NOTION is a computer software program for music composition and performance created by NOTION Music, a company located in Greensboro, North Carolina

Greensboro, North Carolina

Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...

. Created for use on Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...

 and Mac OS

Mac OS

Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...

, NOTION's sample library for playback was recorded at Abbey Road

Abbey Road Studios

Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...

 by the London Symphony Orchestra

London Symphony Orchestra

The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...

. NOTION Music also offers other programs with names written in all caps, including PROTEGE (similar to NOTION with limited functionality), PROGRESSION

Progression, software

PROGRESSION is a music creation and performance computer program created by NOTION Music. Created for use on Microsoft Windows and Mac OS laptops or desktops, PROGRESSION focuses on composition for guitar, but can also be used to compose for keyboards , bass , and drums...

 (a composition program oriented to guitarists), and NOTION Conducting (for Conducting classes).

Playback and Performance

The playback engine provides users with real-time tempo control as it interprets score marks, such as articulations and performance techniques. This enables groups to accompany live performers or fill-in for absent ensemble players. A version of NOTION has been used on non-union national tours of Broadway shows, including Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (musical)

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a Broadway musical, with music and lyrics by David Yazbek and a book by Jeffrey Lane; it is based on the film of the same name...

 and Wizard of Oz, to supplement live musicians in the orchestra pit.

In addition to live performance, solo performers or actors-singers can rehearse with a full orchestra at their convenience. Users can also capture playback in .wav digital audio files for transfer to CD or digital audio workstation - or for conversion to other audio formats such as mp3 or wma.

Composition

Composers, arrangers, music students, and hobbyists can write for up to 128 instruments in a score using computer keyboard/mouse, MIDI keyboard, MIDI guitar, MIDI file, or MusicXML file. NOTION automatically takes care of many mechanical aspects of music notation, such as stem direction and alignment of different rhythmic values. Users can create custom key signatures, time signatures, and quarter tones. NOTION also provides an audio mixer to set volume level, pan (left/right stereo placement) setting, and hall decay amount down to individual instruments. NOTION 3, the third version of the software also supports ReWire

ReWire

ReWire is a software protocol, jointly developed by Propellerhead and Steinberg, allowing remote control and data transfer among digital audio editing and related software...

, third party VST effects and other third party sound libraries, including Vienna Special Edition and Special Edition Plus, East West Quantum Leap Platinum, Miroslav Philharmonik and Garritan Personal Orchestra (ARIA).