Check your computer to make sure it can run notation software. Most take at least 512 MB of RAM to run. However, at the minimum requirements, your notation software will run slowly and may experience errors. If you are planning to buy a new computer to use for composing sheet music, look for a computer with around 2 GB of RAM and 2 GHz processing speed. Finale and Sibelius are available for both the Mac and Windows XP.
Install your USB audio-MIDI interface. In order for your notation software to communicate with your synthesizer, your MIDI interface needs to be installed first. Your USB audio-MIDI interface will come with software and information from the manufacturer to help with the installation.
A USB audio-MIDI interface lets you connect audio input feeds and MIDI feeds to your computer. TASCAM makes a low-cost USB audio-MIDI interface called the US-122 that will help you get started in some notation software. However, Sibelius is only compatible with a few external MIDI devices. Check with your software manufacturer to make sure that your MIDI interface is compatible with your notation software.
Install your notation software.
Plug your synthesizer's MIDI-Out to the MIDI-In on your audio-MIDI interface, and the synthesizer's MIDI-In to the MIDI-Out on your audio-MIDI interface. This setup will allow your computer to sync with your synthesizer to record MIDI tracks on your notation software.
Direct your notation software to recognize the MIDI coming from your synthesizer through the audio-MIDI interface device. To do this, open the hardware setup function of your notation software and select the interface device as your active MIDI device. On most notation software, the hardware settings are under Edit or Tools in a section called Setup, Preferences or Options.
Test your hardware installation. Add a track into your notation software and record some MIDI keystrokes from your synthesizer.
Start a new file. Then, create a track and enable it for recording.
Begin recording on your notation software as you play the part you wish to record. When you are done with the track, press stop.
Check the track for any errors and use the notation software's editing tools to clean up timing, clarify notation markings and fix any errors you might have made while playing the synthesizer.
Repeat until you have recorded and cleaned up parts for all of the instruments that you wanted to include in your musical composition. Double-check the parts by listening to them using your notation software's playback function.
Print your sheet music. You can choose to print the music in various sizes, as a conductor's score, in sections or individually by instrument.