# Guitar Pro 5 Vs. Guitar Pro 6



## Veritech Zero (May 26, 2013)

I currently have, use and love guitar pro 5. And I've noticed most people still use it. I've never really tried GP6... I was just curious if there is something wrong with it? It seems like the parent company just keeps pushing it (free copy included in this months guitar interactive magazine) but no one is biting...


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## LolloBlaskhyrt (May 26, 2013)

I use the 5 but I tried the 6 once. It's more complicated than the 5 for drums and I don't need "realistic" sounds in my tablatures. But with the 6 you have the possibility to insert a 8 string guitar, while using GP5 not.


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## axxessdenied (May 26, 2013)

I bought 6 and use it. I like it. I never wrote tablature in the older software so I don't know the difference.


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## Veritech Zero (May 26, 2013)

Yeah I never thought about the 8 string guitar bit. But yeah, I use DKFH if I need more realistic sounding drums, and the GP5 RSE does just fine as a click track for laying down the actual recordings. But I suppose if you played an 8 string that could be an issue.


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## Experimorph (May 26, 2013)

Guitar Pro 6 basically offers you more "realistic" sounds and really nothing more. That said, they still sound terrible and if you don't use Guitar Pro for anything but tabbing in the first place, there's no gain. Another reason why many people won't hop aboard 6 is likely because you can't tab in drums, you only have the note sheet for it.

I had to buy Guitar Pro 6 because 5 has so many issues on my Mac OS, the biggest of them being unable to export MIDI out. My Windows desktop HDD had just died and I had bought Guitar Pro 5 for my MacBook Pro. Two days after I spent another extra 30 euros just to be able to open my .gp5 files in GP6, export the MIDI and open that in my DAW.

Then I got my HDD back from warranty, got my Windows desktop running and never opened GP6 again.

EDIT: If I'm tabbing for an eight string guitar, I just choose a guitar with seven strings and tune it from the lowest string upwards. I always have multiple guitar tracks running anyway, so I have one with the low string and one with the high.


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## Winspear (May 26, 2013)

GP6 = RSE (really bad sounding, I much prefer general MIDI sound which doesn't distract from the writing) and 8 strings. I bought it for the 8 string feature and ended up barely using it because I have a 9 so moved to Sibelius haha.
GP6 also tried to take a lot of it's styling from Sibelius. It did ok but it's nowhere near as user friendly. They also removed drum numbers and made drums notation only to be more proper, which made a lot of people angry.


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## Larcher (May 26, 2013)

I had gp6, hated it. Reverted back to GP5 and happy as can be


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## TheWarAgainstTime (May 26, 2013)

I was a big user of GP5 for about two years until I bought GP6. I was skeptical at first with how much more stuff there is and how different tabbing out drums is, but I basically just forced myself to keep from using GP5 and deal with GP6  it took a little while to get used to, but now I prefer GP6 since I can write/tab just as easily as 5, but with the added bonus of the better sounds.


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## isispelican (May 26, 2013)

GP5 all the way


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## Fat-Elf (May 26, 2013)

Tuxguitar.


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## Santuzzo (May 26, 2013)

Fat-Elf said:


> Tuxguitar.



Does TuxGuitar allow for 7-string and 8-string TABs?


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## Seanthesheep (May 26, 2013)

I never used 5, my macbook doesnt support it. So I only use GP6. the rest of my band uses GP5 and we manage fine. drums sound better on GP6 but are harder to program, while guitars sound worse IMO. 

also more instrument options on GP6. but apparently GP6 is a bit of a RAM-hog but I dont notice on my macbook

EDIT: and I can export fine to GP5 files so the rest of band can see my ideas without hassle (Dropbox FTW)


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## Tree (May 26, 2013)

GP5 definitely. I never got along with the display. It just doesn't how as much tablature as 5, making it a pain in the ass if I'm trying to learn something while playing along with it.

Like most, I only got it for the 8 string feature, but decided that I'd rather tab out any 8+ string part on a separate tuned down track than deal with 6's clunkiness


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## Orgalmer (May 26, 2013)

Yep, I own GP6 and hate it with a passion. MIDI and RSE sounds are pretty erratic on my PC and despite logging the issue with their support forum, all I've had is other people responding with the same issue but no help.

