Robin's Messy Post (PowerBook G4, OSX 10.4.11)
I figure it's worth while for me to, as a USER, explain snags I've run into along the way in using this (excellent) software :)
My Software/Platform: PowerBook G4, OSX 10.4.11, MuseScore 1.0
My Intended Use: Mostly jazz/funk bands made up of guitar, keys, bass, drums, horns. My degree is in Jazz and Studio Performance (CCM if that matters) so I'll be crankin' out horn arrangements fairly often.
So ...
I'm sippin' my coffee while structuring tracks in Cubase. Upon completion, I figure it's time to export the MIDI file and Import that into MuseScore so that I may print out horn parts.
I export the MIDI File (no problems) and import into MuseScore (no problems).
Now, SOME of the tracks are useless (drum trigger jargon that need not be printed). So, I go into Create -> Instruments. Here, I proceed to remove the unnecessary staves. The only four staves to remain belong to trumpet, alto, tenor and trombone.
"PROBLEM" #1: UPON CLICKING "OK" ALL NOTATION/STAVES ARE GONE.
I'm forced to delete all unwanted midi tracks in Cubase and export again. This isn't very tedious. However, I would have expected not having to do so (would rather just delete unwanted instruments).
Next, I copy my music into a template and ::: WOW ::: it automatically transposes? EXCELLENT! Thanks but ... why do some of my notes have and "X" in front of them?
"PROBLEM" #2: SOME OF MY NOTES ARE MISPLACED AND HAVE A STRANGE "X" ORNAMENT IN FRONT OF THEM.
I suppose I can go in and individually adjust. However, I'd prefer to not have to. Alright, done ... let's play it. Sounds good although at one point I was having difficulty with note onset and offset. If you're notes are playing as if the piano pedal is being held down ... select all ... right click on a note ... select "note properties ... set onset/offset user to "auto" and set onset/offset to "0". Fixed!
My only remaining issue / feature request (perhaps it already exists?) ...
"QUESTION (NOT A PROBLEM)" #3: HOW DO I CONVERT MEASURES WITH IDENTICAL NOTATION TO SIMPLE REPEAT NOTATION?
It would be really cool to be able to select a menu item that says something like "shrink" or "streamline" and automatically have the form of the song remain whilst shrinking the page numbers as much as possible.
Loving this software thus far. So glad to see this idea come to life!
Comments
Here are two example attachments.
The first applies to "Problem 1" and contains all instruments/staves that I'd like to be able to remove in MuseScore via the Create -> Instruments dialogue.
The 2nd is in conjunction with strange "X" ornamentation appearing before specific notes (just look for 'em).
The 3rd presents excessive repeat bars that I'd like to scale down to as few as possible.
In reply to FILE ATTACHMENTS (Forgot to post earlier!) by RobinDean
The "X" appears to be the double sharp symbol.
I've scaled down my document by making use of repeat bars (would like to do that automatically but as things are, it's done and working).
Now ... HOW DO I SPECIFY THE NUMBER OF REPEATS ABOVE A REPEAT BAR?
The symbol is well known. Above the left bar line of a repeated series of measures goes a specific number that is enclosed in a circled.
Where do I find that? What menu?
In reply to QUESTION (NOT A PROBLEM) #4 by RobinDean
If you're looking for a number in a circle, look at the "Fingering" palette
MIDI is not the best format to share music between two notation applications. MusicXML is better. See file format in the handbook for details.
In reply to MIDI is not the best format by David Bolton
Well, I use MIDI.
Cubase doesn't work with "Music XML" as far as I know.
I've honestly never even heard of "Music XML" until I downloaded this software.
MIDI, being the standard that it is, should be implemented with a little more care, I feel.
In reply to Well, I use MIDI. Cubase by RobinDean
MIDI the standard for performance and contains instructions for how fast the key is pressed (loudness), when the key is pressed (duration and timing), when the key is released. But MIDI is not designed for notation (more details in the handbook linked above).
MusicXML is the standard format for exchanging music between notation software. It is widely supported by more than 100 notation software applications including Cubase (see http://www.recordare.com/musicxml/community/software ). The format is not as old as MIDI.
In reply to Well, I use MIDI. Cubase by RobinDean
Right - MIDI might be a standard, but it's a standard for *performance*, not *notation". There are just some things it doesn't do well. Generally speaking, you'd have a *much* easier time creating arrangements in a notation program like MuseScore, outputting to MIDI, then perhaps tweaking the output using a sequencing program like Cubase. This will almost always be many times easier than the reverse.
But FWIW, Cubase apparently *does* have MusicXML import & export - at least, it was added in version 4.1.
In reply to MIDI might be a standard, but by Marc Sabatella
Yeah, well ... not in Cubase SE 3 (as far as I can find).
There are some specifics listed when exporting to MIDI.
I'll post an image tomorrow. Maybe we can devise a "best MIDI settings" for export before import.
I use MIDI to import my music. For now, let's just deal with that. My version of Cubase doesn't make use of Music XML and, while I do understand the idea behind working the notation first, sometimes the creative process dictates that you work on the sound your after (piano-roll-MIDI-editing) before notating the result.
