Inta Audio’s ‘Buyer’s Guide’ focuses this week on some fantastic exclusive deals on educational software and recommendations for affordable gear – from recording and sequencing programs to notation software for scoring practice; audio interfaces and MIDI keyboards to great priced educational headphones. Read on to discover all that you need to catapult your music lessons from ‘satisfactory’ to ‘outstanding!’
Music Software: Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)
Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software is essential for recording, mixing and turning inspired ideas into incredible tracks!
School is well and truly back in session – and what better way to make the new school year the best one yet than with some fantastic deals on top-class music software, specifically priced for educational institutions?
Your students (and music teachers!) will need to capture, record and generate their musical ideas and inspirations – and there’s nothing better in that respect than Steinberg’s 
legendary Cubase software! The latest versions are the most innovative yet, with a range of exceptional features that are perfect for inspiring your students’ musical creativity, making lessons interesting, experimental and collaborative.
As close partners with Steinberg, we have some exceptional deals perfect for schools and colleges – put simply, the more computers you buy for, the more you save! Can’t say fairer than that!
Cubase Pro 9
Cubase Pro 9, with its expanded range of inspirational tools and advanced features, makes just about anything you could imagine a possibility! Perfect for colleges and usually priced at £249 per computer, we’re sure you’ll agree that the prices below are the definition of ‘Outstanding’!
5-9 computers = £235 per copy
10 – 24 computers = £222 per copy
25+ computers = £208 per copy
Cubase Artist 9
Cubase Artist 9 contains many of the features found in the Pro version, with a few notable exceptions. If your budget is a little tighter, or if you’re primarily using the software with younger students, it may have everything you need for less. Usually priced at £153 per computer, the following prices are definitely more than ‘Good’!
5-9 computers = £137 per copy
10-24 computers = £128 per copy
25+ computers = £119 per copy
Music Software: Notation and Scoring
Notation software allows students to develop their understanding and practical application of score-writing in the most effective way possible, with instant, satisfying playback of every note, rest and marking that they write!
Developing a thorough understanding of music notation can be one of the greatest challenges a music educator will face, especially with younger students. Notation software is undoubtedly the greatest asset in this respect, allowing them to practice their notation in an exploratory, risk-free way with immediate playback using high-quality sounds.
Steinberg Dorico
Make the problem-solving of notating music a whole lot more fun with the renowned Steinberg Dorico! With full 64-bit support to take advantage of powerful modern processors, Dorico 
makes scoring fast and efficient. It utilises the same top-class engine found in Cubase for maximum performance and comes with a staggering selection of almost 1500 incredible sounds from the legendary Halion Sonic SE 2 and Halion Symphonic Orchestra, with the ability to also load in any other VST3 sound libraries you currently own.
Dorico Educational License – £240 per copy
MakeMusic Finale 25
An excellent alternative to Dorico, offering many of the same benefits such as 64-bit support, improved workflow and a selection of high-quality 
sounds from renowned orchestral library producer Garritan. The prices are extremely similar, so it’s worth trying out both to see which is the most suitable for your needs.
Finale 25 Educational License – £239 per copy
Essential Gear: Audio Interface
Audio interfaces are the bridge between your microphones/guitars/other instruments and the computer with its music software, providing the important connections that computers don’t have out of the box. Your students will need to be able to record vocals or live instruments into their projects, and for that reason, an audio interface is essential!
We have many audio interfaces to choose from – but undoubtedly among the very best are the ‘UR’ series from Steinberg. As an added bonus, the same company make Cubase, so by combining the software and interface you are guaranteeing total compatibility. As an even greater bonus, they’re available from Inta Audio at fantastic educational prices!
Steinberg UR22 MKII
Connecting easily via USB, the UR22 MKII offers everything you could possibly need for a classroom interface and more. For starters, it’s incredibly rugged with a strong metal build that is more than capable of deflecting the hard knocks of a class environment! It also features 2 combination inputs, so you can connect a guitar and microphone at the same time. It offers remarkable sound resolution, +48V phantom power switch (essential when using most microphones), Hi-Z switch for electric guitars and a headphone port with controllable volume in addition to a range of speaker outputs for connecting to class speakers. It can even be directly connected to an iPad – a feature that is quite rare to find at this price point! Overall a very highly recommended interface, and one that is sure to withstand the rigours of school life – all at an exceptionally reasonable price!
Or if you feel that 2 inputs may not be enough, there’s also the UR44 (pictured below) which doubles the number of inputs to 4 – perfect for connecting up a guitar, bass and two singers – or any combination really – for those band performances and group projects!
UR22 MKII Educational – £95 per unit
UR44 Educational – £209.99 per unit
Essential Gear: Headphones
As much a tool for your sanity as your students’ creativity, a good pair of headphones are absolutely essential!
We stock an incredible range of studio-quality headphones at Inta Audio – but these are perhaps a little excessive for school bulk-buying! Luckily, we also have some great bulk bundles specifically designed with education in mind!
Samson HP10 Educational Stereo Headphones
The Samson HP10 headphones are ideal for schools and colleges. For starters, they’re incredibly affordable at just £9.99 each! Even better still, we offer a bulk pack of 20 sets for just £179 – you don’t need to be a mathematician to see the great saving to be had there! The sound quality and frequency response are surprisingly good considering the price – if you’re looking for a cheap yet effective solution, you can’t really go wrong with the HP10!
Samson HP10 Headphones (individual) – £9.99
Samson HP10 Headphones (Pack of 20) – £179
Recommended Gear: MIDI Keyboard
A MIDI-Keyboard is essentially a musical remote control that allows your students to play and capture their musical ideas in the software already discussed above. Absolutely essential for DAW software – unless you want them entering every note individually with a mouse!
At Inta Audio, we stock a plentiful supply of MIDI keyboards, but when it comes to educational use, you need something cheap, functional and effective – not a high-price for unnecessary bells and whistles.
Acorn Masterkey 25
When it comes to affordable-yet-effective, it’s hard to knock the Acorn Masterkey 25 – literally! It is well-built and rugged – so perfect even for those rowdy classes! – and is lightweight enough to be highly portable. It also comes with a 6ft USB cable, which is more than adequate for positioning the keyboard comfortably, whatever your workspace. It has pitch and modulation wheels, four assignable rotary knobs, octave up/down buttons and a volume slider.
Unbelievably for a MIDI keyboard of this price, Acorn manage to throw in a free copy of PreSonus Studio One Artist Software, a professional DAW for recording and sequencing music. Studio One Artist used to sell for £129.00 alone making this package very good value for money!
And if you feel that 25 keys is a little too restrictive, there are larger versions available as well – including the Masterkey 49 which is even more astounding value at just £66!
Acorn Masterkey 25 – only £49!
Acorn Masterkey 49 – only £66!
What you see above is only a small selection of the educational products that we offer.
At Inta-Audio, we are passionate about supporting high-quality music education by offering discounted pricing and advice on all aspects of music technology. Be sure to check out Inta-Audio.com for more great educational deals, and if you require any help at all with understanding, selecting or pricing your next music purchase, be sure to get in touch!
Give us a call on 02476 369890…
…E-mail us at cs@inta-audio.com…
…or get in touch via our website’s Live Chat!