export demanding layouts and text-heavy scores with advanced finishing options, including direct PDF and EPS export. Also sync with or import notation from Pro Tools®, or export scores as Scorch® files, then share or publish them on the web or via Avid Scorch for iPad®.