Anyway, if you're used to tabbing stuff out I very highly suggest using GP5.2, don't even bother with the RSE and just run the MIDI files. At least on Windows they're accurate and fairly easy to use, the Mac version is perhaps not as reliable so GP6 may be your only option.


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## Captain Shoggoth (May 26, 2013)

Santuzzo said:


> Does TuxGuitar allow for 7-string and 8-string TABs?



7 built in, and it's open source-I have one test file someone made with 8 and 9 string tracks but I am unable to replicate it.


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## Captain Butterscotch (May 26, 2013)

I moved from GP5 to 6 and I love it. The drums are just something to get used to.


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## axxessdenied (May 26, 2013)

I do my drums inside my DAW anyways


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## Santuzzo (May 27, 2013)

Captain Shoggoth said:


> 7 built in, and it's open source-I have one test file someone made with 8 and 9 string tracks but I am unable to replicate it.



thanks!


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## yingmin (May 27, 2013)

I use 6 more often than 5, but there are some serious problems with it. My biggest issue with it is that they've Apple-ized it, by which I mean they have taken away a lot of choices and locked you into one specific way of doing things to a great degree. 

They absolutely murdered the import MIDI function: in 5, you got to control which tracks to import, how each track was imported, how many strings each track had, what tuning each track was in, etc. In 6, you import how it decides to import and you'll God damn well like it.

The RSE is so deeply integrated that, as much as it may not sound that great, there's no real benefit to NOT using it, either. You can't change instruments mid-song, which makes transcribing keyboard parts unbelievably frustrating. The "guitar setup" thing they give you instead does not come close to sufficing.

It's more powerful as a transcription tool than 5, but there are plenty of programs that do that better, anyway. I think they should have played to their strengths more on 6, because by apparently chasing the Sibelius/Finale audience in favor of their more guitar-oriented original market, they've really failed to please both sectors in significant measure.

That said, I still use 6 over 5.


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## Winspear (May 27, 2013)

^ Pretty much nailed it right there.


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## patata (May 27, 2013)

People seem to forgot what GP is for.
A friend of mine keeps telling me to upgrade to 6 because the sounds are more realistic and you can alter the tone.I use GP for MIDI drum tracks,song learning and writing my own ideas down so I'll remember them later.GP6 also is a lot more complicated,you have zillion of choices as far as compressors,distortions,pickups n shit.I love the 5 because it's freakin handy.


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## Rojne (May 27, 2013)

I have used Guitar Pro for many years, tab down songs, re-arrange and program drums and export the MIDI's into my DAW!

But then I updated my MacBook and GP5 died..

I tried GP6 not so long ago, but the new interface works like shit and you can't program drums anywhere near as efficient as before!

So I have started to program in my DAW instead and use TuxGuitar if I ever have to tab something down!


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## MetalBuddah (May 27, 2013)

Honestly the only thing that annoys me about GP6 is the changed drum system. I was so comfortable with using the appropriate midi numbers on Tuxguitar and the like that it is now just really hard for me to wrap my head around the new concept. If anybody could PM me with some tips on drum programming in GP6, that would be phenomenal 

Other than that...GP6 is pretty nice. A bit clunkier than tuxguitar but definitely a much more powerful system. The 8 string feature is also nice for when I try to tab out stuff for my ERGs. Just with you could have unlimited strings because I want to effectively tab for my 9


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## Winspear (May 27, 2013)

MetalBuddah said:


> Honestly the only thing that annoys me about GP6 is the changed drum system. I was so comfortable with using the appropriate midi numbers on Tuxguitar and the like that it is now just really hard for me to wrap my head around the new concept. If anybody could PM me with some tips on drum programming in GP6, that would be phenomenal
> 
> Other than that...GP6 is pretty nice. A bit clunkier than tuxguitar but definitely a much more powerful system. The 8 string feature is also nice for when I try to tab out stuff for my ERGs. Just with you could have unlimited strings because I want to effectively tab for my 9



If you want to tab for a 9 and are happy with GP6, try a demo of Sibelius. To me, it's clearly what GP6 was trying to be (aside from the whole RSE deal), with tons more lovely features. A few things take a while to get used to but I've come to love it very much. You'll have to deal with the drum notation still, though. With regards to that - I suggest just getting up a key for the notation and cracking away - it doesn't take too long to memorize.


