Software
Tablature
- GuitarPro - Home Page
- This is the only application here that is purchased - and it's worth it. After going through
multiple freeware applications and trials of a few paid applications I found that GuitarPro was the best
for me. Feature rich, very customizable, and excellent support make this a winner. If you are going to write tablature or even just want to
have a tool that does all the musical syntax checking, transpose, and lots of other features then GP is worth the
money.
- MuseScore - Home Page
- One of the better freeware applications for tabs. MS also has support for integration with LibreOffice
if you are inserting musical symbols or pieces of music into LibreOffice documents.
Audio
- Audacity - Home Page
- Soundtrack editing software. Many functions including those useful if you tabbing music, pitch change without changing tempo.
- THR Editor - Download Page
- THR Editor is the software component of the Yamaha amp. For the ukulele I found that the THR5 amp was more than enough for volume and creating custom tones.
Documentation/Images
- LibreOffice - Home Page
- LibreOffice (formerly OpenOffice) is the open-source, free office productivity suite. The suite can function as a complete replacement for Microsoft Office applications. For web development I use Draw for creating
strawman layouts and basic graphics/text. By designing in Draw the graphics can be copied into GIMP and saved as individual images. (All LibreOffice documents can be exported as PDF.)
- PDF-XChange Editor - Home Page
- PDF-XChange is available both in free and "Pro" (paid) versions. I used this software for annotating PDF files and creating watermark effects on Windows. This is a handy tool for editing a PDF outside the limitations of standard PDF editors. [Note: There is not a Linux version of this application so a different one is used on the Ubuntu Studio.]
- Xournal++ - Home Page
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- Xournal is advertised as a note taking application with the capability to modify/annotate numerous types of documents. This application is cross-platform making it a great tool for anyone. I have found it best to do as much markup as possible in GuitarPro before adding additional comments and images.
- Gimp - Home Page
- The GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP). GIMP is a cross-platform image editor available for GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows and more operating systems. GIMP is the free equivalent of Adobe Photoshop.
- Inkscape - Home Page
- Vector drawing is a way to create graphics that can change size without impacting resolution. Once a logo or text has been created it can be resized without impacting the quality.
3D Printing
- Inkscape - Inkscape
- Vector graphics (SVG format) can be used in 3D design. Tinkercad is my preferred CAD application because its free - and easy to use. Uploading vector images expands the functionality of TinkerCAD.
- TinkerCAD - Home Page
- TinkerCAD is a cloud-based design tool for electronics, coding, and 3D design. The application is easy to used with a broad support base. If you aren't designing really complex CAD projects, TinkerCAD is a free
solution that works well for most of my applications. Combined with another tool like Inkscape or modifying an existing model makes this a very capable app.
- Thingiverse - Home Page
- Technically not a tool - this is a source of free 3D models. Thingiverse is my favorite place to go browse and provided the base model that I built on my desk clamps with.
Other
- Ubuntu Studio
- Ubuntu Studio is a complete Linux operating system for those working with multi-media.
