Sibelius 5.1 Released
Free update for Sibelius 5 users enhances support for Windows Vista, Mac OSX Leopard, MusicXML and M-Audio hardware
London, UK, 24 October 2007 – Sibelius Software, makers of the worlds best-selling music notation software, today announces the release of Sibelius 5.1 – a free update for Sibelius 5 that enhances the user experience for musicians using the software with Windows Vista, Mac OSX, Music XML and controller keyboards from M-Audio. The upgrade also makes it easier to audition and find the right sounds using the mixer and to get going with the wealth of new built-in sounds supplied with Sibelius 5.
Sibelius 5.0 users can download the free update from www.sibelius.com/helpcenter or by choosing Help > Check for Updates in Sibelius 5.
Sibelius 5.1 fully supports the Aero look and feel of Windows Vista, giving it an engaging interface on Microsoft’s new platform. On the Mac, version 5.1 enables users to locate scores using Spotlight, and preview scores using Quick Look in the new Leopard operating system (Mac OSX 10.5).
MusicXML 2.0 – the latest version of the industry-standard format to transfer scores between notation engines – is fully supported in Sibelius 5.1. This includes the new compressed .mxl format, which reduces MusicXML file sizes by around 20 times. The handling of instruments and layouts from MusicXML files has also been enhanced, and more notation than ever are imported, including unpitched percussion, multirests, guitar chord diagrams, and many more.
Users of M-Audio controller keyboards that offer extra buttons, faders and rotary controls can now easily use these to manipulate audio and other settings within Sibelius, thanks to a range of new input maps for M-Audio keyboards.
An update to the brand new mixer in Sibelius 5 makes it easier to identify sounds by seeing their program names, rather than just sound IDs. Users can also audition sounds and change a staff’s MIDI channel all directly from within the mixer to help find the right sounds more quickly.
Playback of rolls and other unpitched percussion effects has been enhanced and it is now easier than ever to get started with Sibelius 5’s brand new built-in sounds thanks to a default playback configuration.
For more information on Sibelius 5.1, click here.
About Sibelius
- Sibelius is the world’s market leader in music notation software.
- Sibelius was founded in 1993 to sell music notation software, initially for the Acorn computer. Windows and Mac versions were released in 1998/99.
- Since then the Sibelius Group has developed 20 additional music products for the professional, educational and home user, ranging from Internet publishing to guitar software.
- Sibelius has customers in over 100 countries.
- Sibelius is used in 60% of schools in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
- Sibelius is endorsed by the Royal Academy of Music and is used by all the major music academies and colleges: the Royal College of Music, Trinity College of Music, Oxford and Cambridge Universities, the Juilliard School, Berklee School of Music, the Sibelius Academy in Finland, the Royal College of Music in Stockholm.
- The world’s leading music publishers, including Music Sales, Hal Leonard and Yamaha, use Sibelius.
- In 2005, Sibelius was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Innovation.
- Sibelius was recently acquired by Avid Technology, Inc., the worldwide leaders in digital media editing and creation solutions. Sibelius is part of of Avid’s Audio division which also includes Digidesign, producers of Pro Tools, and M-Audio.
Sibelius is headquartered in London, UK, with offices in San Francisco, Adelaide and Tokyo.
24 October 2007
All information correct at time of press release.
For further information please contact Sibelius.
