I had a 17-inch Apple laptop computer, which I loved very much, although it wasn’t the lightest laptop around, that’s for sure. Eventually, that laptop stopped working in the middle of a project, and I needed to find a replacement quickly. I’d heard about Chromebooks but knew nothing about them, and I thought it might be fun to try one out since many of my students have Chromebooks. I usually research everything, but this time, I didn’t, and it was most certainly a spontaneous purchase.
I went to the store, bought the Chromebook, brought it home, unpacked it, and went through the setup process. It didn’t occur to me that I couldn’t install my music notation program, Sibelius, or my Digital Audio Workstation, Ableton Live. This made me concerned that I would have no chance of getting any of my music projects done outside of my studio.
Since I always had a regular laptop, I did not need to research other options for notating or recording music. but now I was in a different situation, so I hopped on Google and started researching; I had no idea there were so many browser-based online music notation and recording options for a Chromebook.
My Chromebook music setup uses Noteflight for music notation because it’s tied in with Arrange Me and Alfred publishing, making publishing sheet music relatively easy. It’s also a program that school music departments use frequently, so many of my students are familiar with it. I start scores in Noteflight and then export them to Sibelius for heavy editing in my studio.
For recording, I tend to use Soundtrap; I like the user interface. It’s a program used by schools, so I feel relatively confident with my students using it. Regarding my use of the program, I can develop some ideas, start some projects in Soundtrap, and move them to Logic X or Ableton Live for more detailed editing and final production work. However, it’s a capable program in its own right.
I also like the combination of Noteflight and Soundtrap because they are compatible, allowing you to transfer specific data between the two programs when needed or desired. However, I realize everyone has their favourites, and these options may not be a perfect fit for everyone.
While I could use any keyboard controllers or audio interfaces in my studio with my Chromebook, I prefer my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and my small two-octave novation keyboard controller. What you can do musically on an inexpensive Chromebook like mine is pretty amazing.
It’s comforting knowing I can easily write and produce music on my Chromebook music setup, turning any space into a music studio to create, imagine, and explore. This allows me to work outside my studio on days when other surroundings may be more inspiring.
If you’re looking for online Digital Audio Workstations to make producing music much easier, I wrote a post on DAW, which you can find here.
So, to all those Chromebook-based musicians, have fun being inspired and happy creating.
