RapidComposer is a rapid music prototyping software designed for composers, song-writers and musicians of all musical styles.

DAWs are great for mixing and mastering but they are not intended for music composition. RapidComposer is a dedicated application for creative music composers with non-destructive editing and features that you won't find even in the best DAW applications. Not because RapidComposer is better than a DAW; it is a different tool for a different purpose.

Features:

• Unique non-destructive, phrase-based music composition.
• Advanced tools for phrase editing, phrase generation, phrase grouping, motif development, chord progression editing.
• Intuitive drag and drop environment (you can drop chords, progressions, phrases, instruments to the composition).
• Master track with chords (absolute or scale degrees).
• Movable, resizable and transposable smart phrases that always conform to the current chord.
• Phrase and rhythm generators help you to create thousands of musically useful (not random) phrases.
• Extensive scale, chord, guitar chord, chord progression databases.
• Taggable instrument database of all MIDI, VSTi and SF2 presets in one place.
• Variations can be applied to phrases, or whole tracks.
• IdeaTool that generates a multitrack composition based on the parameters and rules that you specify.
• Unlimited undo and the ability to make several versions of the same composition.
• MIDI drag-and-drop
• Virtual instruments (VSTi v2.4 plug-ins) support.
• SoundFont (.SF2) support.

Related Music Production Equipment:
Roundup of low-cost Studio Monitors for home recording & mixing.

New in v2.7

• Chord suggestions (left click on a chord)
• Input chords using the MIDI keyboard or by entering text
• Phrase local history implemented: save and recall previous states of phrase generation
• The scale, tempo and signature properties are displayed on the master track and editable
• Edit chord progression rules
• Chord progression generation based on probability rules
• About 260 new chord progressions for major and minor scales used in pop music (registered version only)
• Set the initial length of the inserted phrase generators
• New phrase variation: 'Spread Out Chord Notes' to make a fuller sound from any phrase
• 4 new schemes are added to the Chord Generator to spread out chord notes in octaves
• Chord names fixed in traditional notation
• Bugfixes in chord palette to remember window size
• Bugfix for crashing issues when enabling "Start With Empty Master Track" fixed
• Bugfix for freezing when saving composition for the first time eliminated
• Bugfix for MIDI export and MIDI drag and drop from the VST plug-in to the host did not work well
• Bugfix for chord preview did not work well in the VST plug-in
• Various other bug fixes

New in v2.82

• Quick Undo/Redo when VST plug-ins used; VST states are not restored unnecessarily
• 'Collapse All' button added in the Variations browser
• New setting: Remember browser positions and sizes (disabled by default)
• Import MIDI continuous controllers from MIDI files
• 'Loading composition...' is displayed during loading a composition and loading VST plug-ins, which may take seconds
• MIDI controllers are reset when playback is starting (Reset All Controllers + reset pan and volume)
• Browser filter button colors can be set in the preferences and are part of the UI theme
• Bugfix for timeline selection by Shift-dragging that selected beats beyond the end of line
• Bugfix for 'Remove First Beat' and 'Insert One Beat Before First' in phrase editor
• Various other Bugfixes
• Various other optimizations

New in v2.63

• Bugfix for serious bug when restoring the VST plug-in state
• Bugfix for selecting a timeline range
  

  New in v2.61

  • MIDI drag and drop improvements (with StudioOne)
  • Drag and Drop bug now fixed
  • New Strings Staccato phrase generator
  • New Piano Run phrase generator
  • New Dyands Run phrase generator
  • New Mask Beginning and Time Offset phrase properties
  • Various other improvements
  • Multiple other minor bugs fixed

  New in v2.55

  • Looping fixed when using Sonar
  • Program initialization reworked
  • It is possible to resize phrases by dragging the left edge
  • Group name can be specified when saving phrases from the inspector
  • Zoom tracks vertically by Ctrl-drag or click-and-hold in the track header
  • Settings like loop/region/zoom/scrollbar positions saved with the composition
  • Besides double-click you can also use Alt-click to split/join chords
  • Browsers and inspectors can be placed on top when clicked inside
  • Loading custom MIDI instruments/presets is possible
  • Phrase preview shows note accents/velocities by shading the notes
  • Ghost phrases did not render the expressions properly
  • Bugfix fix for the KORG M1 VSTi plug-in crash
  • Bugfix for Schillinger's Interference: 'No Event' did not work well

  New in v2.52

  • Fix for crash when using 'Save Selected Chords As Progression'

  New in v2.5

  • New Melody Generator (not found in LE version)
  • New Bass Rhythm generator
  • Custom phrases are saved in separate files
  • UI improvements on the MIDI Import panel
  • Metronome added and redesigned UI in phrase editor
  • Chord palette reworked, bugs fixed, flats and sharps correctly displayed
  • Various other fixes and enhancements, details Here

  New in v2.21

  • Window sizing problems with VST plug-in fixed
  • Optimized user interface rendering
  • Automatic update checking implemented
  • It is possible to add bank select messages to MIDI instruments (by manually editing an .rcINST file)
  • Bugfix for crash when using 'Add Imported Tracks To Current Composition'
  • Bugfix for issue with MIDI import that could cause the program to hang or crash
  • Bugfix for crash when the MIDI keyboard sent a message to the chord palette which was opened in the phrase editor.
  • Various other bug fixes

  New in v2.2

  • ASIO channel selection implemented
  • Doubleclick inside the note to cut and join notes
  • Fix for crash with Nexus and improved plugin stability by removing race condition
  • Disabled editing ghost copies in note editing mode
  • Modal alert windows removed during start-up
  • Other bug fixes for improved stability

  New in v2.1

  • Global and per-track phrase envelopes which phrases may automatically follow
  • 4 algorithms offered for absolute-to-relative note conversion.
  • AI improvements in chord detection when importing MIDI files
  • New master track option: magnet. Chords are automatically transposed and inverted for better voice leading
  • Magnet option is implemented for phrases.
  • The Idea Tool is prepared to use the new voice leading improvements to produce musically more useful results
  • 'Recents' menu added for opening compositions and importing MIDI files
  • Absoluterelative conversion is easier than ever by pressing keys '0' to '4'
  • 3 new view options for the piano roll
  • Inspectors and browser panels can be resized by dragging the right bottom corner
  • Mouse wheel works over the workspace to scroll and zoom
  • New 'Support' panel
  • Cosmetic UI changes
  • Bug fix for highlighting the wrong buttons in the chord palette
  • Other bug fixes

  New in v2.06

  • Resizeable timeline
  • Change the key of an existing composition with chord harmonization
  • Bugfix for problem that inhibits loading an idea in the Idea Tool
  • ASIO improvements
  • Various minor fixes and stability improvements

  New in v2.04

  • Corrected the Windows 64bit download link
  • Improved audio import in the phrase inspector than in the track inspector
  • Set inspector fade in/out time in the settings
  • Can now select of chord progression for the specified scale
  • Bugfix for scale note shading on the piano roll
  • Bugfix for an issue when after phrase editing the phrase was not updated in the composition
  • Bugfix for Ableton Live! VST plug-in 'close' function
  • Bugfix for note parameters in sample phrases #9,#10,#11
  • Various other stability fixes

  New in v2.0

  • Rewritten GUI for better usability on small resolutions
  • Chords and progressions can be based on scale degrees, several chord notations offered
  • Cut/copy/paste works for phrases
  • Simplified structure editor
  • MIDI drag and drop tracks or composition to DAWs
  • Enhanced Idea Tool: generate a new composition for pressing a key
  • Enhanced reliability - the new recovery feature will recover your composition if the program or a plug-in crashes
  • Various other bugfixes