- Publisher: Arobas Music
- Product: Guitar Pro 8
- Version: 8.0.0 Build 18-BTCR
Guitar Pro version 8 has just landed, bringing a host of handy new features, improved UI and an increased emphasis on playback sound quality.
As Arobas Music – the company behind the notation software – says, while version 7 brought about a complete interface overhaul, version 8 is more of an “evolution” than a “revolution”. And the keyword of this evolution, the company says, is “sound”.
Chief among the new features of Guitar Pro 8 is the ability to import an audio file into a project, allowing users to transcribe guitar audio without having to continuously flick between Guitar Pro and the browser or streaming service window they’re transcribing from. There’s also now a built-in audio filter which makes it easier to single out a specific instrument in mix.
Guitar Pro 8’s audio integration feature also means that a user learning a piece of music from an existing Guitar Pro tab sheet can follow not only the score but the track at the same time. MySongBook – Guitar Pro’s library of existing tab files – has already begun to see an overhaul with the inclusion of audio files.
Other features tailored towards those looking to learn with Guitar Pro 8 include a Focus/Unfocus track dial – an easy way to boost or cut a track in a mix for greater audial clarity – and a new visual metronome, which makes a section of the top panel flash in time with the music, offering a “more physical way of feeling the tempo”.
Guitar Pro 8 also offers users greater control over their playback guitar tone, with a new visual drag-and-drop pedalboard that can be used to flavor tracks with emulations of classic guitar pedals.
Workflow improvements include a new command palette – in which users can type just a few letters to find any command within Guitar Pro 8 – fully customizable scale diagrams with up to 24 frets and anywhere from three to 10 strings, audio note settings which give control over the velocity of each note, and new fonts and visual design options.