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## DarkWolfXV (May 27, 2013)

Biggest addition in GP6 is abillity to do tempo changes. Or im just using old version of GP5.


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## Bretton (May 27, 2013)

I made the switch from GP5 to GP6 after joining an 8 string band, later upgraded my Macbook to mountain lion and GP5 always crashes when I try to open it now.

drums took some major getting used to, absolutely hated them, now I'm indifferent as I memorized where everything is.

I was happy with the GP5 RSE sounds, and in GP6 use the same built-in presets that they made to sound like the GP5 ones, for guitars I use

British Stack Dist > Metal Pedal
and
Legend Tones > Zakk Time Rhythm

for bass, the GP6's overdriven bass, can always dial down the gain a bit.


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## jbab (May 27, 2013)

I find the palm mute sounds suck a lot in GP6


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## Winspear (May 27, 2013)

DarkWolfXV said:


> Biggest addition in GP6 is abillity to do tempo changes. Or im just using old version of GP5.



I don't know a version of GP5 that can't. Just hit the little red/green slider near the chord name / text tool and that's where you automate everything from including patch and tempo changes.


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## Bretton (May 28, 2013)

jbab said:


> I find the palm mute sounds suck a lot in GP6



you have to dial it up to about 3/4 with the slider in the instrument panel


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## Chi (May 28, 2013)

Using GP5 for drum writing. I checked up on GP6, but the new system is way too complicated for my taste. The rest looks well polished though...too bad I only use GP for writing drums


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## LolloBlaskhyrt (Jun 4, 2013)

I'm going to change my Vista based PC for a Win 8 PC. Does GP5 work on Win 8?


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## indreku (Jun 4, 2013)

Tried 6 and didn't love it but didn't hate it either. The main issue for me was the drum part and well the visual, have being using GP since I think GP2 or GP3 and one thing that always made me love it was the simplicity - so I moved back to GP5. Also did this 8 string thing with 2 7 strings: one lower and one higher to get the full spectrum of the 8 string.


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## flexkill (Jul 2, 2013)

So I have a question....Can you take the Midi files off of their tabs and export them to your DAW???? For example, I open a Pantera tune fully tabbed by GP...I can then insert their Drum(Midi) track to my DAW and it will work with EZ drummer???? Shit I hope I am getting this out clearly . 


I ask cause it would be cool to do some covers and save me the hassle of doing all the drums by hand.


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## tedtan (Jul 2, 2013)

Yes, you can do that, flexkill. But GP uses standard MIDI notation for drums, whereas EZ Drummer has a different layout so it doesn't work directly. You'll have to load a map from general MIDI to EZ format. Some DAWS have this built in, and so do some drum plugins (Abbey Road and Steven Slate let you change the mapping). Check to see if EZ Drummer does, too.

Also, export each instrument's MIDI separately (the drums, the keyboards, etc.). This way you can put each one on it's own track in your DAW and use it's own synth, sampler, etc. (I find this easier to keep track of than the old school approach of keeping everything in the same MIDI file and separating it out based on it's MIDI channel). Otherwise you'll have more mapping, dealing with MIDI channels, etc. to do in your DAW.


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## flexkill (Jul 2, 2013)

tedtan said:


> Yes, you can do that, flexkill. But GP uses standard MIDI notation for drums, whereas EZ Drummer has a different layout so it doesn't work directly. You'll have to load a map from general MIDI to EZ format. Some DAWS have this built in, and so do some drum plugins (Abbey Road and Steven Slate let you change the mapping). Check to see if EZ Drummer does, too.
> 
> Also, export each instrument's MIDI separately (the drums, the keyboards, etc.). This way you can put each one on it's own track in your DAW and use it's own synth, sampler, etc. (I find this easier to keep track of than the old school approach of keeping everything in the same MIDI file and separating it out based on it's MIDI channel). Otherwise you'll have more mapping, dealing with MIDI channels, etc. to do in your DAW.


