Time Signature Change Destroys Notes
Still fairly new to MuseScore, and it's already helping tremendously, but I keep hitting a brick wall. For some reason when I've recorded certain midi files, on import to MuseScore the score (roguely!) reports a time signature change half way through e.g. the original time signature is 6/8 and suddenly changes to 9/8.
Naturally, I assumed that I could just delete the 9/8 and the music would re-organise itself, but when I do that, it deletes the last 3 quavers of the first rogue 9/8 bar. The resulting problem (aside from the fact that I'm 3 notes short) is that the 'new' 6/8 bars all start on the wrong 3 notes so all the correct downbeats are in the middle of each 6/8 bar.
Is there a workaround, please?
Comments
First of all, what OS and version of MuseScore are you using??
In common with other notation programs MuseScore has issues with importing MIDI files. Currently the development team is focussed on other areas of the program, but if you have coding experience your input regarding MIDI file parsing would be welcomed.
I'm not sure why MuseScore should be inserting this time signature change.
In order to help you we need a little more information about your workflow.
Do I gather you are recording a performance in a sequencer then importing the saved MIDI file into MuseScore?
Are you quantising the performances before saving the SMF?
It would help to attach the MIDI file here so it can be examined to see if there is a reason for this.
It would also be useful to attach an mscz file with this problem for analysis.
IME there are always problems with the parsing of SMFs in compound time or which contain triplets. This is because the nature of MIDI and the nature of notation software are entirely different. MIDI is a protocol designed for the recording and playback of performances, and so focusses on performance data. Notation software is designed to produce music for human musicians to perform from, the problem being that much of the playing of a music score is interpretative, and not actually written in the score. Because the data in an SMF is interpretative, there is consequently a wide degree of error possible when converting into music notation.
The best possible workaround IMO would be to convert the SMF to a MusicXML file and then use that to import into MuseScore, as MIDI import is one of the current weaknesses of MuseScore. This will be attended to eventually, but currently the fulltime development team is focussed (quite rightly) on notation issues, and getting version 2.0 ready for release, so it will probably be later rather than sooner.
In reply to First of all, what OS and by ChurchOrganist
Thanks for your first response. A's to your Q's:
1) MuseScore v1.2
2) Yes I'm recording into Cubase, quantizing and exporting as a midi file
3) File attached - if you import this into MuseScore with the maximum note length of a quaver you should see what I'm experiencing
Thanks in advance for your help!
In reply to Thanks for your first by anakeimai
I've had a look at the file in Sonar 3, and Cubase has only quantised start times, not durations.
I would suggest that you set Cubase to quantise the durations as well as the start times.
There is also a meter change from 6/8 to 9/8 at bar 18 which explains why MuseScore is inserting one, but does beg the question what is it doing there in the first place??? Mind you I never did think much of Cubase when they ported it from the Atari to the PC.
As they say - Garbage In Garbage Out :)
I've attached the fixed MIDI file - durations have been quantised, the meter change has been removed, and a Bb keysignature added.
HTH
Michael
In reply to I've had a look at the file by ChurchOrganist
Thanks for your help!
The 9/8 seems to be present whether you import with quaver as smallest note or hemidemisemiquaver. There is a quick workaround -
Import into MuseScore
Append 30 or so measures
Change the time signature near the appended portion to 6/8
Copy all the notes from the 9/8 portion
Paste the notes into the 6/8 portion
Delete the bit in the middle
In reply to Time signature in MIDI by underquark
Attached is a 'disassembly' text version of the original midi file. If you look at this file in a text editor you can clearly see that the original midi file DOES contain a 9/8 time signature change at bar 18 in track 0. So the Musescore midi import is correctly showing this. The problem evidently is happening at the cubase end for some reason.
In reply to Attached is a 'disassembly' by BarrieB
Thanks for your help!