Microsoft Store debuts StaffPad, a handwritten music composition tool for Surface devices

Sean Cameron

StaffPad

Part of Microsoft’s drive with the Surface Pro line has been to convince creative professionals from around the globe as to the potential that its devices can offer them.

As a result of this, the Surface Pro 3 has quickly garnered a reputation as a versatile tool for digital artists, yet Microsoft’s ambitions do not stop there, as evidenced by StaffPad, a new music writing app for Windows 8.1 published by StaffPad, Ltd., introduced alongside the new Surface 3.

StaffPad features advanced handwriting recognition capabilities, allowing the use of a stylus, as found on the Surface Pro 3 (and the new Surface 3), to compose music by hand. Once the music has been written, the app then offers advanced playback, sharing and editing capabilities, to make the whole process of composing digitally far easier than before.

Designed for use on a Surface device by professional musicians and composers, the app is nonetheless a powerful tool for students as well, featuring an entire orchestra’s worth of music, allowing for extensive experimentation.

Costing $69.99, StaffPad is available for download now.

Will you be making use of Staff Pad? Let us know in the comments below.