Ah I see! Thank you very much.... +Rep for you good sir...


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## sh4z (Jul 2, 2013)

I still prefer guitar pro 4.x for workflow - it was just easier to tab with for me(old habits die hard)

It was pretty unstable though  l'error de verifiquation (french errors all the time) kinda annoying 

GP6 is pretty good. GP5 I used for a bit, no issues with it really.


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## joshthysia (Jul 7, 2013)

sh4z said:


> I still prefer guitar pro 4.x for workflow - it was just easier to tab with for me(old habits die hard)
> 
> It was pretty unstable though  l'error de verifiquation (french errors all the time) kinda annoying
> 
> GP6 is pretty good. GP5 I used for a bit, no issues with it really.



Yep I'm still a GP4 guy as well - probably used the thing for 10+ years! Never spent enough time with GP5 to form an opinion and the demo version of GP5 allows export to .gp4 so I've never had the need to upgrade! Simple, easy to maneuver and could tab out drums in a matter of minutes as long as I had the ideas formed in my head.


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## bnosam (Jul 7, 2013)

I absolutely hate guitar pro 6. I love GP 5, it is so much easier to use for tabbing.

Guitar pro 6 tries to add "realistic" sound effects, but that just adds bloat and the effects are terrible. So it's really useless in that respect.

Then they ruined drums in GP6, so I will never use it much. I just use it long enough to convert a GPX file to a GP5 file.


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## MatrixClaw (Jul 8, 2013)

I used to write all my songs in GP5 before I'd record anything. Since I bought GP6, I think I've written one song in it and then I just skipped the whole tabbing procedure all together and just went straight to recording. Needless to say, I don't remember how to play many of my songs anymore


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## sear (Jul 8, 2013)

I hated Guitar Pro 6's user interface changes more than anything else. I never use RSE because to my ears MIDI actually sounds better, so I don't care for that either.


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## FarBeyondDriven16 (Jul 10, 2013)

Guitar Pro 6 is kind of annoying honestly speaking. On guitar pro 5 i felt like everything was much simpler and (oddly enough) sounded better. When i open up GP files that are not gpx format in Guitar pro 6, the distortion sounds are too muddy and i cant really hear the rhythm and syncopation of some of the notes in the tab. Its just not my cup of tea


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## jvms (Jul 11, 2013)

Why does everyone thinks they screwed up the drums on Guitar Pro 6? Just because of the way you write them?


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## KingAenarion (Jul 11, 2013)

Moved to Tux Guitar...

Open Source, free, none of those issues and it opens GP files.

If I need anything serious scoring I just use Sibelius 7 anyways


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## tedtan (Jul 11, 2013)

jvms said:


> Why does everyone thinks they screwed up the drums on Guitar Pro 6? Just because of the way you write them?


 
Yeah, the interface and workflow changed a bit. I didn't like 6 at first either for these reasons, but I got used to it pretty quickly.


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## Nakon14 (Jul 11, 2013)

I've been sitting on GP5 for awhile, but I've considered upgrading to 6 for the 8 string support since I play one a lot these days. At this point though, I'm starting to wonder if it'd be worth it to just wait it out until 7 comes out. Have there been any rumblings about whether that is coming any time soon?


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## tedtan (Jul 11, 2013)

I haven't heard anything, Nakon14. And the only time they send emails out are when they have a sale on their expansion packs for the realistic sound engine, which I promptly delete.

If you can read standard notation, you can still write 8 string parts out on the staff, they just won't show up correctly in the tab. So I don't recommend upgrading unless you need 8 string tab support.


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## Nakon14 (Jul 11, 2013)

Cool, good to know. I can read standard, so I guess that'll be a good way to keep practicing my reading for guitar, thanks for the heads up!


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## jbab (Jul 11, 2013)

I find the RSE in GP6 sound way worse than the ones in GP5. And palm muted notes don't sound palm muted at all


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## Bouvre (Jul 12, 2013)

Guitar Pro 5 for life!! I feel some of the additions in GP6 are totally unnecessary.


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