I’m trying to use Hookpad for choir composing since the interface from melody to chords to exact arrangement feels quite nice.
However there are two issues that make “exact arrangement” harder.
Having multiple voices overlap on a single piano roll makes it difficult to see how each separate voice is handled. I’m aware that it’s possible to switch between the voices and see particular voice, but still it makes editing more difficult and some analysis harder.
Four voices isn’t quite sufficient for me, e.g. SSAATTBB and similar become harder. Ideally here each staff would contain multiple voices for a particular voice group. This of course can be worked around by first writing just for SATB and then adding more voice is some other programs.
I agree that having the voices overlap can sometimes feel a little cluttered. When I write for SATB I usually use the “outlined” voice management tool, which colors inactive voices a different color, which allows me to follow the lines better. Another useful shortcut to know is that you can use CTRL + 2, 3, or 4 to switch to voices 2, 3, or 4 respectively, which can make it easier to toggle between active voices than using the mouse. Finally, you can click on a melody note of an inactive voice to make it active.
Regarding the second point, I agree that 4 voices is not always enough. We’ve discussed various solutions to this, like allowing multiple notes per voice or adding more voices, but have not decided which direction makes the most sense.
Yes that’s a good point. Another thing you can try is to transpose T and B parts down and octave but adjust their playback to sound up an octave in the band tool. I know this doesn’t fix all cases but it might give you some more breathing room.