1) When importing a MIDI file that contains more parts than I intend on saving as sheet music, upon removal of those junk parts ALL parts disappear (when making use of the "instruments" menu). I consider this a bug.
2) Misplaced / Double-Sharped notes shouldn't exist after the fact. I realize now that this is due to MIDI import but ... once the notation is there (and yes, playback is correct) there's no reason why the software should self-process the appropriate display of the imported notation. Kill the double sharps. Even better, kill the notes that have sharps when the key signature contains flats ... and vice-versa. Basically, calculate what is an appropriate presentation of the notes.
3) If the feature doesn't exist (and please tell me if it does), I'd like to be able to condense identical segments into repeated segments. By this, I mean if there is a four bar phrase that goes on a few thousand times, get rid of the excess and just slap a repeat in front and at the end of the first segment with the appropriate number of repeats. To do this would only be advisable for scores, not parts I suppose.
4) The number of repeats to a given segment (in between repeat bar lines) ... One person suggest I use the "fingering" menu and I will. However, I'd like to hear the intended number of repeats during playback so my question stands: Is this feature available?
I realize that I'm spewing a lot of comments/questions in this one initial post but, as you're trying to help me, I'm actually trying to help as well.
Thanks.
In reply to Let's Condense The Issues ... by RobinDean
1/ Can you explain which MIDI file we should open and which instrument we should remove to reproduce your bug.
2/ Try Note -> Pitch spelling
3/ No feature like this. You could make a more formal request in the feature request forum.
4/ Right click on the last measure of the segment -> Repeat count
In reply to 1/ Can you explain which MIDI by [DELETED] 5
1/ No MIDI file to open. Just download and open "unnecessary_staves" and attempt to remove all but the trumpet, alto, tenor and trombone. On pressing "ok" everything disappears.
2/ BOOYA! THANKS!
3/ Will do.
4/ It's actually right click, then measure properties but yes, that does indeed work. It doesn't, however, display the number of repeats to the musician reading it which is strange.
In reply to 1/ No MIDI file to open. Just by RobinDean
I downloaded "uncecessary_staves.mscz" and removed all but the alto, tenor and trombone (I don't see a trumpet staff). I pressed "OK" and the score shows alto, tenor adn trombone as expected. (Tested using MuseScore 1.0, Windows 7)
In reply to I downloaded by David Bolton
I'm on a PowerBook G4 using OSX 10.4.11 (not Windows).
I'm just throwing out there that it seems like you're wanting to do more with MIDI than is practical. You're wanting MuseScore to import your Cubase MIDI files with a lot more detail than I think MIDI was intended for. In my experience different programs output MIDI files in lots of different ways, and I'm not sure that the changes made to MuseScore to support the import of your Cubase MIDIs will work on an imported MIDI from another program. I don't have any in-depth knowledge of MIDI, so I'm just guessing here, but in the experiences I have had, MIDI is more suited for playback as opposed to converting to notation. I'm not saying you can't open a MIDI file and convert it to printable notation, but you may be stretching it to expect MuseScore to analyze the file and identify that there are measures with a repeating pattern, then create a single block of measures with a number of repeats.
I'm just curious... is it that you don't want to upgrade to Cubase 4.1? Is it expensive? Does it not support your operating system? I'm curious because MusicXML (which 4.1 apparently supports) seems to come closer to doing what you want to do, but you're trying to shoehorn MIDI into doing it instead.
In reply to Just Sayin'..... by newsome
I've been working with MIDI since about '86 so I'm overly familiar with what it was intended for.
There's no need to explain that it wasn't intended for notation any further, as I typically use it most often for live sequencing ... http://www.RobinDean.com/ (video track is an example)
HOWEVER ... Even way back then there was a program called "MIDI Writer" that could process the ONLY things that I'm hoping MuseScore will become adapted to processing. Namely, exactly what someone else posted earlier ... NOTE VALUES AND NOTE LENGTHS. That's it! That's all I need from it. Anything after that I can do myself (crescendos, repeats).
As things are, what I see are strange arrangements of rests and, often, strange note placement with doubled accidentals. The rests are easily (though tediously) cured by selecting the rests and cutting them out (the normal rests then appear). The misspelled notations are easily fixed with the notes menu.
All in all, I'm liking the repair process more and more.
Is there an easier way to correct the rests?
Example: After a MIDI file is imported, let's say the first note played appears on the "&" of beat two. Sometimes the void space at the beginning of the song will start with an eighth rest ... then a quarter rest rather than the proper quarter-rest-then-eight-rest layout.
I say this lightheartedly ... Even if the product is free, the customer is still always right LOL
OH ... P.S. I'm not asking that MuseScore be able to process repeat patterns in the MIDI. I'm asking that MuseScore be able to process repeating patterns in IT'S OWN GENERATED NOTATION.
P.S.S. It's not that Cubase 4.1 is expensive. It's that upgrading my box to one with worthy CPU speed is very, very expensive.